Hello!
My family and I just returned from 15 days in Portugal. It was lovely and I realized that I’ve never done a post on how I prepare my family for such a big trip. Yes, lots of planning goes into it and yes, I’ve made mistakes. I want to share with you what I’ve done to try to avoid grumpy kiddos (it can’t all be avoided) and try to help you avoid some of those mistakes I’ve made.
Packing
I start early usually around 2 weeks before we leave. I know, I know that’s nuts, but I want to avoid missing anything especially when traveling internationally.
Video Monitor: For me, these are essential because kids do crazy things and it’s nice to have peace of mind. I go for closed-loop monitors when traveling. I don’t know other people’s wifi and this is just easier.
Packing squares: I have two different colors for each kid. They share a large duffle bag as their suitcase. It’s nice to be able to pull out the squares for each kid and it helps my oldest to be able to know which is his so he can help with unpacking or dressing himself.
Tile: I place tiles in all the suitcases and important bags because I have had my bags never leave an airport before and it’s insanely frustrating. It’s nice to be able to monitor them.
Medications: No one wants to be sick on vacation, but if you are traveling internationally you should make sure to bring meds, especially if you are traveling with kids. I always check the expiration dates and bring Tylenol and Motrin. I like to bring brand new ones if possible. I also bring Pedialyte packets for the kids. I bring some Zicam for the adults.
Sound Machine: bringing a sound machine that doesn’t need to be plugged in is nice because if you are on the go or the kiddo doesn’t have a plugin in their room they can at least still have some white noise. I love this one and it has a nightlight, bonus!
Black-out curtains: I love the idea of the slumberpod, but when flying internationally it’s an added bag that I don’t have room for. I like these Amazon ones. I will lay them flat inside the duffle so they don’t take up too much space in the bag.
Diapers! I always bring enough for 4 days. This gives us time to find some at a local grocery store and we aren’t rushing to grab them.
Yoto: My oldest loves his Yoto and it’s a great way to have less screen time on a trip. I got him this carrying case and it’s perfect to hold his listening cards.
Tablet: I’m not beneath having a tablet with some movies or TV shows. I also try to download some apps with different fun things like coloring or letter/number games. Download everything before you leave! Traveling is not the time to be searching for the right app.
Hand sanitizer: I know I know kids are going to touch everything but hey we still try to keep it “clean”. I usually pack around 5 small bottles to throw in bags and pockets when walking around a new city
Wipes: I pack 4 travel versions of Clorox wipes. Yes, we are that family that wipes down their trays and such when they get into a plane. To be fair I was that person when I didn’t have children. I also love these face wipes that I keep with me regularly, but def essential when traveling.
Clothing Detergent: Yes, I always pick an Airbnb with a washing machine and yes, I always bring my own detergent. You never know if you will need to wash something as soon as you get there and I don’t want to be hunting down laundry detergent if I’m jetlagged. Add a Tide to go stick to your packing list too. Especially if your kids tend to like to add food to their clothing. :)
Food: Whether you get in late at night or early in the morning, it is guaranteed everyone will be tired and maybe a little hangry. My mom always packed oatmeal packets when we traveled and they always came in handy. So I do the same! All you need is boiling water, perfect. I always have some bars and if we are traveling by car I bring some boxed milk, bread and a stick of butter (yup you read that right, comes in more handy than you’d think).
Kid Shoes: I always pack some rain shoes for the kids because the chances of it raining when you’re staying somewhere for a long time are high and there is no chance I’m going to let cold wet feet stop me from exploring. I love these for my toddler and these for my 6-year-old. The kids wear their sneakers on the plane and these additional shoes don’t take up much space.
Clothing: I always pack 7 days’ worth of clothing (this includes pajamas, socks and undies). Why? I don’t like doing laundry every second of every day and that gives me some wiggle room if the kids do need to change their clothing. When traveling in Europe most places don’t have dryers (though our last place did). Always pack an extra pair of clothes for every family member in their carry-on!
Books: I bring 3 books per child. We try to pick ones that are smaller and lighter (no LOTR picture books during travel) and ones that are versatile for switching between kids.
Snacks: Yes, I bring them and then when we get there I try to find a version of local snacks for the kiddos.
Converter and Power Adapter: Each person gets their own converter. I used these for the kids and my husband and I have this beefy one.
Car Seat Bags: We usually travel with our car seats. We didn’t do that this last trip (I’ll talk more about this below), but when we do we use these bags. They are great!
Pack and play: I bring my own crib when traveling. I don’t love the idea of my kid sleeping in a crib that isn’t theirs. The one we have isn’t great, but it works for us. I add this mat for more comfort for the baby.
Airbnb
I’ve had a lot of experience finding an Airbnb that works for our family and it can still all go wrong. This last trip the place we picked just didn’t work for our family and after some back and forth with the host, I was able to get a refund and find us a place that was a dream to stay in. My checklist:
Heat: Ask the host if they have heat. I know this sounds crazy but heat wasn’t listed as an amenity on our last Airbnb and therefore the host wasn’t required to give it to us. It was in the upper 40’s at night and far too cold for kids and it’s also a vacation. I don’t want to be cold or need to wear our jackets while we eat dinner (which happened).
Kids: Ask if the place has had kids stay there before. I read the reviews, but also always ask the host.
Babygate: Ask if they have a babygate for stairs. Most places have stairs and it would be nice not to have to follow a kiddo around 100% of the time.
Highchair: Ask if they have a highchair. I used to bring my own highchair with us when we traveled. Now that I have 2 kids I try to bring less.
Windows: Remember when I mentioned those blackout curtains? I like to confirm how many windows are in each room and I ask if there are any skylights. Yes, this has happened and it has been in a room with a twin bed so it wasn’t like my husband and I could sleep in there.
Outdoor space: My family needs to have outdoor space. I ask if it is shared and if it is flat. I know this part sounds silly, but we stayed in a place where you couldn’t tell at all that the house was on a slope and one parent had to be with the toddler at all times so they wouldn’t tumble down.
Parking: We usually always get a rental car. We stay in locations for long periods and we will take day trips to other cities or beaches. We stayed in Airbnb’s where the parking was a good 15-minute walk from the Airbnb and nearly impossible to get close enough to the Airbnb to drop luggage off. Now, we LOVED the location and the house, but this part was a little stressful and not for the faint of heart. I always ask and determine if it is worth it.
Washer and Dryer: most of the European Airbnb’s that we’ve stayed in don’t have dryers, but our last one did and it was truly lovely.
Grocery Stores and Pharmacy: I ask where the local grocery store is and pharmacy. Yes, I also google but I like asking as well. I then add them to a Google map so when I get there they are already marked. We will do lunch out, but dinners, especially in Europe, are later and restaurants open during our kid’s bedtime so we are usually cooking at the Airbnb.
Now if the host has these things listed as amenities that’s a great start, but I like to ensure they know what I am looking for so the things I need are there as soon as we get there. I am also an Airbnb host and if I can help make someone’s stay a little bit easier then I will do it!
Car Rentals and Car Services
Car Service: If you are staying in a city and don’t think you need a car then you might just need a car service to your rental. We used Welcome Pickups and they are available in most cities. We had a great experience and I was even able to add a car seat and booster making it even easier.
Car rentals: This trip I decided to have car seats added to my car rentals and the only thing they did wrong was not have them install the car seats. I’m not too sure if this is a European thing, but I would make sure the company does it for you as I had to spend 20 minutes watching a tutorial on how to install the seat. Not really want I want to do it on vacation. I also picked a car rental location near our Airbnb. Also always ask about the gasoline for the car. Yes, it is different in other countries. Our car rental company did a good job of educating me on that. One more thing to note, I made sure that I could get an Uber to the car rental location. Something to take note of depending on where you are staying. We aren’t big on getting rentals at the airport, it usually takes forever and isn’t a pleasant experience.
There is a lot here, but I hope it is helpful! If you do use something from this list and found this helpful I’d love to hear about it.
I’ll be selling prints from Portugal here. White House Custom Colour is the printer and they do lovely high quality work that will be delivered right to your doorstep!
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If you made it all the way down here congrats! Few upcoming happenings that should be on your radar!
April Minis! - 3 spots left. Get them before they’re gone!
May Mother Minis! - I opened up more spots based on your feedback. These will be intimate mother-kiddo sessions to celebrate Mother’s Day! We will be at lovely Fort Williams and if it ends up being too cold or if it happens to snow we can always switch this up to a studio session.
I have some exciting things in the works that I can’t wait to share with you all soon!
Cheers,
Jess
