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If you’ve ever stood in the middle of an airport, one child on your hip, the other having a meltdown, desperately rummaging through your bag for a dummy that’s somehow made its way to the very bottom, this post is for you.

Whether you’re taking a two hour hop or a twelve hour long haul, the same challenges apply, and the same system saves you. I’ve done short flights and long haul ones with a baby, with a toddler, and now with both at once. And the single biggest thing that transformed our travel experience wasn’t a magic product or a perfect child, it was a system.

This isn’t just a packing list. It’s a stage by stage bag system designed so that you’re never searching, only reaching. Everything has a place, and everything is exactly where you need it, exactly when you need it.

Here’s how it works.

The 4-Bag System

You need 3-4 bags:

• Baby backpack (you carry)
• Handbag
• Trolley bag
• Toddler backpack (they carry — and yes, even a two-year-old can manage a little one!)

🧳 Bag 1: The Baby Backpack

This is your main workhorse bag. Everything baby related lives here.

A note on the bag itself

I’ll be honest, our nappy bag isn’t one of those fancy, stylish, luxury ones. But it fits absolutely everything, has a pocket for everything, and even comes with its own changing bag. For travel, function beats fashion every single time, and this one has never let us down. This is the one we use and love.

Nappy station

Work out how many nappy changes you do on an average day, then calculate for your total travel time, door to door, not just flight time. Add two or three extras for delays, pressure changes and the unexpected. You can buy nappies almost anywhere in the world, so don’t panic about running out.

• Nappies
• Wipes (bring two packs: one in the changing bag, one in the front pocket for easy access for spills, noses and sticky fingers)
• Nappy bags (including some for dirty clothes)
• OPTIONAL: disposable changing mats. These are great as you can just chuck them in the bin with everything else. Plus your nice changing mat doesn’t need to touch the airport/plane toilets
• Nappy cream
• Hand sanitiser

Clothing

Two full outfit changes for each child. My favourite tip here: pack each outfit in a sandwich bag, labelled by child, including vests, socks etc. No rummaging, no chaos. If you’re extra like me, IKEA sell them in different colours and sizes which is perfect for telling them apart.

• 2x outfits per child in sandwich bags
• Spare top for mum (trust me on this one)

Food and feeding

Use a dedicated snack bag for all food so everything is in one place. Much easier at security too. This single pouch is one of the few things you’ll pull out at security (more on that below).

• Snack bag with pouches, snacks, finger foods and any other food (not including milk bottles/formula/water)
• Snack wheel: keeps snacks contained and toddlers happy (optional). This is the one we use.
• Spoons and bibs
• Muslins
• Water bottle for baby (if they need) this can go in one of the side pockets or anywhere that’s easy access
• Dummies: I like putting them in a case so they don’t collect dirt/dust. You can then put them in one of the little front pockets, plus one on the child with a dummy clip. Bring at least 2 in case one falls or gets lost
• Use the front pocket of the bag for the milk bottles, formula/breastmilk and water: you then have a mini bottle making station all in one place

💸 Save on: Sandwich bags, nappy bags, snacks. Supermarket or Temu all the way.

TIP: before your trip, take a sponge and cover it in washing up liquid (no water), then cut it into small squares and pop them in a small sandwich bag. On your travels, just add water to a square and you can clean bottles on the go. It takes up no space at all.

Note: there are no limits on liquid amounts you can take for your baby, so bring as much formula, water and breastmilk as your heart desires.

👜 Bag 2: Your Handbag

Keep this lean. You need to access it quickly and often.

• Passports and boarding passes (keep in a pouch or passport holder so everything is together, especially important if you have multiple citizenships)
• Wallet
• Phone and charger
• Earphones
• Tissues
• Gum
• Perfume (travel-size)
• A small makeup pouch: I use a sanitary pad pouch for travel-size hand cream, lip balm, perfume and anything else I need. Compact and easy to pull out and return when going through security.
• Jewellery if you prefer to keep it with you

🧳 Bag 3: The Trolley

This is your overflow bag, the things you won’t need until you land or in an emergency.

• 1-2 boxes of formula (different countries stock different brands and your baby may not take to them, so bring enough to cover the trip)
• Spare nappies for all children
• 1-2 days worth of clothes for all children (in case of delays or lost luggage)
• Baby pouch: blankets plus one extra for the toddler hammock trick (more on that below!), soft toys (if needed), arm pillow
• Toys
• Medicines: Calpol, Nurofen, Bonjela, anything you rely on at home

A quick word on travel buggies

We have a travel buggy we absolutely love (the Maxi-Cosi Lara²). It’s so light and compact we even use it at home! But here’s something many parents don’t realise: some airlines only allow specific buggy models in the cabin, regardless of how small yours folds. I’ve come across airlines that only permit one or two named brands onboard. Before you fly, always check your airline’s cabin buggy policy and their approved list, otherwise you may have to gate check it, even if it fits in the overhead locker.

🎒 Bag 4: The Toddler Backpack

Let them carry their own bag. It gives them ownership and keeps their things separate from yours. Pack it together the night before and make it feel special.

• Colouring book and colours
• Water bottle
• Headphones
• Sleep mask
• Soft toy
• Dummies

💰 Splurge on: Children’s noise-cancelling headphones. Worth every penny on a long flight. These are the ones we use. (note: one side is for sharing so if you notice the headphones only work from one side switch the cable to the other side. It should work perfectly 😊)

💸 Save on: Colouring books, sleep masks. Temu or pound shops are perfect for these.

✈️ Stage 1: Security — “Easy Access” Mode

Here’s the beauty of packing this way: when you reach security, you don’t rummage and you don’t reorganise. Because everything was packed with a place in mind, you simply reach for a few specific things and the rest stays exactly where it is.

At security, all you pull out is:

• The food pouch from the baby bag (the single snack/food bag – everything edible is already in there together)
• The bottles, formula and water from the front pocket of the baby bag (your bottle station, all in one place)
• Toddler bottle
• Nappy cream
• The powders (formula) from the trolley
• Your makeup/liquids pouch from your handbag

That’s it. No digging through outfits, no fishing for dummies, no unpacking the whole bag while a queue builds behind you. Six things out, six things back in.

Top tip: A nappy bag doesn’t count as hand luggage on most airlines , check your airline’s policy but this is often a free extra bag on top of your allowance!

Top tip: Bring a baby carrier as well as a buggy. The buggy is brilliant for the airport and your destination, but a carrier is a lifesaver through security. Most carriers go through the scanner without you needing to remove baby. We use the Ergobaby Omni 360 and I genuinely can’t recommend it enough. It’s supported us from the newborn days right through to toddlerhood and is still going strong. It’s an investment, yes, but for how much we use it, it’s been worth every single penny.

💺 On Board: The Under Seat Survival Bag

Here’s the key: your baby backpack IS your under seat bag, mission control for the whole flight. Before you board, make sure it goes under the seat in front of you, not in the overhead locker. You’ll want it within reach the entire time.

Here’s what goes where:

• Under your seat: the baby backpack (everything you need during the flight, organised by pouch), the spare blanket for the hammock trick, blankets, soft toys
• Under your toddler’s seat: the toddler backpack, toy bag (take out from trolley
• Overhead locker: the trolley (spares and overflow), the buggy, and the carrier if it doesn’t fit in the trolley

A note on the trolley: a few things in there you might want mid flight , medicine if a little one spikes a temperature, or extra nappies. It’s fine to grab the trolley down during the flight for those; just keep the things you’ll reach for most in the baby bag under your seat.

Inside the baby backpack, organise everything into mini pouches by category; it makes a huge difference.

General

• Lollipop for toddler and a premade bottle or breastfeeding for baby for take off and landing; sucking and swallowing helps little ears adjust to the pressure. Dummies work too.
• Antibacterial wipes; disinfect everything. The tray table, the armrests, the window, the seat belt and buckle. EVERYTHING! Especially if you have a baby who puts everything in their mouth.

Baby pouch

• Muslins, dummy, soft toy, blanket
• Arm pillow for lap baby — a game changer for long flights

Toddler pouch

• Sticker book, colouring, small quiet toys
• Headphones and tablet (download everything 1-2 days before. Not too early as downloads can expire, but enough time to check everything works). Our kids’ headphones are a flight essential.
• Blanket, dummy, soft toy, eye mask

Mum pouch

• Phone with downloaded shows (you will get approximately 40 minutes of screen time if you’re lucky; make them count)
• Chargers and a cable organiser
• Protein snacks; they sustain you better than sugar mid-flight
• Water, lip balm, hand cream
• Hair tie, dry shampoo mini
• Painkillers
• Eye mask and earplugs

Toy pouch

Pack all the toys in one toiletries bag so you can pull it out as one unit rather than fishing for individual items. This is the bag we use for ours.

💸 Save on the toys themselves: Honestly, Temu and pound shops are brilliant for plane toys. There’s no need to spend much on things that will keep them busy for 20 minutes. My favourites:

• Suction toys
• Magnetic tiles (travel size)
• Reusable stickers
• Painters tape (babies are obsessed and it peels off easily)
• Water pen colouring books
• Fidget toys
• Stretchable tubes
• Activity and Montessori books — this is the one my toddler loves.

💤 The Sleep Setup Kit (Longer or Overnight Flights)

Set this up after takeoff, not before. You’ll need your hands free during boarding.

• Blanket and neck pillow
• Dummy and comfort toy
• Eye mask for mum, optional for older children
• Extra layer of clothing for the children — planes get cold

The toddler hammock trick

Inflatable foot extenders aren’t allowed on many airlines, and the fabric ones that tie to the tray table are hit and miss depending on the plane. Here’s what actually works: take a blanket, tie two corners to either side of the tray table, and tuck the other end into the seat. It creates a little hammock for your toddler to stretch out and sleep. It’s not perfect but it’s the best solution I’ve found, and it’s free.

If possible, put your toddler in the window seat for night flights so they can lean against the wall.

🧼 The Mess and Emergencies Pouch

This lives at the bottom of your bag and hopefully you never need it. But when you do, you’ll be very glad it’s there.

• Spare clothes for all children
• Spare top for mum
• Extra wipes
• Nappy bags for dirty clothes
• Tissues

The Golden Rule

Pack in zones: security access, the under seat baby bag (mission control), the sleep kit and the emergencies pouch. Everything has a place.

You should never be searching. Only reaching.

Travel with a baby and toddler is genuinely manageable, I promise. It takes preparation, a good system, and the acceptance that it will be imperfect and that’s completely okay. The destination is always worth it.

Have a question or a tip of your own? Drop it in the comments below, I’d love to hear what works for your family.

Happy travels,

Keren x

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Planning a family holiday, or a trip just for you?
When I’m not chasing my two around a departure lounge, I plan trips for others over at Great Explorations. Whether it’s a family holiday that actually feels like a break, a honeymoon, or a big celebration somewhere special, I’ll sort all the details so you don’t have to. Get in touch if you’d like a hand planning yours 🙂