https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:56:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902493 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:37:49 +0000 misolee 2902493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. We travel as much as we can. I have three (7,3, and 20 month old). I prefer to fly bc car trips longer than 5 hours makes me go crazy. And we live in the South where getting out of the state is five hours. </p> <p>We’ve been traveling internationally since my oldest was 8 months We’ve traveled international several times with all three including a trip last year that included a 14 hour plane ride. We’ve been to Mexico twice this year. Just came back from the West coast. Flying up North during Christmas. </p> <p>Anyways all to say... we don’t sweat the small stuff. They nap when they need too. We prob eat way unhealthy while traveling. We all co-sleep. They prob get way too much screen time, etc. My kids are seasoned travelers bc we pushed through. Yes, there are cranky days but nothing has stopped us so far. </p> <p>Also, as a family of five, tickets are getting expensive so we started accumulating points and taking advantage of credit card deals to maximize. My husband travels a lot for work and he always stays in one hotel brand to accumulate points to use on our personal vacations. I’m pretty sure we haven’t paid for a hotel since 2012 😂 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902468 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 13:04:58 +0000 DesertDreams88 2902468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>4 months, 1 kid, plane, cross-country.<br /> 8 months, 1 kid, car drive, 4 hours.<br /> 11 months, 1 kid, plane cross-country.<br /> 13 months, 1 kid, car, 8 hours.<br /> 15 months, 1 kid, car, 6 hours.<br /> 20 months, 1 kid, car, 5 hours.</p> <p>2 kids, one 2.5 and one 5 months, plane, cross country.<br /> 2 kids, one 2.5 and one 8 months, car, 5 hours.<br /> 2 kids, ages 3 and 1, car, 6 hours.<br /> 2 kids, ages 3 and 1, car, 4 hours.<br /> 2 kids, ages 3.5 and 1.5, car, 21 days of roadtripping with 2-5 hours in the car per day, driving over 3000 miles through 4 states.</p> <p>ETA: Basically, all this to say, it's all doable. My toddler is a spitfire with tons of personality who is on the move all the time, but even he can deal with travel. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902465 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:36:25 +0000 yellowbeach 2902465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've been traveling with DD (2.5) since she was 9 months. First "test" trip was a 2 leg flight to California (we are east coast) to see how she does on a plane. She has a VP shunt, so we were concerned about extra effects from altitude/pressure changes. </p> <p>We've since flown with her to:<br /> 1) The Bahamas<br /> 2) Florence &amp; ROme, Italy<br /> 3) Athems &amp; Crete, Greece<br /> 4) Copenhagen, Denmark<br /> 5) and a few shorter domestic flights</p> <p>Worst age: 18 months (Italy) because she was in a squirmy phase but wasn't into the iPad yet. </p> <p>Tips for flights:<br /> - Board last, the less time on the plane, the better<br /> - Bring the iPad, small toys, books, stuff to do<br /> - Take proactive walks in the aisles<br /> - Bring a change of clothes for all parties<br /> - If you can swing it, lay flat seats are AMAZING for a toddler. Room to spread out and play with toys, good napping... game changer</p> <p>Hotels/AirBnb:<br /> - We do a combo of airbnb and hotels - we always like to pick unique boutique places.<br /> - Make sure they have a bathtub (not all do, especially in big cities)... keeping our nightly bedtime routine intact is essential, and bath is a big part<br /> - We ask for a crib/pack n play in the room. DD is still willing to sleep in one. We usually have to get out of her line of sight to get her to go down though.<br /> - A sleep sack that lets her not split her legs and climb out of the pack n play is a must for us<br /> - I download familiar music (twinkle twinkle little star) that she usually listens to before going to sleep and play that on my phone</p> <p>Travel in cars/trains/etc:<br /> -We try to travel by train when possible - more fun for everyone and more room<br /> -Getting to and from the airport is usually the biggest hassle - we set up a car ahead of time (most hotels will help you) and request an appropriate car seat ahead so we don't have to stress that</p> <p>Activities:<br /> - We build a dedicated kid activity like a park or playground visit into every day that we are out seeing sights</p> <p>Gear:<br /> - When she was small, I'd wear her through the airport and up until security when they make you unwrap<br /> - Now we take our city mini stroller EVERYWHERE<br /> - We don't mess with taking a car seat (see above)</p> <p>Wall me and I can send a link to my blog where I give a lot my detail on the above destinations and traveling with a toddler. Good luck - it's rewarding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902463 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:26:42 +0000 periwinklebee 2902463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The thing that prevents me from wanting to do more of it is that DS inevitably gets repeatedly air sick. It sucks. Maybe when he's old enough to aim better into a puke bag 😂 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902462 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:04:42 +0000 SweetiePie 2902462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We traveled a lot more when it was just our older son. I actually took him to see my family (1 hour flight) multiple times a year. Our 2nd has only been to my parents house twice though 😳 He’s 21 months. We’ve been on one family vacation in Feb when the 2nd one turned 1. Literally his bday weekend we went to Florida.<br /> Part of it is anxiety of traveling with two. Part of it is that the older one is in full time school now so the ability to travel has been seriously restricted due to schedule. Add to that that the usual times when school is off are super expensive to travel. </p> <p>The one trip we took with the 4 of us we got a 2 bedroom suite. Big boy got his own room and baby slept in the Lotus in an alcove in our room. It was an off-peak time to travel so we got an incredible deal. Otherwise I think we will do a 1 bedroom suite and put both boys in there. Or 2 adjoining. We cannot come to terms with sharing one hotel room with one kid let alone two. 😂</p> <p>“Baby” is coming up on two years old and generally more flexible in schedule so I’m hoping we can start to plan some trips in the next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902457 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 10:38:33 +0000 BUNBUN 2902457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I've never seen this before! DS is way too big for a pnp, but I love this idea for a baby!<br /> Amazon has some travel blackout shades. I think I might try some of those </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902445 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 22:02:31 +0000 PurplePumps 2902445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not as much as I would have liked. My son is 1 and we've flown to TX (6 months, 4 hr flight), FL (9 months, 3 hr flight) and Bermuda (11 months, 2 hr flight). We're going to TX again in Dec when he'll be 15 months. TX was to stay family so he had his own room if he wanted, but we were still cosleeping at that time. In FL, we shared a room in a timeshare so we could put him to bed by himself and sneak in later. There was no way he'd fall asleep in the same room. And in Bermuda, it was a hotel but the closet was big enough for the crib so we used that as his "room" for the same reason. He'e an awful napper and sleeper so going anywhere he didn't have his own space to fall asleep just hasn't been an option. We're hoping it'll get better next year and we can travel a bit more, but we're still going to probably do timeshares so that he has his own space to fall asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902444 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:58:51 +0000 wrkbrk 2902444@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We travel a lot with our son. He’s almost four now but his first airplane ride was at six months and he’s probably had a dozen round trips since. Car trips are a little harder, we try to limit trips to six hours each way. Bring LOTS of snacks. Lol.<br /> PS He sleeps with us when we travel but we do that often at home too so it’s not really a big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902443 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:16:55 +0000 foodiebee 2902443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BUNBUN: Would this help? <a href="https://www.slumberpod.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.slumberpod.com/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902405 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:51:49 +0000 Ajsmommy 2902405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We traveled way more than I ever thought we would! </p> <p>We did a 4 hr car ride trip with DD when she was 8 mos, we stayed in one room hotel room and it was not great bc she went to bed at 7 and we had to be quiet....we vowed to not do that again</p> <p>My first trip alone with 1 kid and she was 15 mos, we flew on a 2 hr flight, and then 1 hr drive. We stayed with family in one room but it was just 2 of us</p> <p>We also did many car trips with just DD, longest one being 8 hr's one way and we stayed in a 3 bdroom condo while there so DD had her own room.</p> <p>Once we had DS our first big trip was to Disney. We flew (2 hr flight) and stayed in a suite. DS was 10 mos old and DD was 4. Ds slept in a pnp in the ginormous bathroom, DD slept on pull out couch in living area, we slept in the bedroom.</p> <p>I then flew alone with both kids 2.5 hr flight, DD was 5, DS 15 mos and we met DH and stayed in a 3 bdroom condo. We all had our own rooms.</p> <p>We went on a 2 hr car trip and had a one king bedroom one time. It was just for one night. The kids loved it.. me and DH not so much! LOL </p> <p>We've gone camping many times. Usually I bunk up with both kids and DH sleeps alone.</p> <p>My kids travel well. The only time it was a mess was on one flight and DS didn't want to sit still. It was the flight i was alone with both kids. Come to find out he had a ruptured ear drum... so no wonder he was screaming :sad:</p> <p>ETA: DD is now just about 6 and she is a seasoned traveler.. i just took her on a ladies trip and she was a better traveler than some of my older relatives!! It was a 2 hr flight and 2 hr drive each way.</p> <p>We really want to do Hawaii but I think DS needs to be a yr or two older to tackle that length of a flight </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902350 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:55:53 +0000 BUNBUN 2902350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We fly ~3 hours to visit family 2xs/year. DS just turned 3, and he's only just getting to the point where screen time helps for these plane rides so we bring lots of things to keep him busy and try to take turns entertaining him during the flight. He's actually getting to be more challenging on car rides. Planning the longer car trips (3+hrs) around bed or nap time helps a lot.<br /> The worst part is the sleep. He is great in his own bed, but in a strange place, he usually insists on us staying with him until he's asleep and he wakes at DAWN without proper blackout shades (that's 4:30 or 5am in NY in summer). For this reason alone, hotels are a little easier than staying with family or Air BnB.<br /> I'm contemplating crafting some sort of portable solution to the blackout shade problem. </p> <p>I actually just convinced my BFF to fly down to visit us for their first plan trip with a 1yo. I told her that since it was a 3hr direct flight and we had all the "stuff" she would need, and no pressure to really go and do much, it was an ideal test run. Worked out great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902347 Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:38:12 +0000 Mommy Finger 2902347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't travel much when DS2 was little b/c he sucked when he wasn't sleeping in his own bed. It was a nightmare and made the trip so stressful and not worth it. That being said, there's something for pushing through it to get your kids used to traveling. My friend has taken her 2 kids (similar in ages to mine) on international trips and her kids are great travelers. I think part of it is just the kids' disposition and getting used to the travel. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902305 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:35:05 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2902305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep! My son is at the worst age for it right now (16 months. Fml) but we’ve done Punta Cana when the oldest two were 3 and 9 months. Prince Edward Island when they were 3.5ish and just over 1. Drove to Vermont when they were 1.5 and almost 4 (long drive. Sucked)<br /> Florida when they were 4 and almost 2. Then no big trips until they were 5, almost 3 and the baby was along and 9 months and we did Turks and Caicos. We want to go this winter some where, pending baby behaviour. He’s a rebel who won’t sit still!</p> <p>We’ve done a lot of little road trips, just an hour - 3 hours away for a night or two. </p> <p>Possible doing two weeks in Michigan when we tag along for my husbands work trip in May. </p> <p>Def a lot of work but worth it. My kids love it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902275 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:26:38 +0000 psw27 2902275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have flown to CA, FL, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Texas and probably other places I can't think of with our crew. Plus we've done two 9 hour road trips and a 6 hour road trip. It can stink at times but the kids do pretty well. The 1 year old age is the hardest for sure - they don't care about anything except trying to move their bodies. </p> <p>We usually stay with family but sometimes we stay in hotel rooms. We try to get the largest room we can afford but we do a lot of regular rooms without issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902259 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:34:35 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2902259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes we have traveled with all our kids from a very young age, both flying and driving trips, including international travel. It is a priority for us in terms of how we spend our money and making sure we visit family. For the logistics it’s really just mind over matter. For the rest it is being frugal with other things so that we can make it happen. Generally we stay in hotel rooms and cosleep. I don’t mind and really dislike having to worry about other people’s stuff in an Airbnb so it works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902231 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:34:17 +0000 JJ2626 2902231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our 21 month old has been on at least 8 round trip plane trips and most of those have been 6 hours from CA to NY. This is usually to visit family though, not for fun, and we have no choice. We also stay with them. But the flights are not a big deal-once we accepted we are now people that check bags it’s fine. We keep LO entertained with snacks and the iPad. We haven’t done a big actual vacation with her but we have done long weekends and those have been in an airbnb because it’s so much easier with naps and bedtime to have a place to hang out when she is asleep and not be stuck in a hotel room. I can’t imagine doing a hotel room with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902229 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:31:07 +0000 hitchhiker 2902229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We take approximately 3-4 flying trips and several more road trips per year. We are both from across the country, so there are at least 2 plane trips per year to visit family. But then we also regularly take them to visit friends that are scattered around the US. Our biggest trips were when my oldest was 3 months - from the east coast to Alaska, and when my kids were 5 &amp; 2 to Scandinavia. We generally stay in Airbnbs or with family/friends. But I also like staying at the Residence Inn. If it's just me with one kid, I'll just get a regular hotel room &amp; then read/watch TV after they go to bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902226 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:24:46 +0000 Beebeeholiday 2902226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have three and we have traveled with them plenty. We take at least two big trips a year. One of them is a road trip to a coastal town a state away, and then we usually fly once a year for a vacation as well. We've only done three hour flights so far and they were dream children. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Just bring snacks and tablets and small toys that are "new" to them.</p> <p>We generally try to book suites or condo-type units that have separate bedrooms and a full kitchen. When we flew to Disneyland, we booked a two-bedroom at a hotel that also had a kitchenette. When we flew to Phoenix, we stayed in a two-bedroom condo unit. Depending on the set-up of the hotel/suite/AirBNB, we generally do the two older kids sharing a bedroom, one kid on a hide-a-bed, and then DH and I in the other bedroom.<br /> I love flying with my kids and we have a trip to Maui planned for 10 months from now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902212 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 11:29:10 +0000 Becky 2902212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine are 3.5 and 6 years old. We don’t do any extensive travel like out of the country unfortunately but would in a heartbeat. We went to Maine the past 2 years and we break it up in the way out (5 hours day one, 5 hours day two—we camp overnight and the drive to the campsite adds on), and then drive through on the way back (9 hours). We’ve flown to Florida a few times (1.5 hours) and Minnesota (4 hrs?). We also drive to NJ occasionally which is about 6 hours. Depending on who we drive with sometimes on the way out we split it into 2 days on the way out. I used to drive the 6 hours to my parents old house probably 4 times a year when DD1 was a baby up to 2 years old. I don’t count anything under 2 hours as travel. If we had the money we would absolutely travel way more and definitely don’t think the kids are a barrier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902211 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 11:27:39 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2902211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have traveled a bit with E who is now 2. Road trips, nothing longer then 7 hours in a day, at least once a year plus 2 hr trips to see family monthly. We have flown 2-3 times a year nothing longer then 3.5 hours, we are looking to tackle a 4-5 hr flight in Feb and then 6 hrs in April. Typically we do air b n b or a two room suite to make life easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902207 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:58:23 +0000 graceandjoy 2902207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Uh like rarely, but not so much b/c I have young kids, but more also b/c no PTO, no money, etc, haha. </p> <p>DD1 is 5 and she has gone on 3 road trips so far, 3 hours &amp; under</p> <p>DD2 is 3 and she has gone on 2 road of the above road trips</p> <p>So far I booked another small trip for us after Christmas since I'm due with DS3 early next year and we're probably not going anywhere. Again, not so much b/c they're young but more so b/c I never have PTO left after maternity leave, and also no money with 2 in daycare and 1 needing summer camp! </p> <p>They have not been on a plane at all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902162 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 07:01:43 +0000 LadyDi 2902162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve never flown with our kids (4, 21 months, 4 months) but we take multiple longer car trips per year. Most from 3-4 hours but our longest was around 9. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902160 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:44:17 +0000 bhbee 2902160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live far from family and fly about 3-4x per year. For that we sometimes stay with family, sometimes suite hotel so they can sleep on the pullout sofa and now with 3 we’ve done Airbnb. The flight is about 3 hours and I find that it’s hardest around age 1 when they won’t watch a screen but don’t want to sit. But I’ve flown several times this year by myself with all 3 kids and it’s doable. Sometimes I think packing is the worst part! It gets a lot easier as they get older and get excited about it. This past weekend my 1 year old seemed to have her ear infection back so it was a long flight for us and the other passengers ... </p> <p>We currently have taken about 1 driving trip per year - 5-6 hour drive. I don’t mind that one either but it can be hard if one kid hates the car. </p> <p>My SIL has family in Asia so they have flown there with young kids (from the US) and that does not sound fun to me but clearly you can make it work if you need to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902153 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:58:48 +0000 Hypatia 2902153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We travel quite a lot. We make a two hour (one way) trip every other weekend, and have been doing similar jaunts since both my kids were babies. We took our oldest on a 9 hour drive (excluding breaks) when she was three, without even using electronics to distract her at all. My younger kid (age 2) gets impatient, though—my Apple Watch has clocked her car tantrums in at 103 decibels, which is enough to cause temporary hearing loss. So, I think kids have different thresholds for this kind of thing just based on their personalities. </p> <p>We’re considering spending six months of the year traveling around the country with a small travel trailer. We won’t let the younger kid put a stop to those plans, though I sure hope she grows out of it by then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902151 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:27:39 +0000 erinbaderin 2902151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do! My oldest son went on his first “long” car trip (4 hours) at 4 months, as a practice run to see how he’d do sleeping not at home - a few weeks later we took him to England (8 hour flight) for a week. We stayed with family. Before he was 2 my older son went to England twice and Vegas twice. Since we had #2 we’ve been to St Lucia, Mexico, and Disney World - we’ve always stayed in a hotel, once it was a 1 bedroom suite but the other times we were all in one room. They’ve always been very good! I find the toughest thing is keeping them entertained on the flights, because despite the fact that the screen time floodgates are opened, they’re not interested in 5 straight hours of tv. </p> <p>I find traveling with kids is a lot more stressful in theory than in practice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902149 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:20:27 +0000 Pumuckl 2902149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes we travel a lot with our four, currently they are 2x2, 4 and 6 years old. My first took his first flight at 4-5 months old, which was domestic a month later we went on a 7.5 week long roadtrip which included a transatlantic flight. On that trip we either slept with friends or in hotels and tried to limit driving to 3-3.5 hours a day. It was an awesome trip. At 18 months we took him on his next transatlantic trip and again stayed in hotels and with friends. A year later with his 9 month old sister in tow we took another 10 hour flight and stayed only in hotels. Basically every year we take one or two big trips with the kids in tow. We took all four of them on the twins first transatlantic flight at 8 months. We stayed with friends, hotels and in an AirBnB on that trip. </p> <p>We also travel a lot by car. When we are visiting family we like to leave in the evening so that the kids will just sleep in their seats. Obviously when abroad we travel through the day. We try to limit the time spent in the car but sometimes it just doesn't work out and it'll take nearly a day (so 6-8 hours of driving) to go places. What we do then is to plan a big break and scout out grocery stores to get lunch and then find a playground that we stay at for at least an hour. </p> <p>Works well for us and our kids enjoy the traveling and going places. We're lucky that they are all pretty flexible and are happy to tag along. Jet leg is usually not so fun for two days or so and then they are mostly over it (even if it's more than 6+ hours). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902146 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:00:54 +0000 cake2017 2902146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Older as in my first being 3-4 and the second being 2. For the most part we do short car rides (45-1hour) and DH and I travel alone twice a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-travel-with-your-young-kids#post-2902145 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 01:59:32 +0000 cake2017 2902145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How often do you travel with your kids?</p> <p>Do you take them on flights? How long was the flight and how old were they? How did they do lol?<br /> How do you do hotels? Suites? joining rooms? one room? AirBNB etc....</p> <p>We’ve only taken LO1 who was 18 months at the time on a flight to FL which is about two hours. He did well but didn’t want to sit in the car seat. I nursed him and he slept most of it. We stayed in one room that was large. Hard for napping but we made it work!</p> <p>Car rides are pushing it with toddler now. We hope to travel with them in the future when they are both older. </p>