13 Travel Essentials with Toddlers: What We Use on Every Trip
Sometimes, traveling with a baby or toddler is kind of like trying to do a complicated math problem, sleep-deprived, wearing someone else’s backpack, and singing “Wheels on the Bus” on repeat. You’re chasing adventure, while simultaneously Googling “Is baby poop supposed to look like that in Guatemala?” (Yes, this is actually in my Google history)
I get it. You want your kids to experience the world — to hear new languages, taste new foods, and maybe even nap on something besides your chest once in a while. But it’s also totally normal to worry about fevers in foreign countries, skipped naps on flights, or the meltdown that starts just as your museum tour begins.
As a mom of two little ones and a longtime traveler, I’ve taken my kids across oceans, through airports, and into homes, markets, and mountains around the world — often as a solo mom, wrangling car seats, passports, and snack meltdowns on my own.
I’ve learned the absolute travel essentials with toddler’s in mind. Here, I’ll share what’s worth packing, what we can live without, and how to stay calm when things go sideways.
Full Passport Family was born from those experiences — the sweet ones and the stressful ones. My goal is to help families like yours travel in a way that feels enriching, intentional, and (let’s be honest) survivable.
So here it is: the toddler travel gear we actually bring to help our young kids stay safe, comfortable, and just a little more chill while adventuring abroad.
How To Figure Out What to Pack And What To Leave
When I first started traveling internationally with a baby and a 5 year old, my packing list looked like I was preparing to move abroad for years (we really did travel with 18 pieces of luggage).
But over time, especially as I’ve been traveling solo with two kids, I’ve learned an important truth: you definitely don’t need everything. You just need the right things.
So what makes the cut? For us, it’s gear that protects our kids’ health, emotional wellbeing, and sense of routine. Not the flashiest items or the ones TikTok swears by, but the tried-and-true things that helped my kids (and me) feel safe and sane while exploring the world.
Below, you’ll find my top travel gear for young kids in 4 important categories: sleep, safety, routine, and containment. Keeping these four categories in mind while you pack will help you figure out the essentials.
If you’re a busy parent (who isn’t) and only want to know the best of the best, here are my top essentials, one from each category:
My Top Picks:
SlumberCalm Sound Machine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✅ Has a nightlight
✅ Portable & USB rechargeable
✅ Timer feature
AirTags
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✅ Easily pairs with phone
✅ Long battery life
✅ Useful for keeping track of kids, luggage, keys, etc!
Travel High Chair
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✅ Handy storage
✅ Straps to any chair
✅ Easy to clean
Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✅ Easy to put on solo
✅ Comfortable to wear for many hours
✅ Lots of fun prints
Sleep: Your Secret Weapon for Sanity on the Road
Sleep is sacred and never more so than when you’re jet-lagged, in a new time zone, and trying to get your toddler to fall asleep in a room that echoes like a cathedral and smells faintly of someone else’s perfume.
I used to think travel sleep would just “work itself out” and then I spent four hours rocking a screaming baby under a flickering hotel light in Lisbon. Let’s just say I’ve learned some things. These are the travel sleep essentials that have turned our chaotic bedtime routines slightly more peaceful.
1. SlumberPod: Our Toddler Sleep MVP
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: calm sleep space | ✅ Buy it!
If I am checking luggage on an international trip, I always bring the SlumberPod. This blackout privacy pod fits over most travel cribs and playards, creating a dark, cozy, distraction-free space for sleep. It’s breathable (with ventilation panels and optional fan), compact enough to check with luggage, and gives your little one the gift of their own “room,” even in a tiny hotel or Airbnb.
We’ve used it in bright summer nights and tiny hotel rooms where everyone’s sleeping in the same space. The only con is that it is a bit bulky, so if I have a checked bag, it’s definitely coming with me! It’s not cheap, but the return on sleep is worth it to me.
2. Portable Toddler Bed
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: peaceful sleep | ✅ Buy it!
This portable toddler bed folds down compact and fits into checked luggage. We’ve been using it for almost two years now, starting when our child was 3. We leave it folded up near our bed and if our 5 year old has a nightmare, wakes up at night, or just wants to sleep in the same room as his parents, he will unfold the cot and go right back to sleep near our bedside.
The beauty of this set up is that he won’t wake us up climbing into our bed and we won’t be woken up by a kick to the face by a sleeping child.
This cot has helped so much during big transitions in our life such as moving, having a second child, sleepovers at grandparents house and more. It helps our 5 year old have a comfortable place to sleep near us without causing unnecessary wake ups for the grown ups. I’ll be honest, we keep this cot near our bed at all times, even weeks after we’ve settled into a new space.
We’ve also tried inflatable travel mattresses and the inflatable bed rails, but truly, when you’re tired and jetlagged, blowing up a bed rail manually or pumping an inflatable mattress with a loud electric pump is the last thing I want to do. I love that this one folds up quickly and can be stored in a corner or under the bed. One thing to to note, the weight limit for this toddler travel bed is 80 lbs.
In new environments, kids thrive on a sense of familiarity—and a travel cot can offer exactly that. It becomes a consistent, comforting sleep space no matter where you are. Whether your child is napping in a new home or staying overnight at a friend’s place, you’ll always have a safe, clean place for them to rest.
That said, we typically only bring ours for long-term travel. While it folds down well, we wouldn’t recommend it for shorter trips when luggage space is tight.
3. White Noise Machine: Tiny, Mighty, Essential
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: consistent sleep | ✅ Buy it!
This little guy is the unsung hero of our travel sleep routine. The SlumberCalm Machine is portable, rechargeable, and the size of a doughnut, but way more helpful in meltdowns.
I’ve tried out a few other brands, and always go back to this one. I love that it has a nightlight function and only has a few sound options. Another popular brand option I owned had way too many choices which would just leave me flustered.
It blocks out unfamiliar sounds (dogs barking, street noise, neighbors flushing toilets at ungodly hours) and creates a consistent sleep signal, no matter where we are.
Bonus: it clips to your diaper bag or stroller for on-the-go naps or instant “calm down” vibes in chaotic environments.
Family sleep saver: We don’t travel without it. Buy the best travel white noise machine here!
Travel Safety: Peace of Mind Is the Real Carry-On
Let’s be honest: as magical as travel with babies and toddlers can be, nothing spikes a parent’s cortisol like that moment in a crowded airport when your child suddenly vanishes behind a duty-free display of perfume. (Ask me how I know.)
Travel safety isn’t about paranoia, it’s about prevention, preparation, and giving yourself tools that make the unpredictable feel a little more manageable. These are the safety essentials I never leave home without.
4. RideSafer Travel Vest: Car Seat Safety Without the Bulk
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: lightweight carseat | ✅ Buy it!
Car seats are the bane of international travel. Too bulky to carry, but too important to skip. Enter the RideSafer Travel Vest, a genius, crash-tested solution that keeps toddlers and preschoolers safe in taxis and rental cars without hauling your usual gear. It fits like a padded vest and positions the seat belt properly across your child’s body.
We’ve used it everywhere from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa, and while it takes a minute to get used to, it’s now one of our most trusted pieces of safety gear. It folds down to the size of a laptop, so it fits easily in a daypack or carry-on.
For our baby, we still carry around an infant carseat, and as annoying and bulky as it may be, it’s still important for him to be safe, especially in some of the windy, precarious roads we travel.
5. Travel Medical Kit: For Every “What If” You Can Think Of
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: medical safety | ✅ Buy it!
No one wants to be the parent hunting down baby ibuprofen in a foreign pharmacy at midnight with Google Translate open. A solid travel medical kit can turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.
Ours includes basics like band-aids, antiseptic wipes, fever meds (infant and adult), electrolyte packets, baby-safe bug spray, mineral sunscreen, and a digital thermometer. I use this small case to organize everything, and I always bring a printout of our kids’ medical info and allergy details just in case.
You can build your own or buy a pre-stocked one. Either way, it’s one of those things you don’t appreciate until you really need it and then you’re incredibly glad it’s there.
6. Apple AirTags: Tiny Trackers, Big Peace of Mind
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: peace of mind | ✅ Buy it!
The Apple AirTag is a humble little disc, but it has saved us more times than I can count from missing luggage to wandering toddlers. I use these Airtag holders to clip one to each kid’s shoe, backpack, or hang on their little belt loop if we’re traveling somewhere extra busy (looking at you Disneyland on Halloween).
The AirTag pairs easily with your iPhone’s Find My app, giving you real-time updates on your little one’s location. We’ve used them at airports, theme parks, and giant museums, and the mental relief it provides is worth every penny.
Bonus tip: toss one in your checked luggage, you’ll be thankful you did when the airport says they don’t know where your luggage is, but thanks to the AirTag, you do. We learned this the hard way when the Lisbon airport lost our luggage and it only showed up 4 weeks later (after our trip was over).
Keep track of your gear & children with AirTags—our must-have for family travel! Buy Airtags here!
Routine & Comfort: Your Kid’s Sense of Normal
Toddlers are creatures of habit. They will reject a Michelin-star meal but weep if you forget the bedtime song you made up on a Tuesday last July. So when everything around them changes — the time zone, the bed, the way toilets flush — keeping little routines intact becomes a secret weapon.
These are the travel items that help us bring a piece of home wherever we go, and make new environments feel safe and fun (or at least meltdown-free for a little while).
7. Snack Keeper: Crunchy Snacks, Contained Chaos
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: cheap & useful | ✅ Buy it!
If I had a dollar for every crushed cracker in my carry-on, I could fund our next international trip. Enter the Nuby Snack Keeper, a spill-resistant, toddler-friendly snack container that’s basically magic. It keeps goldfish, cereal, and apple slices in — while still letting tiny hands reach in and out independently.
We use it on planes, trains, and long strolls through cities when someone needs sustenance to keep moving. It’s durable, dishwasher-safe, and small enough to toss into any day bag.
8. Travel High Chair: Because Not Every Cafe Has a Booster Seat
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: convenient meals | ✅ Buy it!
I’ve eaten many a meal with a toddler on my lap, using my non dominant hand to fork pasta into my mouth while the other blocks juice from spilling — until I found the right travel high chair.
There are a few great styles out there, but we like this travel high chair. It is easily strapped to any chair and has a little compartment to store wipes and other feeding items. It’s a game-changer for family meals on the go, and it lets your child feel like a part of the action.
9. Comfort Object: Their “Special Lovely” Comes Too
I’ve gone back and forth about whether to travel with an “irreplaceable” baby item. But, as we now travel so often, it’s very important to my kids that we bring their favorite items.
Whether it’s a ragged bunny, a small blankie, or a plush dinosaur don’t underestimate the power of bringing along your child’s comfort object. Ours has a dedicated zippered pocket in the carry-on and is lovingly guarded like the crown jewels.
It helps with sleep, transitions, and moments of overwhelm (because let’s be honest, airports can be a lot for grown-ups, too).
Pro tip: bring a backup if possible, attach an AirTag, or take a photo of the in case a replacement emergency ever arises.
10. Travel Toys: Play Is Always Important
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: portable play
You don’t need an entire suitcase of toys — just a few MVPs that keep your toddler’s hands and imagination busy. We usually bring a few surprise toys for long days of travel and let our older kiddo pick one special toy to bring.
Our favorite travel toys include:
- Wikki Stix – waxy, bendy sticks perfect for hotel windows, tray tables, and restaurant menus. No mess, endless fun.
- Erasable LCD Drawing Pad – great for sketching, writing, or playing “guess what I drew.” Light and battery-efficient.
- UNO Flip – a surprising hit with preschoolers and grown-ups alike. The double-sided twist keeps things exciting and teaches color/number matching while sneaking in family bonding.
These small comforts and routines are what help your child feel grounded — and let you take a breath knowing that, even in unfamiliar places, you’ve created a bit of routine in their lives.
Containment: Keeping Your Kid Close & Comfortable
The term “containment” sounds a little intense — like we’re prepping for toddler mutiny on the high seas. But when you’re racing through a crowded airport or navigating a cobblestone street while jet-lagged and covered in cracker crumbs, the ability to contain your child safely and comfortably is everything.
Containment is all about creating calm and comfort inside the chaos of transit. These tools help me keep my kids close, safe, and well-rested — and let me focus on what we actually came to do: experience the world together (without anyone escaping into a busy street or melting down mid-tarmac). These are the tools that help us do just that.
11. Artipoppe Baby Carrier: The MVP of My Travel Life
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: handsfree & comfortable | ✅ Buy it!
I use the Artipoppe Zeitgeist carrier multiple times every single day when we travel. It’s sleek, supportive, and chic enough that I feel great wearing it in Paris as I do hiking up a volcano. My baby naps in it, nurses in it (yes, even while walking), and it gives me both hands free for luggage, snacks, or the ever-important passport shuffle.
It’s not cheap — but in my opinion, it’s absolutely worth it for the comfort and quality. Whether we’re hiking in Guatemala or waiting in a visa line in Central Africa, this carrier is my absolute favorite. I’ve tried out way too many carriers over the years, and I can truthfully say the Artipoppe carrier is the best.
Read a detailed review of my favorite baby carrier so you don’t have to buy 11 different ones like I did!
12. Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller: When Your Kid Conks Out at Gate B23
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: compact, nap friendly | ✅ Buy it!
This stroller saved me during a very pregnant sprint through the Istanbul airport with a sleeping toddler, a backpack, and too many carry-ons strapped to my body. The Mountain Buggy Nano folds down small enough to fit in the overhead bin (yep, no gate-checking drama), and it’s light enough to carry one-handed.
It handles bumpy sidewalks surprisingly well (everything, except the cobblestone of Guatemala) and reclines just enough for on-the-go naps. Or often, I find myself piling our backpacks and hand luggage in the stroller and baby wearing the baby.
The best thing? I can push it one handed! Our last travel stroller required two hands to push it, which is very frustrating when you also need a hand to hold on to a child/your coffee/your fresh croissant.
13. Compressible Packing Cubes: The Space-Saving Heroes
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: compact organization | ✅ Buy it!
While not for containing children, these compressible packing cubes are the best for containing clothes. If Mary Poppins packed a suitcase, she’d use compressible packing cubes. These little zippered wonders help me keep our chaos contained.
I separate each person’s clothes into one of these packing cubes. And then use another for bathing suits and another for an emergency change of clothes that I keep with me at all times.
The real magic is the compression zipper, which lets you squish things down and reclaim precious suitcase space (hello, extra diapers and emergency sweaters). These compression cubes are sturdy, lightweight, and surprisingly satisfying to zip shut like a vacuum-sealed bag of parental preparedness. I also really like the mesh windows so I can easily see what’s inside.
Maximize space, stay organized—these packing cubes go on every trip!
FAQs About Toddler Travel Gear
Do I really need a travel stroller and a carrier?
Honestly? I used to think it was overkill too. But after wrangling a sleepy toddler through a midnight layover, I was so grateful for our travel stroller. There was no way I could carry my two sleeping young children and our luggage without the stroller.
For me, the combo gives flexibility: stroller for airports and long walks, carrier for naps on the go, tight spaces, and adventures off the beaten path. If you can swing both, they each earn their space.
How do you keep a toddler entertained on long flights without screens the whole time?
We pack a tiny “magic pouch” of travel-only toys: reusable sticker books, pop-its, a mini doodle pad, and a snack they’ve never had before. Sometimes we’ll stretch screen time, sure—but we mix it in with surprise activities to keep things novel.
Do you bring a full-size diaper bag when you travel?
Not anymore! For flights or long train rides, I pack a slim backpack with just the essentials: a few diapers, wipes, snacks, change of clothes, water bottle, and one comfort item. I learned the hard way (in a very tiny airplane bathroom) that less really is more when space is tight. The rest goes in our carry-on or checked luggage.
Is it worth bringing a white noise machine and blackout cover?
Yes—especially if your toddler’s sleep affects everyone’s mood (ask me how I know 🙃). We use a portable white noise machine and SlumberPod blackout cover to make hotel naps and early bedtimes actually possible. It’s one of those things that feels fussy until you see your child fall asleep despite the street music outside.
What’s your toddler’s “comfort item” when you travel?
For our oldest, it’s a giant blanket, which is honestly, not the easiest to travel with. For our youngest, it’s a bunny stuffed animal. We don’t bring every lovey, but we never travel without one item that helps them feel safe. And when they hold it mid-flight or snuggle it in a new bed? That’s what makes the unfamiliar feel okay.
You’re Ready to Confidently Travel with Your Toddler!
Traveling with babies and young kids can feel like a high-stakes puzzle — but with the right gear, it becomes a lot less “How are we going to survive this?” and a lot more “We’ve got this!”
These are the items that have truly helped me feel safer, saner, and more connected to my kids on the road and my hope is they’ll do the same for your family.
I’ve been there: struggling to fold a stroller in a busy TSA line, nursing a baby in a visa line, and sprinting through airports with a backpack full of baby wipes. And while no gear can guarantee a completely chaos free trip, having tools that actually work makes a world of difference.
Want more family travel tips, real stories from our international adventures, and gear recs that I actually use? Come hang out with me on Instagram @fullpassportfamily.
