Kid-Friendly Travel That Actually Works: 0–12 Years

## The mindset shift Traveling with kids isn't a smaller version of your normal trip — it's a different sport. Plan around their sleep, their food, and their tolerance for transit, and you'll all have a better time. ## Flights: the age-by-age playbook ### 0–6 months - Easiest age to fly. They sleep in a bassinet on international long-hauls (request early — limited to bulkhead). - Nurse or bottle-feed on takeoff and landing to equalize ears. - Bring 2x the diapers you think you need. ### 6–24 months - Hardest age. Book overnight or nap-time flights. - **CARES harness** ($75) — TSA-approved, replaces a bulky car seat on board. - New sealed toys, one at a time. Screens are fine — this is not the trip to enforce screen limits. ### 2–5 years - Direct flights are worth $200+ premium over any connection. - Snacks they've never seen before buy you 20 minutes each. - Download shows offline before you leave home. ### 6–12 years - They can carry their own backpack. Give them ownership. - Involve them in trip planning — one activity per day they picked. - Screen time on their own device is a legitimate flight tool. ## Gear that actually matters - **Travel stroller** (GB Pockit or similar) — folds to backpack size, gate-check for free. - **Baby carrier** for airports and cobblestones — worth its weight in gold. - **Blackout window covers** with suction cups — kids nap when the room is dark. - **Portable white-noise app** on an old phone. - **Kid-size headphones** with volume limiting. ## Skip - Full-size car seats — rent with the car for $10–$15/day. - Travel cribs — most hotels provide. - 90% of "travel-specific" toddler products. ## Destinations that reward family travel - **Portugal (Lisbon, Algarve)** — safe, affordable, kid-friendly food. - **Costa Rica** — nature, easy logistics, English widely spoken. - **Japan** — extraordinary safety, spotless everywhere, kids universally welcomed. - **Netherlands** — flat, bike-friendly, short distances between cities. - **Mexico beach resorts** — direct flights, kid clubs, low-effort week. ## Destinations to save for later - Long multi-country European trips under age 5. - High-altitude destinations under age 3 (Cusco, La Paz). - Destinations with long transit times each day (island-hopping SE Asia). ## Hotel vs Airbnb Under age 4: Airbnb wins for space, kitchen, and washer. Over age 6: hotels with pools and kid clubs are worth it — parental downtime is the whole point. ## The 3-4-5 rule No more than **3 flights**, **4 hotels**, or **5 cities** in a single trip with kids under 10. Slow down. You'll enjoy it more, and so will they.