We’ve returned to Santa Barbara after 3 months abroad with a toddler, one of which we spent in Ireland, France and Spain with our 21 month old 🤯. I received so much helpful info from other parents while planning. I’ll share some insights and what worked for us and what didn’t.
We flew nonstop from LAX to Dublin and then returned nonstop Barcelona to LAX.
- Barcelona Airport
Must point out Barcelona has a designated security area for families! It was amazing! Go at your own pace, no one barking at you, and even a little cushioned playpen to place your child if you need a minute. Can all airports have these??? - Seat Infant
We decided against bringing a car seat, and although Sadie is under 2 we splurged on her own seat on flight. Worth it for us. On the plane we used a CARES safety harness which I highly recommend if you have a kiddo that will unbuckle her seatbelt climb all over the seats 🤪. It may not work once the kid realizes they can be released, but even for the time it works it’s great. Some airlines still require you to keep children under 2 on your lap during takeoff and landing, but it’s still ok to use the harness in their seat all other times. - Inflatable Cushion
We brought an inflatable cushion to use as a bed (similar to JetKids Stokke BedBox, but packs up really small). I’ve heard some airlines won’t let you use them, but it might depend on where your seat is located. Sadie was never blocking anyone else from accessing the aisle so it didn’t seem to be a problem. We found it useful. Don’t forget a pump. - Compact Stroller
We loved using a gB Pockit Stroller. We got the All Terrain and it worked well on most streets and sidewalks. Didn’t love the small canopy as it didn’t provide enough shade, but also didn’t look to see if there is a hack for using a blanket or something. Also recommend practicing folding it up BEFORE the jetway during boarding, holding everyone else up in the process 🙄. Going abroad with a toddler should come with an award! - No Car Seat
We didn’t bring a big car seat as we had a couple of rental cars planned and would be taking a lot of public transportation. We did bring a Ride Safer carseat vest for just in case situations. They now make them in XS and Sadie just met the size requirement to use it. I would not use it for long trips as maturity wise she’s probably not ready, but for us it fit the bill for short Uber rides from train stations, and because it’s very small and relatively inexpensive. Again, practice using at home rather than pissing off the Uber driver 😉.
The car seats we rented with the cars were both in good shape. They were forward facing which is more common in Europe. We had to be ok with it, so def bring your own car seat if this is not ok for you. - No Travel Bed
We did not bring a travel bed. This did prove to be problematic outside of a couple of places where we stayed longer and planned in advance. We were unable to find baby rental shops in some touristy areas. Maybe they closed during pandemic? Anyway, we had to be creative at times for naps, but it all worked out.
Traveling abroad with a toddler, our aim was to travel light and not spend a ton of money on equipment we wouldn’t use much. I think we accomplished that goal!
– Sarah, Santa Barbara, CA