It is amazing how often I have heard from friends with kids that they don’t travel because it is an ordeal with young children. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it is really tough. But let’s face it, some days even staying home with young kids is like running a zoo. So why not have the same crazy somewhere different and interesting?!

Before our daughter was two she had been across the country. From Perth, to Melbourne to Sydney – plus countless 8 hour road trips inland to get back to the farm. So here are my top five tips for travelling with young children:

No.1 – Packing Cells

Say what? If you haven’t seen these bad boys, this is what I mean:

Little individual mini suitcases within a suitcase; and they will save your sanity! When travelling with a baby or toddler the mountain of little clothes is huge. You’re packing for every contingency, multiple poo-namies, hot, cold and in-between. It is A LOT. Particularly if travelling in winter. So – I usually have two packing cells per kid. One is slightly smaller and is for socks, stockings, mittens, beanies, bibs…all the bits and pieces. The larger cell is for all of their outfits, wraps and sleeping bags.

It makes it so much easier to find things when they are not swimming around in a 90L suitcase! And added bonus points if you have another cell kept just for dirty clothes. That way you can easily pour them straight into a washing machine as quick as a panicked parent who is down to the last onsie!

No.2 – Baby Carrier

Select one that is light weight, comfortable and adjustable for everyone who might be wearing it. I am pretty small compared to my husband, so having a baby carrier that could also fit him comfortably was a massive win. We have a Manduca – which we both love. It has been on so many long trips with us and I cannot recommend it more highly! They are not the cheapest on the market, but they are absolutely worth it – they are durable and position the baby in a way so as to not cause hip issues.

Having both hands free when trying to navigate an airport or getting on the plane makes things a million times easier – particularly if you are travelling with a baby and a toddler.

No. 3 – Pram Bag

This is the absolute best hack ever…shhhh…don’t tell the airlines. Having a generously sized pram bag is your ticket to avoiding overweight suitcase mayhem. On most airlines your pram and baby seats fly free – so damn, get on that extra allowance! Pop a little bag toys (though see my tip No.5!), husband’s giant shoes, any baby blankets/sheets in with the pram.

Boom!

We have this Phil & Ted universal bag as it has wheels to make getting through the airport with all your worldly possessions soooo much easier. Or, well as easy as it is going to get when you are a Sherpa for tiny dictators.

No. 4 – Travel Cot

Here is the thing….many a travel cot will boast being ‘super light-weight’ but in my experience they are good for a night or two…not for extended travel. Particularly when your tiny baby overnight morphs into a toddler with super human cot rattling abilities – you’re going to need something that is a bit more sturdy. They are also more similar to what they are used to sleeping in at home so they are more likely to have better sleeps – which is parenting gold.

HINT – If your toddler is now in a bed, you can graduate to a single bed! Yay! One less thing to carry! If your little one doesn’t squirm too much at night – you can roll up a towel or spare blanket to make a pool noodle shape and stick it underneath the fitted sheet to stop the toddler from rolling out.

No. 5 – Toys

Now this is going to be super controversial. When we travel we barely take a toy – other than their special sleep time toys and a couple of books for the bed time routine. We pack a little pencil case and note pad for drawing…and maybe a car or two. But that is it. On the trips where we have taken toys, they have barely touched them! There are always much more exciting things to do when travelling – little adventures to have, kitchens to grab a pot from, gardens to forage in.

When we went to Tasmania last year we actually completely forgot to pack any! And guess what – the kids survived, they had a great time exploring that there wasn’t really any point where we were wishing we had remembered!

So those are my top 5 tips to travelling with young children! They are not going to stop kids throwing tantrums or getting sick on a long haul flight, but they are little pieces of a big puzzle that will help make travel just that little bit easier.

What is your best tip for travelling with kids? Comment below…

*this post is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.