Travel Essentials for Family Trips

After almost 30 years of traveling with kids, I’ve learned a few things.

College kids probably won’t love your music choices, yet 7-year olds still get excited about Veggie Tales — even if you don’t.

Someone will say that they have to go to the bathroom just as soon as you pass the last exit for the next 20 miles.

And, inevitably, you will have forgotten to pack something.

Packing for family trips can be a complex experience, particularly when you’ve got little ones, big ones, and ones in between.

While far from home I’ve spent good money on things that I had duplicates of at home because someone forgot to include them in the luggage. Or we’ve run into unexpected emergencies that necessitated first aid or other medical care that wasn’t negotiable.

And I’ve cleaned up puke in the middle of the desert in 90 degree heat.

Let’s just say, I’ve been around the block a time or two. 😉 Equipping yourself with a few helpful travel essential items can transform your family travel. 

Remember these travel essentials to make sure that your next trip is fun, easy, and trouble-free. (Hint: they also make great gifts!)

Travel Essentials for Family Trips

If you’re traveling internationally, be sure to check these tips for safe travels. Whether home or away, these are things we’ve found helpful.

RFID-blocking travel wallet and money belt

My regular wallet for years was this one: a Pacsafe RFID-blocking wallet that Pacsafe sent me to review several years ago. (You can read my review of Pacsafe products here.) It was invaluable abroad, but I used it all the time once home. Identity and digital theft is just too risky these days.

I’ve continued to use an RFID-blocking wallet for the last decade or so. If you’re traveling internationally, though, I recommend a RFID-blocking money belt.

This is where we carry our cash, cards, passports, and train tickets when traveling. We don’t use them at home, but they are must-have’s abroad where pickpocketing is rampant.

Electronic devices

I’ll be honest. I know that technology should not be a babysitter. But I do it anyway. Having certain electronic devices along, like our Kindles, iPads, and the boys’ Nintendo Switch have helped us all keep our cool in any number of long waits and delays.

I typically take my laptop along for business as well as my iPad since it’s my second brain. I do all my planning digitally these days so it has to come with.

Traveling in some countries, like Japan, is almost impossible without a phone since you can pay for train and metro tips as well as stops at 7-11 with your phone. We upgraded one of our kids’ phones before our recent trip to Japan just to make this possible.

Phone and device chargers

Be sure to have all your chargers onboard. It’s really hard to take pictures or check the GPS when your phone goes dead.

Having an external battery charger is key if you will be away from your accommodations for any length of time. I bought this Rorry battery charger before our last trip and the whole family wished they had one. It was able to charge my phone, iPad, and apple watch.

If you’ll be road tripping, be sure to pack a car charger for your devices. We have this Syncware car charger that allows you to charge two devices at a time.

A laundry kit

If you’re going to need to laundry while away from home, it helps to be equipped.

I have a regular travel laundry kit that includes

• a stretchy clothesline – I recently upgraded to a clothesline with clips
• Shout wipes
• a lint roller
• a rubber sink stopper
• laundry sheets or SinkSuds
• lots of laundry bags

(If we’re going to wash laundry at home, I’d rather the kids just keep their dirty stuff in a laundry bag in their luggage.) 

A roll of quarters for the laundromat, if traveling domestically, is a good idea, too.

Potty stuff

When you gotta go, you gotta go. I’m a little bit of a germaphobe, particularly since I had girl babies.

Over the last nine years, I’ve made it a practice to keep a kit of potty stuff with me: 

• travel potty seat
• disposable, paper covers
• disinfecting wipes
• mini spray cans of Lysol.

I am also a big fan of this lavender hand sanitizing spray. Love it!

A carsick kit

Our girls are both prone to carsickness. We’ve had clean ups as close as 20 miles from home and far off in the desert in the middle of nowhere. I’ve learned through experience that we need to have supplies with us.

We keep a carsick kit for cleanup as well as these items to prevent it in the first place:

• child-size seabands
• Children’s Dramamine
• peppermint essential oil

First aid

I’ve had to make emergency stops at pharmacies in strange towns and countries on more than one adventure. I finally learned to pack basic OTC’s with us, like

• Advil for kids and adults
• allergy meds (OTC as well as prescription)
• bandages and antibiotic ointment

Flashlights

A friend told me years ago how her military sister carries a flashlight whenever she travels. You never know when you’ll be in the dark.

That made sense to me, so now we always pack mini flashlights on trips. They come in so handy whether at home or away. We used them all the time to navigate dark streets or hotel rooms, to dig in bags, and just for play.

A Smashbook or other journal

If you’re going to be traveling for an extended period of time or make it a regular habit, it’s great to keep a travel journal like a Smashbook. It is perfect for sticking in mementos and other souvenirs since the pen is also a glue stick. I love our journal of a our trip to Europe.

Travel-sized games

Not only do travel games like Spot-it and Skip Bo make great travel companions, they’re also great to keep in your purse for long waits at restaurants or doctor’s offices. Having a few games on hand is always a good idea.

I’m sure there’s something I’ve forgotten. I always forget something! Let me know in the comments.