Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Taking an international flight with young kids? I gotchu
27
items Our kids have been flying since they were 5 months old. We love flying in airplanes way more than road trips (we get wrecked by car sickness). Here are our tried and true travel items and accessories.
Sections
4
Travel gear
Accessories
For the kids
Travel credit cards
Travel gear
These will help hopefully help you feel more prepared to tackle airport travel days and explore new cities.
Gate 👏 check👏 your 👏 stroller, or get one that fits in an overhead bin. Honestly, if your kids are older than an infant but under 6 years old, you will want a stroller or somewhere for them to sit and rest no matter where you go. Do not torture yo...
Stokke® YOYO® Strollers and Travel Systems
Our go-to travel car seat. We always research beforehand if the place we’re going has accessible public transportation and try to plan out whether or not we’d even need to bring a car seat, but if we do need one, this is so lightweight and affordable...
Cosco Kids Scenera Extend Infant & Toddler Convertible Car Seat ...
If you have the means, WHY NOT make your life easier when traveling with kids that still require a car seat. Honestly not necessary for the plane ride, but such a breeze to carry around (only 8 lbs!). Ideal for kids ages 2+ and within the range of 26...
WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat with Carrying Bag
More affordable than the WAYB by far but would only recommend for short car rides depending on how comfortable your kid is using it. Definitely try it out at home before taking it on a trip as not every kid will be able to sit still and like how it f...
RideSafer Gen 5 - Small Black Car Seat
Another “nice to have” if you can swing it. Super lightweight, the carrying case backpack is easy to use. Not great if you’re going somewhere with uneven terrain or cobblestones.
gb Pockit Air All Terrain Compact Stroller
So many types out there, definitely recommend one with shoulder straps at least. The bags are so roomy, we occasionally pad the seat with extra diapers and wipes or jackets. when checking in with the luggage at the airport. Wheeled ones would definit...
Car Seat Travel Bag - Amazon.com
If you want to carry the car seat along to use on the plane or if you need to carry the car seat along on travel days outside of the airport, this strap is a nice alternative to attach it to luggage so you have one less thing to carry on your shoulde...
Car Seat Belt Strap for Suitcase & Carry-on
We don’t use a cover or bag when we gate check our stroller, but when we only had 1 kid and took a stroller and car seat along, we were able to fit both in one bag! We still use the same bag just for car seats these days. We have separate car seats a...
Stroller Travel Bag - Amazon.com
We love the samsonite hard side freeform spinners and have both the carry on and full size. They pack well, the wheels glide smoothly, and are durable (no issues yet with checked luggage getting damaged 🤞) Tip: if your kids are light enough and old ...
Carry-On & Checked Luggage - Samsonite
We have the baby Tula coast explore mesh carrier and have used it for both kids when traveling. Perfect when they’re still under 2 if you need to walk the aisles to get them to nap. Once they’re sleeping you can rest easy knowing they’re strapped to ...
Baby Tula - Amazon.com
Accessories
Additional accessories that can make help make traveling smoother
Install while you are in the airport with WiFi access! The eSIM we’ve used for traveling abroad (Japan and England so far) super easy install and activate once you arrive. Your phone needs to be able to support eSIMs, can’t be carrier locked or jailb...
Buy eSIMs for international travel - Airalo | Airalo
A zipper top bag for carryons with young kids is *chef’s kiss* nobody needs to deal with things spilling out because you have to bend down and pick up the toddler or kids knocking over the bag while running around. The aloha day tripper is my go-to b...
ALOHA Day Tripper Tote Bag - Coco Palms Black
Packing cubes are a lifesaver if you’re trying to minimize the amount of luggage you need to bring
Packing Cubes - Amazon.com
The best power banks for travel. So many options for whatever best fits your needs. They are slim, powerful, reliable, and easy to charge
Power Banks - Anker US
For the kids
Check out my list “Items I don’t leave the house without (young kids version)” for more travel toy ideas for kids, but I’ll add our most used here too.
We bring this snack spinner for travel because the novelty of pushing the button keeps the kids occupied and it’s way easier than bringing a bunch of different containers and bags
GoBe Kids Small Snack Spinner Flip Bundle
When our oldest was 3 years old and we traveled to Japan. These gummies were lifesavers to help with jet lag and the time change. We use as little as possible just to help them drift off to sleep a bit easier. Tip: you can use a quarter or half gummy...
Melatonin Kids Gummies - Walmart
If your flight is overnight or you expect kids to sleep a long time, we always bring their pajamas to change in to so that they can rest more comfortably
Little Sleepies: Matching PJs & Daywear for Babies, Kids & Adults ...
A fun tactile board to keep little hands and minds busy
Pushpeel Silicone Sensory Fidget Board
An easy, messy free option that entertains kids of all ages. Being refillable is a bonus too! Just buy the sticker buddy you like and refill it for trips to come.
Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow! 24-Page Pad
One of the best features of these reusable stickers is that they also stick to airplane windows and surfaces! So the fun can extend beyond the sticker book.
Reusable Sticker Book - Amazon.com
Trader Joe’s is our favorite place to stock up on travel snacks. We get a mix of sweet and savory: trail mix, crackers, freeze dried fruit, pouches, and more!
Just a Handful of Rainbow's End Trail Mix | Trader Joe's
A new activity book just for the trip is an easy way to keep kids entertained at least for part of the travel day. Bonus if the activity book also includes stickers or a mess free marker!
Pokemon Activity Books - Amazon.com
Bringing a comfort item or two on the plane can help soothe kids and get them to sleep more easily. Also helpful during times of turbulence.
Comfort items
Travel credit cards
Even if you don’t travel often, having credit cards that can help offset travel costs is a great bonus. The points we rack up on everyday expenses help offset the cost of hotels and flights allowing us to afford more travel.
Our workhorse credit card is the chase sapphire preferred. The reserve is fun to have for the lounge access and other perks, but we aren’t able to utilize it fully with in our current stage of life. We like the preferred because you can still transfe...
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card | Chase.com
Our most used hotel credit card. We transfer our chase points over to Hyatt to get the best value when booking
World of Hyatt Credit Card: Hotel Rewards | Chase
A good resource to learn more about credit cards and how to utilize their benefits
Best Travel Credit Cards of June 2026 - The Points Guy
Chase sapphire preferred started reimbursing the application cost of global entry which includes TSA precheck. A great way to cut down on the time you have to wait in security, very helpful with wiggly little ones.
Global Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection