Tried & True Family Travel Essentials (From A Mom of 6)

This post was updated Jan 2026

Daniel and I used to be wildly poor packers. I vividly remember dragging two full checked luggage size suitcases all around Europe for 4 weeks, lol. Things got even more complicated when we have to think about travel with kids. All kinds of what-ifs would go through my mind, and I’d stress about not being able to find travel essentials for kids while on the move.

The thing about traveling with kids is that you just CAN’T take as much stuff per person unless you want to drive yourself mad. So we learned to pare things down and made our lives so much easier. We’ve now traveled with kids for over a decade to over 90 countries and all over the US and have found some really excellent travel essentials for kids that are worth the weight and effort to take along!

Visual Packing List for Kids

All of our personal kids travel essentials must check 3 boxes – they must be lightweight, durable, and preferably multi-functional. Every item must be relatively easy to carry and hold up for the duration of the trip (hopefully many trips!).

Here’s a complete kids packing list with everything from gear to clothing to medical supplies – true baby travel essentials. We use it every time we travel!

This list of the best travel essentials for kids doesn’t include basics like medicine or clothing, or needs like diapers and wipes. Instead, I’ve focused on more unique kid travel accessories that are worth their weight in gold. They’re things we’ve returned to time and again. Hopefully these travel tips will give you a few ideas of the best travel accessories for kids!

6 Kids, 90 Countries, Best Travel Essentials for Kids

Family Travel Gear

Mini Sound Machine

Not travel specific, but it’s especially helpful for travel and is definitely one of our favorite kids travel accessories. All our kids sleep with some sort of white noise, and it’s really useful in helping kiddos (and adults!) adjust to new time zones, sleeping locations, etc. We have 4 of these and always take at least a couple on every trip. We used to just use a white noise app, but this teeny portable one makes it so much easier and we use them every night at home, too.

Favorite Backpacks for Travel

We super love the Tarn line of packs – they’re comfortable, well made, functional with lots of pockets, and an excellent price – especially with this sale. This is for sure the time to pick them up if you’re considering.

Here are all the ones we love:

• Camelbak Mini Mule – our starter hiking backpack! This is what our kids use on hikes starting around age 3 to carry their own water – makes it much easier to drink more without constantly stopping.
• 12L – excellent little pack that my younger kids use for day hikes & travel
• 18L – my kids 8 & up all use this pack on day hikes, and my 5 year old uses it for her travel backpack to carry on all her stuff. I also frequently use it for hikes, and it’s my go to backpack when cycling to tennis class or choir practice. This is our most used family backpack for sure.
• Big Kid 37L Backpack – my oldest two kiddos usuaully use these backpacks when we travel as they’re a bit roomier and have tons of zips and pockets. They are practically indestructible and fantastic. I don’t prefer them for hiking as they don’t have waist straps/a water bladder straw hole, but they’re fantastic for travel (or school, which is why we originally got them).
• Women’s 25L – a wonderful pack that’s more roomy than the 18L. This is my go-to for travel.
• 40L – a really great backpacking pack that we use regularly for travel. My 3 older kids and I each carried one of these with all our stuff for a summer of travel and on many other trips and they are always comfortable and durable. Excellent price!
• Travel Backpack – this is Dan’s VERY FAVORITE backpack ever. He takes it to travel, to hike, as a day bag, a million uses. It’s super organized and very sturdy.
• Backpack rain cover – we love clipping these on with a carabiner so we always have them handy in case it starts to rain – nothing worse than all the clothing/activities getting soaked!

Lightweight Luggage

We’re pretty darn good at packing light with kids in terms of space constraints, but weight is still sometimes an issue. So we like to use lightweight but durable luggage so we’re not giving up too much weight to the luggage itself. Here are all our favorites:

• Favorite women’s day pack or personal item backpack
• Kid backpacks: THIS for age 2-5, THIS for age 5-10, THIS and THIS for age 10+
• Lightweight carry on luggage
• Lightweight checked luggage – we’ve dragged this suitcase all around the globe and it’s spacious & has held up incredibly well
• Favorite duffel that packs down small – this weighs almost nothing and takes almost no room
• I adore this teeny mini vacuum pump to seal up our vacuum bags
• Backpack rain cover – we love clipping these on with a carabiner so we always have them handy in case it starts to rain – nothing worse than all the clothing/activities getting soaked!

Packable Snap-Back Blanket

The first time I saw this travel blanket, I just thought, “Of COURSE!” It snaps in the back so it actually stays on you when sitting on an airplane/in a car/at a stadium without you needing to hold it up, tuck it in, or adjust every 5 seconds. Absolutely brilliant. It’s also sustainably made, packs up super small, is toasty warm, and wipes/washes easily. Plus, it’s from a small, family-run business! My favorite is the Ultrapak, and I also love their double-sided carabiners. Discount code PASSPORT.

Packing Cubes

I can’t overstate how much I love this kids travel accessory. They’re magic for keeping everyone organized and each kid has his or her own color. Especially when traveling with multiple people (and not wanting to have 6 different pieces of luggage), this travel essential for kids is perfect for containing and keeping track of all the stuff. This expandable set is our favorite because they’re sturdy with great zippers and pack down smaller or bigger, but we also have and love this set.

Day Waist Pack / Fanny Pack / Bum Bag

I love this little bag, whatever you call it, lol. It’s lightweight but roomy with several zippers and pockets. It even holds my mini water bottle and is water resistant. I’ve used it nonstop for the last year.

Mini Water Bottle

Speaking of my mini water bottle, I love this little thing. I hate carrying around a huge bottle when walking around but like having something for a little sip for me or one of my kids who is suddenly dying of thirst. I like that this one isn’t plastic, especially when walking around in the heat.

Packable Duffel

We absolutely love this packable duffel – we’ve used it for everything from checking in kiddo boosters to shoving in extra diapers to checking a bag on the way home filled with jars of jam & honey that we found at our destination to hauling around dirty laundry. It’s lightweight and packs down small but super sturdy, and has lasted super well over multiple years for us.

Carabiners

Speaking of carabiners, it sounds so random, but they are totally a kids travel essential for our family. We always keep a few of these smaller ones on various backpacks – they’re great for attaching jackets, keys, water bottles, or even stuffed animals. I love that this kind has a screw for extra security, and come in a bunch of colors. We also like having a couple of these giant carabiners (also with a clip) on the stroller.

These have been my recent favorite carabiners – they’re double ended and super sturdy (and come from a small family business!). (My discount code is PASSPORT)

Travel Gear Favorites For Older Kids And Adults

AirFly

If you or someone you love flies on airplanes at all, this tiny thing is an absolute must. It plugs into the headphone jack on an airplane so you can use your own Bluetooth headphones/earbuds instead of the corded airplane versions. It’s sooo much more comfortable and convenient to not have cords hanging down!

Best Travel Sleep Pillow

I first tried this travel sleep pillow/headrest on a 14 hour flight to Japan and it was amazing – I slept so well and uninterrupted! Usually, I wake often to shift neck positions/adjust/etc, but this kept me dozing for hours. It was amazing and I was able to hit the ground running. I immediately came home and bought a second one for Dan, who also loves it!

Basic Travel Earbuds

I had a pair of AirPods for years and then unfortunately misplaced them. Then I got these Raycon ones, which I also liked. And then somehow misplaced them inside my house!! So I grabbed this pair on a whim, hoping I’d find my other pairs, but at least knowing these were really affordable. Turns out these are terrific! Comfy, stay in, stay charged for a long time (way longer than my old AirPods…), and even have a little strap on the case (so they’re harder to misplace!). Plus, they’re around $20. Perfect for a teen, too!

Lightweight, Comfy, Durable Earrings

I know this may not seem like a travel item, but stick with me. Not only is this my favorite everyday jewelry, it’s by far my favorite for travel because it’s super lightweight and comfy, and doesn’t tarnish. That means I can sleep/shower/swim in it without worry, so I don’t need to take them out (and risk leaving them behind). They have so many cute pairs, but the huggies are my favorite/most comfy, especially the hexagon huggies! Go with everything but just a little extra fun.

Discount code PREETHI.

Favorite Travel Pants

I purchased my first pair of these pants about 4 years ago and I’ve worn them nonstop ever since both for travel and at home. I literally wear them on every single travel day! They’re so so comfy (wide, stretchy waistband!!), dry in a flash, dress up or down, don’t wrinkle, and come in a bunch of colors (they also come in a wide-leg style). I also love the lined version I love for winter (added bonus that they have zip pockets!).

Here’s the link to my full go-to travel day outfit.

Crossbody Strap Phone Case

I unfortunately had my phone stolen to learn how really valubale these are! I like to wear mine when in crowded areas to keep it close to me and safe but still accessible.

Portable Washing Machine Bag

We love this little portable washing machine bag for quick washing while traveling! So convenient, and the srubby inside gets clothes/undergarments WAY cleaner than simply hand washing. It also takes up hardly any room so it’s easy to take along – so makes it much easier to pack light. I wouldn’t wash a whole family load in it, but it’s perfect to clean some undies and kid clothes while traveling. Also available on Amazon.

Super Comfy But Supportive Wireless Bra

I’d heard about this bra for a couple of years before I finally decided to give it a go. I was almost hoping it wouldn’t be fantastic because it’s not the very cheapest, nor is it easily accessible to me in London. Sadly, all the reviews were absolutely accurate and it is the most comfortable bra I’ve ever worn (I literally have not worn a single other bra except for exercising since I got these and got rid of all my other ones within about a week of getting these). It’s the absolute best for travel days especially because it’s so comfy and doesn’t shift around or dig in or get uncomfortable while I’m sitting on an airplane or in a car for hours.

My discount code is PASSPORT15

Travel Containers

I really love these magnetic travel containers. There are different sizes of jars that magnet together and NEVER leak, so they’re great for hair products, moisturizers, etc. I also really love the clear magnetic toiletries bag – it’s my everyday makeup bag!

Rain Jacket & Pants

I always like to travel with a waterproof outer layer, and if there’s a higher chance of rain, I like to add in rain pants, as well. They weight almost nothing, take very little space, but keep clothing dry and clean – especially helpful when traveling in places without dryers! Also makes it easier to rewear clothing if it’s wet/muddy.

I super love this rain jacket with a few extra bells and whistles – it has pit zips, is sturdy and very, very waterproof. But I also love this much more affordable jacket that is very nearly as waterproof and packs down into a super small bag. I love it so much!! (Here’s the men’s version of the rain jacket that Dan has owned and loved for nearly a decade.)

External Charger

I can’t count the number of times I’ve thanked the stars above for our external charger. It’s a lifesaver when you desperately need an audiobook to calm shrieking kids in the car, or when you need white noise from your dying phone to calm the baby. We absolutely never travel without one.

I also ADORE this tiny one that plugs right into my phone – I love that it’s cordless and so convenient. I use it most days even at home. A true travel essential for families. Finally, I love this magnetic portable charger that attaches right to the back of my phone.

Satellite GPS Device

We absolutely love this little device and it’s saved us both when hiking and traveling in areas with limited service. It’s great to have on hand for emergency use – we’ve been caught in unexpected dead zones before and been so grateful for it!

Travel Shoes

I have only 2 pairs of shoes I wear for everyday wear when traveling – either my white Ecco sneakers or my black Chelsea boots. Both are wildly comfortable, never give me blisters, and I can easily walk 25k steps in a day in them. I’ve regularly take either of these as my only pair of shoes on trips (the boots for winter, the sneakers otherwise). These are the socks I’ve worn with the sneakers for years and years and the only no show socks I’ve found that are super comfy and DO NOT slip down.

For summer travel, I also love my Saltwater sandals, and for hiking I love either my beloved hiking boots or my favorite hiking sandals if hiking in water.

Medical Supplies

THIS is the whole suite of first aid supplies we always take with us, but I will say we ALWAYS like to make sure we have some of our favorite bandages, this hypoallergenic topical antibacterial, chewable pain reliever, and a children’s antihistamine. Plus, I always make sure to pack our favorite family mineral sunscreen that rubs in easily and doesn’t leave a white cast. Here’s everything we keep in our travel first aid kit.

Travel Skincare + Makeup

Speaking of personal care, here are my personal favorite makeup items that I always travel with:

• Vitamin C serum
• Glowy moisturizer
• My favorite tinted mineral sunscreen (90% of the time lately, I’ve been using this with no foundation)
• Glow drops
• Tiny cream blush
• Brow volumizer
• Liquid highlighter
• Eyelash primer + fave mascara

Plus, I always take my beloved oil cleanser – I love that it works to cleanse so well and I basically never break out, even when traveling. I also use it as moisturizer! I always pack a few of my favorite tiny facial sponges for cleaning in case washcloths aren’t readily available. I also always take my favorite blue facial oil that in the rare case of any blemishes I feel coming on, nips them right away. (Discount code LOCALPASSPORTFAMILY for both)

Portable Jump Starter

If you drive around at all – especially if you go on road trips/ever drive in remote areas, I think this is an absolute must to keep in the car. It’s a portable car battery jump starter so you can always jump your car even if there aren’t any other cars around. It also acts as an external charger for any devices. So handy to keep on hand!

Wool Base Layers & Socks

There’s almost no clothing we’ve used more and in a greater variety of circumstances than our wool base layers. They’re of course wonderful for layering in cold weather, but equally great as pajamas that can be reworn many times without getting stinky. They’re terrific even in warmer weather because they’re temperature regulating and moisture wicking. They help us get more rewears out of clothing in winter months and are breathable and comfy. We’ve passed them down and they’re just an absolute staple for us in travel.

These are our very favorite merino wool base layers, but we have a bunch of others we like HERE.

We also swear by wool socks, especially when traveling – again because they’re comfy and wick moisture but don’t get stinky easily. We love these socks and especially this small, Black woman-owned business for wool socks. And honestly the ones I reach for the most are these affordable wool socks – they’re super stretchy, comfy, and warm.

Secure and Comfy Swimsuit + Rash Guard

I typically like traveling with a two-piece swimsuit because they tend to take less room, dry faster, are easier for toilet stops, and just more versatile. I love this one that is secure and comfortable and covers everything while still being able to chase my kids. 🙂 I also really love this zip front rash guard – cute and keeps me from needing to reapply sunblock as frequently.

Comfy Layer

I have two go-to layers that I ALWAYS tend to travel with. The first is this cozy, chunky cardigan – I own it in 2 colors (which I basically never do) and wear it constantly. It’s great as a top over a tank or open as a cardigan. Great with a slight tuck or not, and easy to rewear. I also absolutely adore this super super soft sweatshirt – it’s my go to for travel days. It’s comfy, warm but not hot, and lightweight enough to easily tie around my waist or shoulders or shove in a bag (and doesn’t wrinkle!). The best. I also own and love the slightly longer tunic version.

Toothbrush Covers

We also use these toothbrush covers for each of our toothbrushes. It helps when everyone has a color and keeps them clean while traveling.

We leave a few travel essentials for kids always ready to go in a drawer in one of our closets, and this is one of them. It’s so convenient to know it has what we need (we just make sure nothing needs refilling) and to not need to rethink it every time!

Favorite Travel Gear For Kids: Infants, Toddlers, & Young Children

Kids’ Melatonin

This is one kids travel essential where you should for sure check with your doctor in advance, but it’s been very helpful for us. We honestly have gotten very good at jet lag and rarely need it anymore but it we are having trouble falling asleep (or the kids are), we may use this on a long plane ride or the first night or two in a very different time zone.

There are lots of different kinds, but we think this is the best kids melatonin. It’s not a child-specific one, but is the exact same dosage as the kids’ melatonin, and we prefer it to the kids’ melatonin gummies. The gummies usually have a bit of added sugar, while this kind does not. It’s also fast-acting and the tablets are smaller than carrying the gummy kind. It’s also much more affordable than the kid-specific ones.

Portable Door Alarm

We once had a kiddo manage to get out of our hotel room very early one morning. He thought he was opening the door to the bathroom, but it turns out it was the door to the hall, which, of course, closed and locked behind him.

We are SO GRATEFUL he was okay and all was well, but one of these portable alarms immediately became a kid travel essential for us. It’s great if there’s no deadbolt or if you have a little escape artist. This portable door alarm is lightweight and easy to use.

Activities Case

We really love using this toiletries bag to keep all our kid travel activities organized. It’s sturdy and has lots of pockets and zippers – perfect for a variety of activities for different ages. Here are tons of screen-free travel activities that we love including in the case! Here are just a few of our top favorites:

• Ring cap markers (so they don’t get lost!)
• Wikki Stix
• Ziplock bag of LEGOs
• Painter’s tape
• Mini toy animals
• Rainbow scratch art
• How to draw animals book (our favorite drawing book!)
• Human body activity book

Kids’ Kindle for Travel

A Kindle e-reader is an absolute travel non-negotiable for all my kids ages 5+, including for any local car rides. We love downloading books for the kids to read on their own or for us to read together, and it’s great being able to carry tons with us without taking lots of weight or space. Plus, it’s super durable and has a great battery life. We love them!!

Kidco Peapod

The best part about this baby travel essential is that it’s lightweight and small enough to fit inside our checked luggage. That means one fewer piece to remember to grab and carry around – a lifesaver when you have limited hands! It’s also great for things like the beach when you need a bit of shade and privacy for baby. We’ve had one of these since our oldest was a toddler – over 13 years ago!

Yoto Mini + Kids Travel Headphones

We absolutely adore the Yoto Mini kids’ audio player. Our kids spend hours listening to audiobooks, and it also has meditations, music, and more. It’s the perfect screen-free device that lets them control their own entertainment and my kiddos ages 3+ absolutely love listening to stories while doing another small activity. Available HERE and HERE.

We love these soft headphones – they are by far the best headphones for toddlers and young children. I also love that they pack down really small for travel and stay on easily in an airplane seat.

Car Seat Suitcase Strap

This luggage strap is kind of the silliest and simplest of all these travel accessories for kids. You could undoubtedly make it for cheaper than the $10 you have to pay, but that’s probably more annoyance than it’s worth. This silly little strap totally works to strap a big, bulky convertible carseat onto a suitcase (either a carry on size or full size). Plus, your kid can even sit and ride in it. Genius.

Carseats and Boosters for Travel

If we’ll be driving at all while traveling, we always pack travel child restraints. We use a few different options depending on the age of our child. Here’s what we personally use by age:

• Babies: Infant car seat
• Toddlers: Cosco Scenera NEXT convertible car seat
• Ages 3-5: Ride Safer booster vest (this link should give you an automatic discount)
• Ages 6+: Inflatable booster

More about which car seats we take and when we travel with them in this post!

Soft-sided baby carrier

I can’t imagine traveling with a child under the age of 2 without a baby carrier. They are just so darn convenient, especially if you’re traveling to a place that’s not very stroller-friendly. We absolutely LOVE this super lightweight baby carrier that weighs less than a pound and packs up into it’s own pocket when not in use. It’s perfect for hot climates and also for toddlers who are walking a bit so may not always be in the carrier. I also find it works great for narrow shoulders but also adjusts well for larger frames. I absolutely love it!

Lightweight umbrella stroller

If we’re taking a stroller when traveling, I ALWAYS prefer a lightweight umbrella stroller that can be easily folded and placed in the overhead bin of an airplane. We have the Bugaboo Butterfly and it has been a dream. Has all the perks of being super lightweight and fitting in the overhead bin, but has an easy one-handed fold.

Kids travel water bottle

We’ve tried about 8 gazillion different kid water bottles. This is my current favorite for toddlers and younger kiddos because the straw stays completely covered when closed so it keeps it clean. Plus, it keeps drinks cold and doesn’t leak, and the loop allows you to attach it to a backpack with a carabiner so it doesn’t fall out of the pocket. The older kids and adults in our family all love this water bottle. 27k+ 5-star reviews are not for naught.

We fill these water bottles in the airport before boarding so we don’t have to worry about asking for (and spilling!) a million cups of water when traveling with kids on an airplane. They’re great as a travel essential for kids for long car rides, or for hotel rooms to have a drink by the bedside.

Bib

Toddler travel means lots of messes! We only use the bibs with sleeves because the other ones don’t really do much but these protect clothing, especially if trying to rewear anything when traveling. We love this pack – they roll up super small and are lightweight, and are easy to wipe down or wash and dry quickly. Definitely a baby & toddler travel essential for us (that we also use all the time at home).

Inflatable Footrest

I’m putting this one at the end because for us it has a pretty short shelf life. I personally don’t love it for kids under 4 as it’s safer for them to be in a car seat, and mine also tend to sleep better when they’re strapped in there. Then my kids tend to be too tall to comfortably use them by the time they’re about 6-7 years old. So while I don’t feel it has a ton of useful time, I do think they’re useful for a short period, especially if you have a super long flight. That said, we’ve done plenty of long flights without them, too, and just had kids sleep on our laps – this is especially true when we don’t want to schlep the footrests around for a long time after (they’re small but not TINY). So, take that with a grain of salt!

MORE POSTS

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST ABOUT KIDS AND BABY TRAVEL MUST HAVES, YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE POSTS, TOO:

• Kids Packing List: Family Travel Essentials
• How to Check a Carseat: Tips & Tricks
• 10 Tips for Getting Over Jet Lag with Kids

NOT READY TO PACK UP YOUR BABY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS QUITE YET? PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!