5 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips


After flying more than 30 times with our 20 month old, we have learned A LOT about flying with a baby & now a toddler.  Although traveling with a baby or toddler is never easy, it is completely doable.   On our most recent flight, a man sitting in the row next to us was so impressed with how well our daughter did on our 6 hour flight that he told us we “need to teach a class on flying with a baby.” We may not teach a class but here are our 5 top baby & toddler flying tips.  

Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips

For a more complete breakdown on flying with a baby, please see our Flying with a Baby post. For more tips on traveling with a baby, see our Top 10 Baby Travel Tips post. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. That means that, at no cost to you, we may get a small commission if you purchase through these links. This helps us keep providing travel resources for you!


#1 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tip: Attitude is Everything

When flying with a baby and toddler, attitude really is everything.  You need to have realistic expectations.  If you expect your baby or toddler to sleep the entire flight and not fuss or cry at all, that is unrealistic.  Be prepared that things may not go exactly as you want.  And that is okay!  Sure, it may be ideal if you try to time your baby’s nap to align with when you are flying but that might not realistically happen. Be flexible, follow your baby’s lead and go with the flow.  If they sleep the whole time and there is no fussing/crying, great, but do not have that be your expectation.  With a toddler, be prepared you may have to entertain/engage with them the entire flight (depending on time of day) and that is okay too!  If you are realistic about how the flight may or may not go, your experience is going to be better.  Do not set yourself up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations. 


#2 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tip: Brings lots of Snacks

This tip is more pertinent once your baby is consistently eating solid foods but once they are, bring snacks and lots of them!   Growing babies and toddlers get hungry often and do not exude a lot of patience when hungry.  Snacks are a quick way to turn a sour mood right-side up.  We use these Skip Hop Puppy Snack Cups for things that may go stale more quickly or need a more secure cover (ex. peeled clementines, apple slices, popcorn, etc.) .  We also have at least 6 of these Munchkin Snack Cups we use for other more simple snacks that get quickly eaten (ex. Cheerios, Goldfish, etc.). We are sure to have a variety of choices and snacks (at least 4 different snack containers) for the flight.  For longer flights (such as flying anywhere in Europe), we bring at least 6 containers and refills for the containers. 

Similarly, make sure you are ready to nurse or bottle-feed younger babies on demand. Flying is not the time to stick to a strict feeding/nursing schedule.


#3 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tip: You do NOT need Fancy Toys

A question we get quite often is, what toys do you use when flying?  The answer is none.  We bring our daughters stuffed Elmo (comforts her/she sleeps with) and several different books but we do not bring any toys.  She honestly is more ore interested in playing with the things around her on the airplane including (but not limited to) the safety information sheets, tray for food, gift bag from flight attendant, provided pillows, etc.   She also recently had a lot of fun pushing her Elmo around in the free-to-use airport strollers in the Lisbon airport during a layover.  Honestly, babies are entertained pretty easily and we find snack/book space in our diaper bag more valuable than toy space. 

Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips

If looking for a great travel diaper bag? See our The Best Travel Diaper Bag post. 


#4: Save Best Distractions for when you REALLY need them 

For us, this distraction is screen time. Our daughter rarely gets screen time at home so it is a real treat when she gets any.  We only use screen time on flights with her if nothing else (snacks or other distractions) is working when she is being fussy.  For you, this might be a specific type of snack or toy.  Whatever it is, be sure to save that special distraction for when you really need it and do not just use it when your baby or toddler is perfectly content. 


#5: If they don’t sleep or cry, it will be okay 

Pairing in with a realistic attitude, babies sometimes fight sleep and sometimes they cry.  That is okay! Focus on caring for your child and remember that there are likely other parents on the flight who know how it can be to travel with a baby or toddler.  You getting worked up about your baby crying or not sleeping is certainly not going to make it better.  Remember, it will be okay.  Your baby will eventually sleep and eventually stop crying. Remember, babies/toddlers cry or whine at times regardless of flying. It is best to ignore those cranky people that like to give mean or annoyed looks. Keep in mind they are getting mad at a baby so it would seem they just have a negative attitude towards life. Also, babies and toddlers are resilient. Our daughter actually does MUCH better with time changes than we do.  She tends to see when the sun is out in a new time zone and is like “okay, let’s be awake.” If only mom and dad adjusted that easily!

Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips

If looking to create a dark space for your baby on-the-go, check out the CoziGo. This portable blackout curtain creates a dark space for your little one to sleep in his/her car seat or stroller easier on-the-go.  We found this works best for babies 15 months or less. 


Bonus Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tip: YOU CAN DO IT

Many naysayers (who likely have not traveled with their baby or traveled very little) will say you can’t do it.  Do not listen to them.  You absolutely can fly with your baby and toddler.  It may not go perfectly and that is totally okay.  You will learn more with each trip and each flight will go a little smoother.  Our 20 month old honestly travels better than many adults.  Babies and toddlers are adaptable and will do great when you have realistic expectations for them.  You can do it! 

For more on baby travel, see our Top 10 Baby Travel Tips, How to Hike with a Baby and Flying with a Baby posts.


We hope this guide helps you plan your flight with your baby and/or toddler.  Anything you’d add to our guide? We’d love to hear your feedback and questions.  Please leave us a comment!

Did you find this post helpful? If so, please share it with a friend, like our Always Have a Trip Planned Facebook Page, follow our Always Have A Trip Planned Instagram and subscribe to our emails below.

And remember, Always Have A Trip Planned!

The Best Travel Diaper Bag


As avid travelers and parents, we knew we needed a diaper bag designed with our travels in mind.  When we found the No Reception Club Getaway Diaper Bag, we knew we had stumbled upon something great. This diaper bag has been a game changer for us traveling (and even with day-to-day use).  Here is a breakdown of why we love this diaper bag travel system and why it’s the best travel diaper bag. 

Best travel diaper bag

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. That means that, at no cost to you, we may get a small commission if you purchase through these links. This helps us keep providing travel resources for you!

We started using this travel diaper bag once our daughter was 18 months old and wish we would have found it sooner.  For more information on traveling with a baby, please see our Top 10 Baby Travel Tips, How to Hike with a Baby, 5 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips and Flying with a Baby posts.


The Best Travel Diaper Bag: Organization Galore and Tons of Space

Have you ever felt like you cannot find anything in your diaper bag? Or that it is just stuffed to the brim with all the things you need? Do you find these diaper bag woes even worse when traveling with your baby?  We felt like this every time we traveled with our daughter (and even on local outings at times).  However, with this travel system, we no longer feel out of control and unorganized when it comes to using our diaper bag while traveling. 

This diaper bag is truly the best diaper bag for traveling. Knowing where to locate an item quickly is paramount when urgency ensues with your baby (…parents, you know what we mean). This bag has so many compartments and can fit everything you need. One of the compartments is a 3 tier shelf and this is our favorite unique feature. This allows you quick and easy access to items.  This diaper bag even has a waterproof pocket at the bottom designed for anything wet or dirty. This comes in very handy in many situations while traveling with a baby (ex. thanks for having our back during that blowout in the Lisbon airport). 

The No Reception Club Diaper Bag also comes with this helpful insert (pictured below) on how to pack the diaper bag.  This helps demonstrate just how much you can fit in it! 

best travel diaper bag

The Best Travel Diaper Bag: Functional to Use and Comfortable to Wear Anywhere

We most recently used this diaper bag on a trip to the city of Porto, Portugal as well as on a trip to the tropical island of Madeira.   This diaper bag impressed us with its versatile functionality and comfort in these contrasting settings. 

Although these settings greatly contrasted (rainforest hiking versus city excursions), this diaper bag came in handy in both settings.  On our hikes, we were able to organize all our extra clothes, supplies, gear and food we needed. Similarly, we were also able to easily bring all the supplies we needed for a day with our baby out exploring the city by foot.  Not once did the diaper bag feel uncomfortable on this trip and we walked a cumulative of over 100 miles. That’s pretty impressive with all the things the it held for us! 


The Best Travel Diaper Bag: Parents and Babies at the forefront of design

Moreover, this diaper bag is so well designed. You really can tell it was made by parents with kids who understand just all the things you need to bring with you, especially while traveling with a baby.    

Best travel diaper bag

With our No Reception Club Getaway diaper bag travel system, we found it helpful to organize as follows:

  • The top compartment of the diaper bag for toys (kept our rain gear here on hikes)
  • The top shelf of the diaper bag for headphones and snacks
  • The middle shelf of the diaper bag for clothes, books & extra diapers
  • The bottom shelf of the diaper bag for different snack containers or extra adults clothes
  • The side compartment of the diaper bag for a bottle (inside included No Reception Club cooler)
  • The lower compartment of the diaper bag for medicines/other liquids
  • The front pocket for parent supplies
  • The fanny pack for quick diaper changing supplies (2 diapers, small package of wipes, hand sanitizer, passports/tickets in the back).  

Get your own No Reception Club Getaway Diaper Bag using this link

No Reception Club Diaper Bag is truly the best diaper bag for traveling and any parents who want an organized diaper bag in day-to-day life.  This diaper bag is an investment yet is worth every penny. 


We hope this guide helps decide if the No Reception Club Getaway Diaper Bag is right for you.  We’d love to hear your feedback and questions. Did you find this post helpful? If so, please share it with a friend, like our Always Have a Trip Planned Facebook Page, follow our Always Have A Trip Planned Instagram and subscribe to our emails below.

And remember, Always Have A Trip Planned!

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