My husband and I are traveling to Europe with our 3 1/2 year old and 17 month old. Seeking advice on how to handle jet lag; what to pack and not pack; packing car seats; plane etiquette; any other advice is welcome! Thank you!
I know a person who handed out little bags of candy and earplugs to everyone on her baby's flight with little notes saying "hi my name is ethan and i am 4m old. This is my first airplane trip and this gift is restitution for any trouble i might cause. Thank you!" Everyone thought it was adorable.
I went alone, without my husband to Europe last year with my 2 kids 18m and 4-1/2 at the time. We flew to Europe and then had 3 short plane rides within europe.
It wasn't as bad as I thought.
Do not bring any car seats. My older one had his own seat and the 18 m old didn't. They put me in the middle row where there are 3 seats, I was right in front in the very first row.. as soon as I got on the plane, they asked the person sitting next to me to move, so I would be a little more comfortable (the person was happy to move away from the kids anyway). This way I had all 3 seats available to myself.
As far as seat belts and safety - They give you a seat belt that attaches to your own seat belt for the baby to use during take off and during landing. They also gave me a large pillow/mattress thing, so I could put her to sleep on the floor in front of my seat.
Bring variety of snacks, pacifier, suckers, offer water or milk or juice during the entire take off and landing, that helps with the ears/pressure.
Bring a stroller and gate check it for the baby. YOu can use it all around the airport and collapse it by the plane entrance, they will have it ready for you when you come out after landing.
Try to bring the neccessary items only. All I had with me is a backpack - with kids stuff- diapers, wipes, change of clothers, snacks and a few toys, coloring books. I also had a fanny pack around my waste with the travel documents. Thats all I had and I'm glad I didn't have any more junk to carry around...
They slept most of the way there as we left at 10pm, and were really good on the way back also even though it was a day flight...., I was surprised.... Good luck and have fun!
Good luck!
I can advise you on the 17 month old... it's a nightmare to keep them occupied! Take toys and some food your allowed to cause they don't give you anything for that age(if it's a lapchild). If they like to watch tv get a portble dvd player. My little girl only slept for 3 hours both ways. Take enough diapers and extra clothes for them and dress them in light clothes. Let them take enough liquids as this will help with jet lag. Other than that - hope for the best and enjoy the trip!
pack a portable dvd player and bring a convertible plug so you can use and recharge the batteries in europe. also those mini-etcha sketch pads are good and some coloring books. You may need lots of snacks depending on what your child eats as the airplane food is pretty crummy. And sucky candy is good for take off and landing. second set of clothes is good in case they get motion sick or just sick. Have fun.
Check with your airline carrier as to what you can bring with you. (Also check the latest FAA regulations there for a while you couldn't bring formula, diapers, diaper rash ointment, wipes, etc on a flight).
The kids will need something to suck on during take off and landing. See if juice boxes are allowed or request them before take off. Light snacks are good to bring also. Also see what type of items the airlines carry for small children (some have coloring books/crayons other items some don't) When we flew when our kids where young we always stayed as CALM as possible and instigated a WOW! Look at that! policy. Have each parent responsible for 1 child before during and after the flight. Have that parent have everything for that child. It will make it simpler. (You wont constantly be looking in a diaper bag for stuff!!) A lot will also depend on what airports you'll be traveling to. We always chose the Frankfurt Airport because they have a McD's with a huge play area in the airport (worst airport is Paris, NOTHING to do and no decent food! Always bring food there unless you want a $12 bagel) Strollers are a pain on a plane and if your only going from airport to airport I wouldn't bring one. (Some airlines take your stroller just before boarding and a steward/ess stores in on a plane for you, but remember, try and get your child TIRED before flying, let them walk around before you board) (After your flight, your children will have sat on a plane for 8+ hours, they will want to walk!) Alot of European airports have the plane part on field and you take a bus to and from a terminal. Check to see if your airport is one of those. Plan lightly for those.
Check with the airlines about packing a car seat. Some allow you to just tag a car seat and put it on the plane. Remember this... Europe has everything you need. Most places are stroller friendly and child friendly. Try not to over pack, you can buy things there if you forget something. We are civilians with the DOD and lived overseas for 12 years returning each summer for visits with 5 kids (the youngest was 2 oldest 9 when we left the US). We never had any trouble with our kids, kept them busy on the flights (they loved the headphones/music/tv and own tv!) When they get antsy walk them in the isles and to the back and look at all the neat stuff in the back. Usually families are grouped together in the back of the plane. Just don't let your kids kick the seat in front of you.
And jet lag... not a problem for kids. Actually my husband and I have never really had jet lag. When you get to your destination, start immediately going by their schedual. (They usually stay up later then Americans and eat much later then we do) AND enjoy yourself. We always had a good time and Europe is such a nice place to visit and live!
We went to Spain just after our son turned 1. I recommend NOT bringing car seats -- it's just too much stuff to lug around in the airport. If you're renting a car, get car seats with the rental. It's well worth it. We bought a seat for our son, as well as this safety belt that's FAA approved. He didn't want to be strapped into the seat and was extremely active during the flight and hardly sat in the seat, but it was still good to have that extra bit of space especially when he slept in my lap. Next time we take a long flight, we're definitely getting a portable DVD. Buy some cheap new toys and wrap them up. Unwrapping these "presents" and having a new toy will occupy them. Stickers are great, too. Our son wasn't a great sleeper back then; he always wanted to be awake when we were awake, so he adjusted to the time change rather quickly. Try to set them to European time right away. Good luck and bon voyage!!!
I believe you will find that Europeans are so much more accommodating to families than the American counterpart! I found with the jet lag we supplemented with a natural sleep remedy called melatonin, it is a sleep sedative at a 1/4 dose. I see a homeopathic physician. At any rate it worked beautifully for us! It helps set their sleep patterns to the new schedule. As for other things like packing, of course anything medicinal has to be clearly labeled and in your checked luggage. Carry on any sort of Lovvy's or comforting tools it will help them. Upon arrival make fresh fruit available to your kiddo's all the excitement can upset their digestive track, and that add's a whole new dimension to traveling. We recognized our lil guy would get overwhelmed with all the new things to do, so we only planned to do one outing a day. It limits the time you have to see sites but you are able to enjoy it, as are your children.
How fortunate you are to get these responses - I had a similar cry for help when I was preparing to take my then 15mo daughter to England to visit family and NO-ONE responded! Anyway, my best advice is to follow your childrens' leads. Let them sleep when they're tired and they'll adjust to the new time zone pretty easily actually. Pack as minimally as you feel comfortable - it's hard enough travelling with little ones, you don't want to be dragging too much stuff around. I was fortunate to have family to borrow a car seat from, but had I not, I definitely would have checked one. We didn't pay for a seat for our daughter, but I'm guessing you had to at least for the 3 1/2 year old. We did have this harness thing (borrowed from a friend, so I'm not sure of the name) that attaches to the airplane seat buckle to use just in case there was a spare seat. We were able to use it for every flight, fortunately, but I must admit, for take off and landing I had her on my lap anyway as I nursed her to help with the change in pressure. Give your kids something to suck on (sippy cup, paci, whatever) to help with this for sure. Also, know that the authorities do allow you to take formula, milk, etc. on to the plane as an exception to the 3oz rule. And if you want to take food or snacks that need refrigerating, you're also allowed those frozen chiller packs to keep that stuff cold. We just brought some dry snacks and gave our daughter the airline food - unless the flight's full, they'll have spare meals. I sincerely hope this helps and that you have a fantastic trip!
When we flew with my little guy, he was very active. One thing that kept him busy was the sink in the bathroom. He played with the water for about an hour. We would come out and periodically check to see if anyone was waiting and nobody seemed to mind.
Hi there, We travelled with my 18 month old daughter to France last year and it was fine. A few things you might consider. When booking your flight try for an overnight flight that departs around 5 pm. I know this sounds strange but take into consideration that they only start serving dinner about an hour after the flight takes off and they don't turn the lights down until dinner service is finished which would then be around 7:30 pm and a good bed time. Ask for the cot for you 17 month old. He might be a bit big but my daughter slept with her feet hanging over and it gave us some kid free time. A DVD player for the bigger one is definitely worth it and lost of snacks. You could also go to the dollar store and get some "new" cheap toys for the trip that you wont mind if they get lost along the way. Try and keep them hydrated as that is the biggest thing that could upset your trip. Have a wonderful time.
