Packing List for International Travel with a One-yr-old (Free Printable)

We were at the gate for the first flight out of four as we headed back to South Asia, nearly two weeks ago. The plane pulled up to the gate that we waited at and my son made an airplane noise once again (a trick grandma taught him). Both pilots looked straight ahead at us and waved with welcoming smiles. We waved through our window and they waved through theirs. It was a wonderful start to our two and a half days of travel before reaching our home in the mountains.

My Son is 13 months and has made the international trip of approximately 18 hours of flight time three times. I am no expert, especially considering this is only my first child and there are many friends I look up to who make this trip with a whole airplane row of kids. But I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far and include a free packing list for you. 

Let me say upfront that many of these items can be helpful when traveling but are not at all necessities. Honestly, as long as you have a baby carrier to navigate security & travel, a diaper kit, clothing, and snacks you will probably be just fine.

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The “Why” Behind Some of the Items

• Snack container: like this that you can clip using a Carabiner or linking rings is super convenient
• Bandana Bib: This is super helpful for drooling and wiping your little one’s face and hands. I always put one on my son when I travel. It’s easier than getting a whole bib out every time you want to offer a snack.
• Cloth diaper cover: this is great for securing baby’s diaper when moving around in a crib and preventing blowouts while traveling. Even this inexpensive one would do the trick if you aren’t in to cloth diapering.
• Small changing pad: the Mini Matador pocket blanket is great because it folds up extremely small and weighs almost nothing. It’s perfect for diaper changes on the go, outdoor tummy time and playtime, or airport picnics. 

• Extra straw and fits-anything lid: I haven’t traveled with the lid but heard about it and sounds like a great idea for minimizing messes.
• 1-2 damp kitchen cloths: wipes are great but sometimes a cloth cleans up little hands and messes much more thoroughly, plus it’s reusable and washable. We like this 5 pack of Travel Norwex cloths.
• Duffle/ Tote Bag in Carry-on: I like to keep items I want on the long flights inside a soft zippered tote bag. Here is one similar to mine. When I get on the plane, I open up my rolling carry-on, take out the tote bag, and put it under my seat or my son’s, if he has his own seat. Between the diaper bag and the tote, I have easy access to everything I will need for the next 7 to 9 hours.
• Toys (example): These were split between by diaper bag, where I only had a few toys, and the duffle in my carry-on where I kept the rest. The most popular toys were the kinder joy egg (which we didn’t even open) haha, the flip button calculator, and the light up suction ball (sticks to the screen attached to the seat).

• zip ties and athletic bands: see the photo of how we jerry rigged a blanket above our baby’s seat using athletic bands and a zip tie. He was able to keep sleeping through bright lights and food services. There was a little hook on the side of the seat; we didn’t wrap a whole band around the persons chair, just the tiny hook on the side. haha. Zip ties are also great for securing luggage if you don’t have locks. Athletic bands come in handy for barre or other workouts on the go when traveling.

• Carabiner or linking rings: I attach these to the snack cup and other items during travel and it assures me that the object won’t go flying out. At one point, Eli needed a pick-me-up as we went through an airport checkpoint. I quickly attached his snack cup to a stroller strap with a carabiner and we immediately had a happy camper on our hands. (See how a hair tie and linking rings came in handy at Disney World :-))

• How to store diapers in your carry-on: store diapers in a cloth bag that sheets come in. This one is from a single sheet set from Target. The diapers fit perfectly and you can secure it with the velcro.

• Slumberpod or travel blackout curtains: If you are an avid traveler, the Slumberpod can make a huge difference, especially when you are sharing a room with a little one. We invested in a Slumberpod and have not been disappointed. We never have to worry about if our son is too distracted by his surroundings to sleep, if it’s too bright, or if he will see us when room sharing in hotels or when staying with friends or family. I will say that if you live in a country where you don’t ever have access to AC and it’s hot, this might not be a good idea. Although it does allow airflow, it is slightly warmer inside the tent than in the surrounding space.

• Pouches: Pouches are great for travel–convenient, easy, and virtually mess-free. If I’m traveling from the States internationally, I like to get Cerebelly pouches and GoGo Squeez. Cerebelly are a little more expensive than your average pouch but definitely include more nutritional value. It’s nice to know that even if your child it’s eating a lot during travel, they are at least getting good nutrients through a pouch. I also realized that a lot of airplane food can be difficult for little ones to eat (or they often don’t want it). This was especially true when my son was 7 months and he wasn’t a great eater yet. One nine-hour flight had nothing to offer that was soft and spice free; glad I brought snacks with us.

What are your go-to’s for travel with a one-year-old? I’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂