Travelling alone with two year old twins

[neversleepagain]

In May I will be taking my toddler twins (who will be 2.8) on a flight from Gatwick to Athens, alone! It isn't a very long flight thankfully (3.5 hours) but we will need to leave our house at 1am to get to Gatwick for our 5am flight so a fair bit of disruption before the actual flight. Dh will be with me until Gatwick.

I have started collecting bits and pieces to keep them entertained on the flight. Any tips or advice?

Portable dvd player is your friend - or maybe two! You might strike lucky like when I flew to Spain with similar aged toddler and 34 weeks pregnant - a young man in the seat behind us played with ds practically the whole way! He really wanted to wasn't English, can you guess? and I was happy to let him :)

The air crew were also brilliant and kept ds chatting when we were traipsing up and down. they were happy to watch him when I went to the loo as well. Are Your twins potty trained? I'd stick to pull ups for the journey if so, save your sanity!

I actually think keeping them occupied at the airport will be more of a challenge... Gatwick had a decent kids area though. Take LOTS of snacks.

How are you going to transport two sleepy, possibly grumpy, toddlers for the outward journey? I ended up being rescued by an elderly couple who carried stuff for me so I could carry ds, and that was a fairly sociable hour of departure flight! If you can, ask for assistance on the plane for getting to luggage etc. I'm not sure how but on the return flight there was a motorised cart Thing waiting for us which took us through passport control and to baggage claim. Good thing as ds fell asleep just before landing and was not too pleased at being woken...screamed the whole way to baggage claim, even in my arms. I didn't book it as didn't think I'd qualify, but the air crew must have taken pity on me!

I think you're going to need to take a double stroller to airside in Gatwick, regardless of whether they are good walkers you will need to contain them at certain points. Take a back pack so you are hands free and can grapple with the kids at the other end. Can you find out if you can get a stroller or your stroller airside at Athens?

I would also put them in pull ups even if trained, can't imagine dealing wit two toddlers in a cramped plane toilet.

The actual flight part should be ok, it's the airport either side that would be bothering me, especially as they will be tired from getting up in the middle of the night.

Good luck, you're braver than me!

Thanks for the replies.

I have a very small light double stroller which I plan to take with me, plus reins if they want to walk. A backpack is a great idea, thanks!

Both are just about ready to potty train but I am holding off because of this trip. I keep have panicked thoughts of both of them needing the toilet during take off so I will keep them in nappies a bit longer. Pull ups are also a very good idea, much easier than a messing around with putting a nappy on in a cramped air plane toilet with 3 of us in there!

So helpful ladies, thanks :)