Everyone thought we were crazy booking a two-week trip to Italy with our one-year-old daughter, Stella. And while there may have been some truth to that, I’m here to share with you that it is doable!! And you’re not crazy for thinking you can do it. We parents are lucky to live in a world with gadgets created for just about any child inconvenience you can think of. Isn’t that great!? In this post, I’ll be sharing our Toddler Travel Essentials. You’ll find seven of our most-used toddler travel essential items with direct shopping links, so you can grab em for yourself!
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Toddler Travel Essentials for us are products that made our two-week-trip to Italy with our one-year-old daughter EASIER! Items that helped Stella sleep better, move better, eat better, play better! You can find a round up of the toddler travel essentials in the photo below. Further into the post, there are direct shopping links. Additionally, you’ll find some details about each item, and why we loved them so much!
WHAT TODDLER TRAVEL ESSENTIALS MADE THE LIST
SHOP THESE ITEMS DIRECTLY
DINING TRAVEL HARNESS | ROSE GOLD WATER BOTTLE | LIGHTWEIGHT TRAVEL STROLLER | PINK BUSY BOARD | TRAVEL SLEEPING TENT | TRAVEL SOUND MACHINE | ERGO BABY CARRIER |
WHY WE LOVE THESE TODDLER TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
DINING TRAVEL HARNESS | This was our backup high chair for Stella! We didn’t want to limit our dining selections to only places with high chairs. Ideally, we’d have the freedom to pop into any cute restaurant or cafe that caught our interest, and be prepared with a safe space for Stella to eat! I love that this travel dining harness fits almost any chair! Another point of attraction for this toddler travel essential is that it rolls up to fit compactly in my diaper bag.
ROSE GOLD WATER BOTTLE | While we sipped take-away Aperol Spritz’ on the streets of Italy, Stella held this cute, rose gold water bottle. Made by a well-known brand, this water bottle is leak-proof, BPA free, and a small-travel size! Keeping Stella hydrated while on-the-go was important to us. This toddler travel essential made our goal achievable!
LIGHTWEIGHT TRAVEL STROLLER | I have always been a fan of baby-wearing, but I knew I’d have to bring a travel stroller to Italy. The thought of lugging our massive 25 pound travel system across the world sounded like a nightmare. Instead, we purchased this lightweight travel stroller that weighs only 11 pounds! Furthermore, it can fold up and fit into the overhead bins on an airplane! This was huge for layovers in airports and train stations.
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PINK BUSY BOARD | If I’m being fully transparent, Stella was more into her surroundings than any toys. But, if you’re going to bring one toy on a trip with your toddler, let this be the one! This pink busy board made the list of our toddler travel essentials because it is lightweight, compact, and offers a variety of activities for a busy toddler! Throughout our trip, this busy board fit snugly in my diaper bag, or flat in my suitcase.
TRAVEL SLEEPING TENT | Similar to our situation with the travel dining harness, we did not want to limit our hotel selection to only those that offered cribs. By purchasing our own travel sleeping tent, we were able to have a wider selection of hotels and airbnbs throughout Italy! This toddler travel essential is easy to set up, great for small suitcases, friendly to cozy Italian apartments, and comfortable for Stella. The travel sleeping tent was a safe, secure place for Stella that included a self-inflating mattress and sheet. Highly recommend.
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TRAVEL SOUND MACHINE | Stella has grown accustomed to sleeping with white noise since day one in the hospital when she was born. While all her naps in Italy were on the go, we used this travel sound machine for overnight sleep in our hotel rooms and airbnbs. Especially in hotel rooms with a shared a sleep environment, this sound machine blocked out other noise.
ERGO BABY CARRIER | Lastly, The holy grail of toddler travel essentials for our family! Our Italy trip would have not been possible without such a great baby carrier. Being able to wear Stella on our back or on our front, this carrier was a MUST HAVE for all our travels throughout Italy. Famous tourist destinations like Positano and Cinque Terre were much more easily toured with a carrier as opposed to a stroller.
Beyond that, this carrier was her go-to nap spot while we were on the move. I have to acknowledge that not every one-year-old will be content in a carrier as long as Stella was. Keep in mind, she really only started walking just a few days before we left. With that said, any time that baby is comfortably on your back is time well spent! Allow your hands to be free so you can hold your wine and snap photos!
ITEMS WE DID NOT BRING WITH US
Just as important as the toddler travel essentials that we DID bring with us, are the items that we DID NOT bring! Save some space and weight in your luggage, and buy these items at your destination: Diapers, Wipes, Snacks, Laundry detergent! Wondering how we traveled with our one year old without a car seat? Rent one there! Soon to come, a blog post on how to travel with your toddler without a car seat. Stay tuned 🙂
FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking back on our two week trip to Italy with our one year old, these toddler travel essentials really saved our butts! If you’re thinking about a big adventure with your toddler, I highly recommend each and every one of these products as they will only make your trip better and easier! Because don’t we all want ‘better and easier’ when it comes to traveling with a toddler?
Have you traveled abroad with a toddler? What were some of your toddler travel essentials? Share in the comments here, or join in Natalie Cotton Wilson’s community on Instagram.
This blog post contains affiliate links via RewardStyle. By shopping these links, you are supporting New Cotton Blend at no additional cost to you . Please note that I only recommend products that I personally use; and I always have my readers’ best interest at heart.
