I’m a firm believer that you do not NEED a lot of gear for your family vacations. But, I’m also a firm believer in making things as easy as possible. And that definitely means different things to different people.
With that in mind, here’s a list of recommended travel-related gear for families.
Please note: If one of the links takes you to Amazon, it’s an affiliate link. Otherwise there is no affiliation with the recommendations.
A reliable travel stroller
Uppa Baby G-Luxe
I love the Uppa Baby G-Luxe. It has the largest wheels of umbrella stroller that I could find, which means it’s easier to pull up stairs and such. The seat reclines (if you don’t want a reclining seat, get the more affordable G-Lite). The hood has SPF protection. My favorite thing about the stroller? The variety of colors it comes in.
I’ve had mine for 3 years, through two kids, and many trips abroad. I mostly use it exclusively as a travel stroller, but I will also use it in the summertime because it’s well ventilated. It has held up very well.
Runner Up: Yo-Yo
If I knew about this stroller when I purchased mine, I might have picked this instead. Well, except that it’s a lot more expensive than the Uppa Baby G-Luxe. Still, my favorite feature with it is that it folds so compactly that it can fit in the overhead bin. I have a friend who travels very frequently with her 1-year old and she loves this stroller.
Travel stroller accessories
Rain Cover
Short story: I brought my Uppa Baby G-Luxe to Amsterdam when my son was about 7 months old. It was June and we expected nice, warm weather. Instead it was unseasonably cold and extremely rainy. We walked all over the city looking for a stroller rain cover.No one we talked to, even sales people at baby stores, knew where to find them for sale. We ended up buying an adult-sized disposable raincoat and covering the stroller with that.
I felt like a horrible parent (sort of) with all the death scares I received from people who are obviously better planners.
When we got home, we immediately ordered a rain cover.
The added bonus: now that we’re prepared with a rain cover, it rarely rains when we travel! 😉
Cup Holder
Self explanatory. 🙂
Boogie Board
Great when you have two or more children, but don’t want to bring a larger double stroller. My brand isn’t the one pictured above, but is very similar.
Other carrying options
Beco Baby Carrier
I’ll be honest here. Not a fan of babywearing. I tried, but it’s not for me. The exception – Â travel. It just makes life so much easier. The Beco Butterfly II was my favorite of the ones I tried.
Bed
I have a Pack ‘N Play. However, when I’m at a hotel I use hotel cribs.
If you worry about foreign-to-you Pack n’ Plays, order a coveryard. This completely covers the Pack ‘N Play and you can avoid the unknown. (Yes, I found out about this company from an episode of Shark Tank – genius!)
Luggage things to consider
Family Passport Wallets
I wrote a full post on this a while back. I love family passport wallets. Since that post I have received the one by the Tracey Lipman Collection and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. There’s so much room for our four passports, tickets, and more.
Packing Cubes
I don’t have packing cubes. They’re high on my list since my friend at The Three Under recommended them. She has 3 boys under 5, so she knows travel organization.
Anything you recommend for me to look into for our next trip? Let me know in the comments and then click on over to A Brit and a Southerner. They’re blogging their Dream Destinations for this A-to-Z Challenge and they have some truly stunning sites on their list!
Ann, Great list! I like that you don’t have too long a list…
And yet I always feel like I bring so much! I’m just a light packer and heart and having to bring more than carryon is too much to me.
My girls are grown, so much of this list doesn’t apply to me. However, I love packing cubes. We discovered them when we went around the world. They really make organization easier.
I should have indicated that it’s really for families with smaller kids. And, it’s almost just a post about strollers!
That coveryard looks great, will have to recommend that. And I have been debating packing cubes too, I may bite the bullet before our trip next month!
No babies for me right now – but this post will definitely come in handy in the future since I don’t plan on stopping to travel once they arrive (some day!)