👶 Travelling with kids Packing List
Family travel with children — Two alternating fever medicines and an insulated tumbler
As of 2026-08-19
The most common mistake when packing for Family travel with children is assuming you can just buy it there. In practice the local price is often higher, the standard is different so it does not work, or finding a shop eats half a day. To avoid that, this list breaks 11 items into 3 categories. 10 of them are essentials — without them the itinerary itself is affected — and the remaining 1 is optional, to fit the space you have left.
What defines this destination is Two alternating fever medicines and an insulated tumbler. Reusing the same list for a different country goes wrong exactly there, so it is worth checking per destination.
Essentials at a glance
- Two children’s fever medicines (paracetamol and ibuprofen)
- Contactless thermometer and cooling patches
- Children’s bite patches and anti-itch cream
- Digestive medicine, probiotics and children’s plasters
- Cabin-sized folding stroller with a rain cover
- Disposable bibs and single-serve sterile bottles or baby food
- Plenty of nappies and a portable changing mat
- Insulated tumbler (for formula water)
- Quiet sticker book or water-reveal book
- Three or four changes of clothes and zip-lock bags
Full list by category
💊 Children’s health & medicine
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Two children’s fever medicines (paracetamol and ibuprofen) Essential
Different active ingredients so the doses can be alternated
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Contactless thermometer and cooling patches Essential
For checking a night-time fever and bringing it down fast
-
Children’s bite patches and anti-itch cream Essential
Choose products formulated for infants
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Digestive medicine, probiotics and children’s plasters Essential
Unfamiliar food upsets small stomachs
🍼 Baby care & feeding
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Cabin-sized folding stroller with a rain cover Essential
Gate-to-gate at the airport, and for naps once you arrive
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Disposable bibs and single-serve sterile bottles or baby food Essential
No washing up while you are away
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Plenty of nappies and a portable changing mat Essential
Five or six per day, plus five spare
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Insulated tumbler (for formula water) Essential
Hot water on the plane and out sightseeing
🎨 In-flight entertainment & comfort
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Quiet sticker book or water-reveal book Essential
For take-off, landing and waiting for food
-
Children’s headphones and a tablet stand Optional
Volume-limited headphones, and download the videos in advance
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Three or four changes of clothes and zip-lock bags Essential
Spills and leaks happen — keep these at the top of the bag
Category notes
💊 Children’s health & medicine — 4 items
On a trip with children, the medicine you packed decides how the rest of the itinerary goes. Dosages differ from adults, so check them in advance.
🍼 Baby care & feeding — 4 items
Many of these are hard to find in the same brand abroad. Work out daily use × number of days, then add a margin.
🎨 In-flight entertainment & comfort — 3 items
These keep a child in reasonable shape on long transfers. For anything that needs a battery, check the charge before you leave.
The order to pack in
Working top to bottom through a list leaves gaps. This order leaves fewer.
- Documents and payment first — without these you do not board at all. Check expiry dates and balances at this step, not later.
- Anything that needs charging — charge it all the night before and gather the adapters and cables next to the devices.
- Separate what you will use in the cabin — once a suitcase is checked you cannot open it until arrival. Pull those items into your carry-on first.
- Everything else into the suitcase — heavy items near the wheels keep it stable when you pull it upright.
- Re-check only the 10 essentials at the end — going through the whole list again never happens; going through the essentials does.
Items on this list with baggage rules
4 items on this list are governed by airport security and airline rules. Whether something can go in the cabin or has to be checked varies by item, and packing it in the wrong bag means surrendering it at the security lane. Check the verdicts below before you split your bags.
| Item | Cabin · Checked |
|---|---|
| 💊 Two children’s fever medicines (paracetamol and ibuprofen) | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (prescriptions on you) |
| 🍼 Cabin-sized folding stroller with a rain cover | Free checked item (usable up to the gate) |
| 🍼 Disposable bibs and single-serve sterile bottles or baby food | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (100ml waived with an infant) |
| 🥤 Insulated tumbler (for formula water) | Cabin and checked, as long as it is empty |
Frequently asked questions
- Two children’s fever medicines (paracetamol and ibuprofen) — can I take it in the cabin?
- Cabin: yes / checked: yes (prescriptions on you). For unusual prescriptions, carry the prescription or a doctor’s note in English
- Cabin-sized folding stroller with a rain cover — can I take it in the cabin?
- Free checked item (usable up to the gate). Whether gate check is offered, and where the stroller comes back, differs by airline and airport — confirm it when you book
- Disposable bibs and single-serve sterile bottles or baby food — can I take it in the cabin?
- Cabin: yes / checked: yes (100ml waived with an infant). Have the formula and the water bottle out of your bag before you reach screening
- Insulated tumbler (for formula water) — can I take it in the cabin?
- Cabin and checked, as long as it is empty. A carbonated drink will force its way out as pressure drops — empty the flask completely before you check it
Packing lists for other destinations
🧳 Check the carry-on and checked baggage rules too · 📰 See all travel tips and entry rules