Everything You Need To Know About Flying With A Baby Or Toddler

The thought of flying with a baby or toddler can be incredibly daunting. The tears, the tantrums, the nappy changes, plus all the gear you have to bring… it’s all just a bit too overwhelming.

Earlier this year, I flew with my six-month old and three and a half year old to Bali. It was for a family birthday celebration, and although it was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with our loved ones, the idea of travelling overseas with two young kids filled me with dread. I spent close to hundreds of hours researching every possible thing that I would need to pack, the best way to navigate the airport with a bottle fed baby, which seats to book, gizmos and gadgets we would need, and any other possible piece of information that might come in useful.

To save other parents the hassle and stress of researching the entire internet, I’ve compiled all of the information I found on flying with a baby or toddler. I also spoke to travel expert and founder of Solo Female Travelers, Meg Jerrard, to get the inside scoop on how to best travel with a toddler on an international flight. In this article, you’ll find information on preparing before you leave, what (and what not) to pack, how to best navigate the airport, and how to survive the plane trip. Read on for your ultimate guide to travelling with kids on a plane.

Before you leave on your international trip with a baby or toddler

Just a heads up… the most stressful part of your trip is probably going to be before you leave. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be up late at night, your head filled with all of the ‘what if’s’ that could potentially occur while on your holiday. Two pieces of advice I’d offer are:

1. Be as organised and prepared as possible

2. No matter how much you plan/prepare, things will still go wrong

You can prepare for every worst-case scenario in your mind and pack every single thing under the sun to try and prevent those situations from happening, but at some point, you have to let things go and stop the worry. Whatever will happen will happen - it’s all part of the adventure! As long as you have the essentials like travel insurance (more on that soon) and you’re smart about packing (more on that later), then everything will be okay.

Passports, Visas & Research

As soon as you know you’re going on your trip, apply for your child’s passport. Sometimes it can take a while to get them processed, and the paperwork can be a bit of a pain, so make sure you get it out of the way early. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has detailed information on how to apply for a passport. 

If the country you’re heading to requires a visa, apply for this as soon as possible as well. 

Before you head off on your trip, make sure you do your research through Smartraveller. Run by the Australian Government, Smartraveller contains all of the information you need on passports, visas, travel insurance, and detailed travel/cultural advice (including travel warnings) for over 175 destinations. Make sure you look up the country you’re travelling to, and what the current advice is from Smartraveller for your destination. 

To give you peace of mind before your trip, you might like to research the local area you’re staying at, and see where the nearest hospital, chemists and doctor’s offices are. Although you probably won’t need them when you’re there, it’s always good to have that information on hand. Pro tip: If you’re not planning on having international roaming on your phone (and you’re just going to be relying on wifi while you’re away), screenshot where the local chemists or other amenities are around your hotel and save them on your phone. If you’re out and about and don’t have access to wifi, this can help with finding the location of important places around you. 

It’s also a good idea to research where the local embassy is in the country you’re visiting. Not all countries/cities have Australian embassies, but it is still worth researching before you go away, just to be safe. If something unforeseen happens while you’re on your trip, they will be one of your major points of contact. 

Travel Insurance

Never go overseas without travel insurance. It’s not worth the risk. Even most basic travel insurance plans cover major injuries and incidents, and it’ll save you a lot of money in the long run if you have insurance. This is an absolute non-negotiable when I travel overseas. When looking for a plan, do your research. Pro tip: don’t bother using an insurance comparison website when doing your research. They will only show the companies that they have partnerships with, so you won’t be getting the most detailed information you can, or the lowest prices. Instead, do your research on individual sites, where they also offer special discounts. Check with your home/contents/car insurers as well, as they sometimes offer discounted travel insurance rates for current customers. Make sure all of your family is covered by travel insurance, including your baby. Each travel insurance plan will detail which activities and incidents are covered, so if you’re planning on going 4-wheeling or skydiving, you’ll need those sorts of activities covered. 

Immunisations and Doctor’s Visits

Make sure your child is up to date with their immunisations before you head on your trip. Also, book a doctor’s appointment a few months out from leaving, and check if there are any country-specific vaccinations or medications they’ll need to get before you go. It’s a good idea to print off a copy of your baby’s proof of vaccination (available from Medicare), and have copies of any relevant information from your doctor if your child has any medical issues or medications they use.

Airline Research

Before you book your flights, you’ll want to find out what the airline offers in terms of seating for infants. Do they have bassinets? If so, you’ll need to book it as early as possible. Check each airline’s individual website, and if you’re unsure, give them a call. Bassinets are usually only available on long-haul international flights, so you won’t find them if you’re travelling somewhere a little closer (New Zealand, parts of Asia, etc). Pro tip: If you know what sort of plane you’ll be flying on, you can look up the layout before you book your tickets. Use a site like SeatGuru (run by Tripadvisor) to view a detailed map of the plane, so you can see which seats would work best for your family. You can then call the airline and book the specific seats you’d like (this might cost an extra fee). Keep in mind that there are certain conditions that apply to children travelling on airplanes - for example, young children can’t sit in the exit rows in case of an emergency (which is a bummer, because these are the rows which usually have a little extra leg room!). Pro tip: If you can afford it, book your baby their own seat. Although they won’t be able to sit on it on their own, it will give you the extra room you need to spread out (especially with all the luggage you travel with when you have a baby!). 

Each airline has their own rules on what you can bring on the flight with you for your baby/toddler. Although most airlines are fairly generous with their accommodations for baby equipment, it’s always best to double check before you get to the airport. Airlines have specifications around baby carriers/capsules/seats, as well as when to check in portable strollers. With Virgin Australia, we had to have the stroller ‘checked in’ when we first checked in our luggage, where they tagged the stroller and scanned it. We were then free to use it throughout the airport, and the staff took it just before we boarded the plane. 

If you’re a frequent flyer, or if you can afford a one-off pass, accessing your airline's airport lounge is always handy when you’re travelling with kids. This is something to think about/book before you get to the airport. “Lounge access makes getting through the airport easier,” Says travel expert Meg Jerrard. “There's food, water, clean bathrooms, (caffeine!), and some lounges actually have dedicated kids' play spaces.”

Stagger your Trip

Plan your trip so that you’re not rushing from one place to another. There’s always going to be holdups when you’re travelling, whether it’s traffic while you’re getting to the airport or delayed planes, so make sure you account for that. We travelled from Canberra to Sydney the day before our flight, so that we could take our time and enjoy the trip. Pro tip: if you’re travelling to a bigger city to get to the airport, go on the train rather than a bus or plane if you can. There’s heaps more room to move around, food on hand from the canteen, and larger seats, so that you can spread out and enjoy yourselves. Stay the night in a hotel near the airport, and make it a fun part of your holiday. The next morning, you can take your time heading over to the airport and getting checked in.

Packing for your trip with a baby or toddler

If you’re organised and prepared, packing doesn’t have to be stressful. Infants and toddlers need a lot of stuff, so the more organised you can be before your trip, the better. To make the process easier, I created a detailed packing list for each of my kids and kept it in my phone, so whenever I’d randomly remember something that would be useful to pack, I could add it to the list straight away. And just remember, although it’s great to be prepared, if you do forget something (toothbrush, undies, baby wipes), you can always buy it while you’re away.

Packing Must-Do's:

• Pack vital things (such as baby formula, sterilised water, bottles, dummies) in your hand luggage. You’ll need quick access to them, and you don’t want to risk your luggage getting lost and not having the important things that you really need for your trip. 

• If you’re packing other important things in your checked suitcase, spread them across your bags in case one gets lost. For example, we had an extra tin of baby formula in our checked luggage. I divided it up into two containers and put one in my suitcase and one in my husband’s suitcase. That way, if one bag got lost, we’d still have formula on the trip. 

• Use packing cubes (we’ve used these from Kmart, these from Big W, and some from Aldi). They make packing so much easier! If you quickly need to change your toddler's shirt, you’ll know exactly where their shirts are. It’ll save you a lot of time and hassle. 

• Pack an empty bag in each suitcase for laundry (we use these ones, but you could easily use a tote/plastic bag). Again, it keeps your suitcase organised and makes it easier to do your laundry while you’re away. 

•  Make sure all of your suitcases (large and carry on) have 4 x 360-degree wheels. This will make manoeuvring through the airport a whole lot easier. Pro tip: ride on suitcases for kids aren’t worth it! In fact, they can be more of a hindrance than anything else. If you can, get a set of suitcases that stacks easily together, or one with easy to manoeuvre wheels so that your little one can push/pull their own bag along if they want to. 

• When you’re travelling with a toddler, technology is your friend. Everyone has their own views of kids using technology, but when it comes to flying, trust me when I say that an iPad is going to be a lifesaver. Before you leave for your holiday, Make sure you download a whole bunch of kids games, movies and shows (if you have multiple streaming platforms, download stuff on every one that you can). Meg Jerrard also recommends getting some child-safe wireless headphones if you don’t already have them. “There are great bluetooth headbands for kids which have headphone speakers built in, so they can listen without subjecting other passengers to hours of the Wiggles.” Another great tip Meg has is to have an album of photos for your little one to scroll through on their device. This works a charm for her toddler on long-haul flights. “I load up an album of photos from his life that he can scroll through, and this is a great activity he loves; looking through photos and excitedly seeing faces he knows in addition to his own. Toddlers are absolutely fascinated by their own image (at least mine is!), and looking at photos can also have a really positive effect on their memory and self esteem.” 

Packing Lists

It’s always good to get advice from others on what to pack for a trip, especially if you’ve never been to the destination before. I asked Meg what the one thing was that she couldn’t do without while travelling with a toddler. 

“ Wipes! Wipes, wipes, and more wipes - and not only for the mess that they make (which you should expect at some point), but for the mess I make too.” If you’re a parent, you know that wipes are life. And when you’re confined on a plane with lots of unknown germs around, they’re even more important. “ The reality of having a toddler on the plane is that they're going to touch absolutely everything around them, including the floor, and then they're going to touch you. So wipes are a great way of just minimising the grossness all round.”

To help other parents out, I’ve created packing lists with items that we found useful/necessary on our trip. These were the things we packed for a 6 month old baby and a 3.5 year old. I haven’t included the common sense clothing items that you’ll need to pack (shirts, pants, etc.). It’s always a good idea to check the average temperatures of your destination, and pack clothes based on that. 

These packing lists are by no means exhaustive, but should give you a good point to start.

Carry-on Luggage (for a baby and a toddler)

• Wipes

• Nappies

• Disposable nappy change bags to throw used nappies in the bin

• Change of clothes (dress kids in layers, and pack extra clothes based on how long your journey is, and whether you’ve got a spewy/messy baby. Make sure you also pack a change of clothes for yourself!)

• Change of undies (for your toddler, if they need it)  

• Baby carrier/sling

• Hand sanitiser & disinfectant wipes

• Dummy & dummy chain 

• Comforter

• Play mat (for the airport & hotel floor) - we use the Rudie Nudie waterproof mats

• Snacks (Pack all of the snacks you could ever think of. You can thank us later.) 

• Baby food (sachets were great when we needed food on the go) 

• Blanket/sleep suit/swaddle

• *Bottles

• Formula

• Thermoses with sterilised water

• Bottle/sippy cup

• **Toys/entertainment 

• Passports

• Printed paperwork (visas etc.) 

• Face masks 

• iPad/tablets/phones with chargers

• Wireless headphones (Meg Jerrard recommends these Kooshy kids headphones) 

• Portable power pack to charge devices on the plane 

• Pillow for the plane (neck pillow or just any small pillow) 

• ***Lollipops for takeoff/landing 

* Note on bottles: Have a bottle ready to go for when you take off. The sucking motion will help your baby to unblock their ears from the pressure. It will also help to keep them distracted, and might help them fall asleep too. Win win! 

** Note on toys: For our baby, we just packed a few teething toys and rattles. For our 3.5 year old, we packed a few favourite toys/activities that we knew would keep her entertained for short bursts, and then we bought some cheap new toys (from Kmart) and wrapped them. Then, throughout the trip when she would get bored, we’d pull out one of the new toys and she’d open it. She was so excited to find out what was inside and play with them during the flight. This also worked well on the train trip too. 

*** Note on lollipops: This was a hack I’d read about - the sucking motion apparently helps with unblocking ears during takeoff/landing. Unfortunately our daughter licks lollipops and doesn’t suck on them, so the lollipops didn’t really serve their purpose. But they were a great distraction from the noise of takeoff, so I would still recommend packing a few. 

Checked Luggage

• *A portable stroller 

• Baby monitor (if you need it)

• White noise machine (if you need it) 

• Black out blinds (if you need them)

• Small spoon & plastic bowl for feeding (this came in useful when we were out and about) 

• Food sachets for emergencies

• Bibs

• **Bottle brush, collapsible bucket, milton tablets/detergent

• Nappy rash cream

• Toiletries (body wash, moisturiser, toothbrush) 

• Small travel-sized bottle of detergent (incase your kids go through a lot of clothes and you need to do some washing in the bathroom during your trip) 

• Wash cloths

• ***Toys (if you need extra toys, put them in your carry on luggage) 

• Travel adaptors

• Sun hat

• Fan for stroller/pram 

• Night light (for late night feedings, or for moving around the hotel room at night and not waking your little ones!) 

• Beach/travel bag for day trips 

* Note on stroller: We used a really cheap second hand stroller that we got off marketplace. It was perfect for what we needed. It also had a little shade canopy that we could put down when it was really sunny. I would 100% recommend taking a stroller when travelling - it saved us! There are more expensive travel prams out there, which could be worthwhile if you have a long trip where you’re doing a lot of walking. But for our 2-week holiday, the cheap stroller was just fine. 

** Note on bottles/brushes/bucket: We bought a collapsible bucket off Shein for about $10. It was a lifesaver. It came in useful for sterilising toys, spoons and other items, so even if your baby isn’t bottle fed, it might be worth taking a small container for sterilising objects that your baby throws on the floor. Also, the milton tablets were great. They don’t take up much room, and they sterilise things really well. You can grab them from chemists. 

*** Note on toys: I packed way too many toys. I anticipated that my daughter would be bored on the trip, but there was so much to do every day (pool, restaurants, activities) that she didn’t really have much of a chance to play with her toys. Depending on your child’s age, it might be good to pack one or two books, something to draw on/with (a small erasable whiteboard is a good idea), and some high-interest toys (hands-on things are always good). 

First Aid Kit

• Kids panadol

• Kids nurofen

• Syringes for medication

• *Activated charcoal

• Bandaids

• Betadine

• Gastro Stop 

• Hydrolite tablets 

• Sunscreen

• Bug spray 

*Note on activated charcoal: Little kids aren’t able to take Gastro Stop or other similar products when they get gastro. We were recommended activated charcoal diluted in water to help our daughter when she had gastro at around 2 years old. It helped her to stop vomiting and hold down some water, and honestly worked like a charm. We packed some for our trip to Bali for when we inevitably got gastro (and boy oh boy, did we get gastro!). You can buy activated charcoal from health food shops or online. Use your own discretion as to whether you think this product is right for your child. 

Nappy Bag

Obviously, you’ll want to keep all of the most important things close at hand. These things should go in your nappy bag. Although airlines have strict rules about allowances for checked and carry on luggage, they allow a nappy bag as an extra carry on as well. So, make sure you put all of the really vital stuff (nappies, wipes, bottles) in your nappy bag, and leave it at your feet during the flight. 

At the Airport with Your Baby/Toddler

If you’ve got kids, you’ll know that everything takes a whole lot longer than it should. For that reason, it’s important to plan to get to the airport early. “Getting to the airport early is massive for me because it means I don't feel stressed about dealing with check in, getting through lines, and making toilet stops beforehand,” says Meg Jerrard. Navigating the airport with young kids, and all of their items, can be a bit of a juggle. Particularly, if your baby is formula-fed, you need to plan a little more carefully. But, if you do plan well, navigating the airport doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. Make sure you pack all of your necessities in your carry-on luggage, make sure you have your stroller or baby carrier, and if you’re unsure at any point, don’t be afraid to ask for help. All of the staff we encountered at the airport (from airline check-in staff to security) were all super helpful. Remember that although it might be your first time travelling with kids, they help people do it every day. 

Here’s all of the advice we gathered for navigating the airport easily with young kids.

For Bottle/Formula-Fed Babies

I read in numerous different places (including Australian government websites) and heard from numerous people (including airline staff we spoke to on the phone) a number of answers to the question: how much sterilised water can I take through security and onto the plane? The general consensus I found was 1 litre. However, we packed more than this (spread out in a few thermoses) and we didn’t encounter any problems at all. 

When you are going through security, you will be asked to put all of your items into the trays like normal. They also ask you to tip out any liquids you may have. Just mention to the staff that you have a baby and have water for their bottles. We were told to leave the thermoses in our bags, and then once they’d been scanned (and we had walked through the personal scanner), we were called over to go through our bags that had liquids in them. Security opened up the bags and asked what was in the thermoses. We told them water, for the baby’s bottles, and that was it. They handed back the bags, and we went on our way. I was so worried about this part of our trip, but it didn’t end up being a big deal at all. The security is super understanding when you have a baby, and they give you a lot of allowances. 

We had a long layover in Melbourne on our way to Bali. In the morning, we’d stocked up our thermoses with sterilised water. However as the day went on, I was worried we wouldn’t have enough water. Once we got through security and our water started running low, we asked a cafe to fill up the thermos with boiling water. We sat down and left the lid off to cool, and that meant we had enough sterilised water for the plane, and also when we landed in Bali. 

Getting Through Security

At some airports, if they see you have young kids, they will have a separate lane open for getting through security. This way, you can take a bit more time and don’t have to feel rushed. Even if you don’t have your own lane, and there’s a hundred people lined up behind you, just remember that you are still entitled to take your time. If other people are running late and are trying to rush through security, that’s their problem, not yours. It can be really easy to get flustered during this process, because you have to wrangle your kids, put everything through security, get the baby out of the stroller, and a thousand other things. Just remember to keep your cool (if you can!) and take your time. 

Everyone is screened at the airport, even babies. They are not allowed to be in their stroller/carrier, they have to be carried by a parent through the personal screening device. All strollers and baby carriers need to be scanned too, so you’ll have to put them on the conveyor belt with your personal items. 

Food, Food and More Food!

It’s exciting eating out at the airport. But toddlers can be fickle little creatures, and you don’t want a $17 toasted sandwich to be thrown on the floor because your little one didn’t like the colour of the cheese. Just to be safe, pack some food from home. Having a lot of snacks on hand is a good idea, especially if they’re foods you know your kid will always eat. This can also help you during the flight - snacks can be a very good distraction!

Getting Dressed & Ready

Before you get on the plane, make sure your kids have all of the clothing they’ll need. It sounds stupid, but there’s nothing worse than lining up, getting everyone’s tickets and passports checked, boarding the plane, finding your seats, putting the luggage away, settling in, and then, just as a sea of people are queuing along the aisle, your kid says “Mum, I’m cold! I need my jumper!” and you realise that it’s safely tucked away in the hand luggage above your head. Temperatures can be temperamental on a plane, so dress your child in layers, and make sure they’re easy to peel off and put back on as the flight goes. Also, if you’ve got a toilet-training toddler, make sure you put them in a nappy before you get on the plane. The plane toilets are barely big enough for one person, let alone one person and an overtired tantruming toddler!

Priority Boarding

You’ve probably caught a flight before where the air stewards announce priority boarding for families or those who need assistance. Well, this is your time to shine, baby! Take advantage of the priority boarding and get the kids on first, so that you can take your seats and get out of everyone’s way. Just before you board is when you will hand over your stroller to be checked in. Chat to the airline staff when you get to your gate, and they’ll tell you what the deal is.

Layovers

If you don’t have a direct flight, you’ll need to do a layover at an airport in another country. Although this adds time to your trip, it can be a good way to break the trip up so that your toddler has room to stretch/move. You’ll want to plan your layover carefully, so that you’ve got enough time to do what you need. 

“I make my best effort to strategically plan my flight layovers, with enough time to be able to disembark last, get food, make a toilet stop, and chill, but not such a long time that you end up feeling like you're living in the terminal,” says Meg.

During the Flight with Your Baby or Toddler

You’ve done it! You’re finally on the plane, and everyone is alive and still (relatively) sane. Go you! If you’ve got your essentials in your carry-on (and your urgent items in your nappy bag, which you can keep at your feet), then you shouldn’t have too many problems on the plane.

Get Comfortable

Get your kiddos set up with everything they need before you sit down. For your toddler, it might mean having a stash in your nappy bag (phone, headphones, lollipops, snacks, toys) so that everything is close at hand. If they’re super excited to be on a plane, let them sit at the window so they can see how amazing everything looks during take off. This is also a good strategy if you need to keep your toddler contained (it’s harder to get to the aisle from the window seat). If you’ve got a baby, they’ll be sitting on your lap. If you did book them their own seat, make sure you take advantage and spread out. Another great hack that I found when travelling is to buy a small dog bed and pack it on the plane with you. If your baby is sleeping, you can put the dog's bed on the seat and let bub sleep on it. It sounds a bit silly, but we did this on our return flight and it worked a treat.

Food

A toddler with snacks can’t be sad - that’s a fact! If your toddler has their specific favourite foods, make sure you pack some for the plane. “Don't rely on airline food,” says Meg. “Having their favorite foods on hand is absolutely essential. Fun treats they can suck on for a long period of time like a lollypop also help keep them still and entertained. The last thing you want on a plane is a hangry toddler.”

Don't Stress

You know the old saying… kids will be kids! People often roll their eyes or complain quietly when they see a baby/toddler getting on a plane near them. And you know what? There’s absolutely nothing you can do to make them feel better about it. Your baby will behave how they behave. They might cry. They might fuss. Your toddler might need to run up and down the aisle a few (hundred) times to burn their energy. If you’ve done everything you can to prepare for the trip (e.g. booking a nighttime flight so that your toddler is more likely to sleep), packed them some toys/entertainment, tried your usual toolbox of tricks to keep them occupied, and it’s still not working, then don’t stress yourself. Our baby cried a bit (he was super overtired at one point), and I couldn’t care less whether it annoyed other people around us. We paid for our tickets, just like they did. 

If you’re prone to worry about other people, it might be a good idea to develop a little mantra for yourself and just repeat it in your mind if things go a little haywire with your kiddo during the flight. This will help to keep you centred and grounded, and to hopefully realise that you don’t need to worry about what other passengers are thinking.

Travelling with a baby or toddler isn’t going to be as easy as travelling by yourself. But, with careful planning, sensible packing, and plenty of distractions on the plane, your trip should be a success. If you’ve travelled with a baby or toddler and have other advice to add, let us know in the comments below!