When it comes to traveling, we’re fairly light packers. We love having less to keep track of and try to keep things simple. This same rule applies to bringing things for Sebastian. We always pack his own suitcase and bring it as a carry-on. For this trip, we brought a few more things, like Elmo, crayons and a magnetic drawling board (which he hardly used). Trying to see what he likes and doesn’t like so hopefully we can guess correctly next time. I won’t go into everything we brought, but I’ll share our current absolute essentials for traveling with a toddler. Every trip with him, we learn more and more. It allows us to be more prepared and efficient each time.

Folding Stroller

We’ve been traveling with the UppaBaby Vista, which we LOVE, but we needed something smaller and more compact. Matt did some research and found this pockit stroller by GB. It’s AMAZING! Five stars. The stroller folds up into the size of a briefcase. While traveling, we stowed it above us  in the overhead compartment.

*As for a carseat. We were originally going to bring his new car seat, but decided to get an Uber with a car seat instead. We didn’t want to haul around the car seat while traveling and the Uber was only $10 more per trip. Well worth it.

Metal Thermos 

After a couple recent flights, where they didnt have any milk onboard, we learned our lesson and grabbed a metal thermos to store Sebastian’s milk. We use it during take-off and landing. In retrospect, we should have brought two. The other for his water. We used the thermos for our trip to the island, so we would have enough for the day.  They probably had milk there, but we just didn’t want to take that chance. The other good thing is that we never had a problem getting anything through security. Make sure you let them know the milk is for the baby. They test the bottle, but it’s was quick and we were off on our way.

SPF & Hat

We love the Supergoop SPF 50 spray. I take it with me everywhere we go. We try to keep Sebastian out of the sun as much as possible, but he’s a kid and wants to play. I just spray him down every 30 minutes real quick and he is good to go. The spray is lightweight and doesn’t burn his skin. An entire bottle gets us through two trips, which I thought that was really great.

I always take a hat for Sebastian. He typically keeps it on, especially if he’s sitting in the stroller. Same idea here. I don’t want him to get sunburnt on his head or face. We apply the sunscreen and put on his hat. Plus, he looks really cutey in hats!

Push & Pull Car

We are the “1 toy” kind of parents. We like to stick to that rule when we’re out and about in the city and traveling. He played with this little push and pull car in the water and while we were walking the streets of Cartagena. I’d recommend bringing a toy that can be used in almost any environment. Water, concrete, carpet, etc. It used to be Sophie the Giraffe, but I got saw pictures of the ones that had been in the water. Nope. No mas.

Portable Changing Pad

If I were to recommend one thing to anyone, especially city parents, I’d recommend this portable changing pad by Skiphop. It’s a lifesaver. It also made our baby travel essentials post as well. We take it everywhere and we always have it stocked with a few diapers, wipes and medicine. Super compact, super portable, and keeps Sebastian from being directly on the ground.

Prerecorded Video

A few weeks ago, I had a lightbulb go off in my head. “Oh my goodness we can record Sebastian’s shows on our phone!” We don’t always have access to wifi, especially on international flights, so in crisis moments, we need to have a show to distract Sebastian. This was so crucial for our 16 hr hour travel day. He did amazing. The little singalong shows are not just great for keeping him entertained but it’s helping him to start learning too. And the reality is, if we can keep him calm and not having a fit on the plane, we are all for it. The last thing we want, especially on an overnight flight is for him to be screaming while others are trying to work or sleep. Here are directions on how you can do it on your phone too.

We have more posts coming this week from our trip to Cartagena including a Cartagena Travel Guide, everything I wore in Cartagena and we decided to do a dedicated post for Sebastian’s #ootd.

Would love to hear some of your tips and tricks for traveling with a toddler. Please share with the rest of the community. Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to motherhood!

xo, Olivia