Travelling abroad with baby and toddler

[Williams0706]

We've booked our first family holiday for this time next year. We'll be travelling with a 2 (almost 3) year old and a 9 month old.

We're going to Tenerife for 7 nights all inclusive.

Any tips? Advice? What to take? How to make the flight bareable? Cheap places to buy things? What I don't need to take that I can buy in Tenerife?

Also... 9 month old will still obviously be having some milk. How should I go about this as she will be formula fed? Had thought about buying the ready made milk and taking it in the case... but I'm sure there's an easier way?

Thanks!

I'm travelling soon with a 3yo and 5 month old. Been away AI every year with 3 yo since she was born.

For the flight, stickers, crayons and an ipad are your friends. Kids magazine also useful. As are 6 million snacks. Use rucksacks for you and your DP as hand luggage (2 yo will probably have hand luggage allowance too so get him a rucksack too, forget trunks). Strollers can usually be kept until you board the flight (but check with the airline). Sling may be useful.

Take swim nappies with you. They are notoriously expensive abroad. Supermarket versions are just as good as branded.

9 months should be fine to eat off the buffet but I take some fruit pouches too as they're useful for constipation/dehydration. The Robinson triangle squash things are good too as you can just add that to water for drinks (if necessary).

Take medicines such as rehydration sachets and immodium, just in case 😬 (it's never been an issue with me in an AI but I like to be prepared). You can buy calpol sachets rather than a bottle which is useful to have on the flight and saves a smash in the luggage.

Buy a small ball, bucket and spade from £shops in UK.

Buy an umbrella in the resort instead of paying for sunloungers for the beach (unless your hotel has free sunloungers) as it will be cheaper.

AI hotels often have a 'swap box'. Ask the reps as people often leave umbrellas, inflatables etc which you can have.

No advice re formula I'm afraid.

Have fun!

Wow - thank you very much for the advice!! Much appreciated!! 😊 very much looking forward to it but also slightly anxious so the advice is great. Enjoy your trip 👌

Some good tips from @ParisWilton there. Yy to little Robinsons squashes in your hand luggage.

Formula milk, especially Aptamil, is widely available in pharmacies and supermarkets in Spanish holiday resorts. The hotel should be able to give you boiling water to make up milk. This travel steriliser can be used either in a microwave or with cold water and Milton tablets:
www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/single-bottle-travel-steriliser

Pampers nappies are branded as 'Dodot'. You'll be able to get jars/pots/pouches of baby food easily too if you need to.

Take an extra pack of baby wipes - they can cost as much as €5 per pack in resort.

Even if you don't normally allow screen time, portable dvd players are invaluable when you're travelling with a toddler. Get some toddler headphones for it and whack Peppa on.

Wilko and WH Smith often have A5 sized sticker and colouring books which are perfect for hand luggage. Get a set of Crayola Twistables - you don't need a sharpener and they are more robust than wax crayons.

Thank you!! Very reassured knowing they'll sell aptamil abroad - that's a weight off my mind. Super tips, thanks guys.

@reginageorgeous do you know if that aterilisers fits the mam bottles?

@ReginaGeorgeous ... steriliser** oops

We are off to the canaries in a few weeks, we are taking our just turned 3 yr old and our will be 7 mth old.

In relation to formula, we use SMA which isn't available over there is we are taking 2 tubs in the case and getting 3 or 4 boxes of the ready made (6 bottles in each box).

We are also taking a travel kettle so we can make up feeds, we have a fridge in the room so that will help.

In relation to Sterilising Asda sell Sterilising bags, they are £5 for 5 but each one can be used 20 times. The Asda ones you add water and microwave them (normally a microwave available in the restaurant). But when I was googling I did see other brands that you could use a sterilising tablet, you could also cold water sterilise in your hotel sink.

We went to Scotland for a night not so long back, long story short kids weren't meant to be coming, but they ended up doing at the last minute, as we couldn't properly prepare, we used the hotel kettle for sterilising, boiling water in a clean sink and left for a bit, it worked for us for a short period.

For your toddler, loads of mags, the CBeebies type, a tablet, a straw cup for taking off and landing to help prevent ear popping, last time we went we got a nuby one from Aldi baby event, nappies and spare clothes, if potty trained I would still put a pull up or something on as plane toilets can be a bit daunting for a little one, also a blanket so they can get comfy on the plane.

We flew Thomas Cook last time and the pushchair went right to the gate, we also got given priority security with the pushchair. This time we have bought a secondhand joie twin aire pushchair for them both, as even though my 3 year old walks everywhere, it will save his legs while walking around resort, especially at night time. We are also taking a carrier for the youngest.

You can take formula/breast milk/baby food through security, and there isn't a 100ml limit on it, I did check with our airport as it was a bit ambiguous online, you can normally do a click and collect outside if you have a boots.

Sorry for the long winded post, I kept remembering different things as typing!

Hope you have a fab time!

Ooh dodot nappies are available, and moltex, both very good, but expensive, so if you can take them or find a local Lidl it might save some cash!

Not sure about mam bottles as I've not used them, but the Asda bags seem like a good alternative if not.

@MCC85 that's amazing thank you so much!! Was going to ask about what the crack is with formula on the plane too and I forgot actually so thanks for clearing that up for me! Enjoy your holiday

Just travelled to US with 12 month old, packed tin of formula in case, still completely sealed. Passed TSA inspection fine. Carried 4 bottles with formula pots onto plane and two extra formula pots,also fine.
Ordered steri disposable bottles from amazon and packed some in hand luggage, the airports allow you to pre order ready made formula and pick up after security.