Over the years we have learned to travel light. I often fly solo with our young children and can’t carry much when it’s just me.
When my husband and I started preparing for a month in Europe with a 2.5 year old and 6 month old, I knew I wanted to stick to carryons. Not only because it would force us to be disciplined with our packing and not lug unnecessary items around Europe for a month, but also because we have experienced bagggage not arriving on time or getting lost and we did not want to have to worry about that.
This is the luggage we brought:
1. Carryon Roller Bag #1
- Both kids’ clothes fit in this bag, packed in cubes.
- Collapsible, lightweight bassinet for the baby (we brought the Baby Delight Snuggle Nest Bassinet which fit in our wider carryon roller bag)
2. Carryon Roller Bag #2
- My clothes
- Family’s toiletries
3. Carryon Backpack (we used the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L)
- Husband’s clothes
- Family’s electronics
4. Diaper Bag (generic backpack style)
- Typical diapering and baby/toddler care items
- A couple toys/activities for the kids
5. Stroller
- Our Bumbleride Indie Twin was the absolute champion of this trip (more information below). We would leave our accommodations each day by 8 or 9 am and not return until around 7pm for bedtime. Both of our kids took all of their naps in this stroller for a month without any issues! We could not have spent our days the way we did without our Bumbleride.
6. Two baby/toddler carriers
- We brought two ergobaby soft carriers for days without strollers. They rolled up and fit in our bags. The carriers were handy for short hikes, getting on and off planes and trains with the baby if the stroller needed to be collapsed, and helping soothe a tired/cranky baby.
So, how do I pack for a vacation with kids?
My 5 Step System For Clothes
When packing a family of any size it helps if you have a system. I use essentially the same method to pack for a 7 day vacation as I do for a month or longer. When I start packing for family vacations depends on how long I will be gone. The longer and more varied my itinerary and the weather I will be exposed to, the longer it takes me.
See my blog post Packing Tips for Trips with Young Kids to learn my method for packing my family for trips of all lengths.
A Note about European Style
When I am packing clothes for a trip, I always consider the style of clothes worn in the place I will be traveling to. I do this for two reasons:
1. First, out of respect for the local culture. If it is considered distasteful or disrespectful for a woman’s shoulders or knees to be exposed, I want to know that before I arrive. If I will be visiting churches, temples, mosques, or other religious buildings, I research what will be an acceptable and respectful form of dress for those places.
2. The second reason is so that I don’t stand out. It’s not that I am trying to avoid looking like a tourist. I think my English accent, my loud, English speaking children, and the guide book in my hand, are among my many obvious giveaways. I just want to minimize the attention that we draw to ourselves. For the most part, I try to pack comfortable, neutral clothes, don’t wear flashy jewelry, and remind my children to soften their voices so everyone is not staring at the loud American family. By blending in a bit with the crowd, I hope to minimize our chances of being targeted by pickpockets and scammers and other unwanted attention.
So what clothing should you avoid when traveling to Europe? Below is a short list to consider. Having spent a lot of time in Europe, I can say that you will see Europeans wearing these things. But if you are looking to blend in, consider skipping these items and sticking with a more neutral wardrobe.
- Athleisure is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States. I like to wear it on the plane when I am heading across the pond because it is so comfortable, but I otherwise try to stick to street fashion.
- Athletic/running shoes are not as commonly worn by European women, although that is slowly changing among younger generations. Cute flats, boots and sandals look great but aren’t always the most comfortable to walk long distances in. I like a nice tennis shoe or sneaker. I personally love AllBirds. There are so many cute styles and colors and I can comfortably walk miles in them.
- College apparel and clothing/accessories with American logos/sports teams.
- Baseball caps (especially those with American sport logos)
Best Stroller for Europe
A plug for all-terrain strollers
Everyone has a different opinion on what is the best stroller for Europe. We don’t have “travel strollers”. I always take my every-day all-terrain or jogging stroller to Europe. I bring my all-terrain strollers to Europe for the same reasons I love my all-terrain strollers at home. They can go almost anywhere! When it comes to Europe, all-terrain strollers are the best equipped to handle bumpy cobblestone streets, unpaved park trails, and any other adventures that you might stumble your way into.
I realize all-terrain strollers are a bit bulky. But for a little extra effort at the airport gate (bagging a double all-terrain stroller is a workout!), you get the ease and comfort of having an awesome stroller with you for the rest of your trip.
Our favorite all-terrain stroller
We have gone through a couple different stroller brands before settling on the best one for our family. For us, the winner is Bumbleride. We LOVE our bumbleride strollers. The Bumbleride Indie Twin is amazing for so many reasons, but here are the highlights
- Babies and toddlers can recline to a near lie-flat position for naps
- The canopy coverage is incredible
- You can use this stroller from birth
- Doesn’t have certain harmful chemicals that so many other stroller brands use
- AND BEST OF ALL, it fits through a standard single door (by US standards). This is a pretty big deal in the world of side-by-side all-terrain strollers and makes your life so much easier.
The Bumbleride Indie is the single version of the same stroller.
If you want something a bit more compact, check out the Bumbleride Era.
A mini board toddler board attachment can be added to the Indie, Indie Twin, and Era as an additional option for families with more than one child.
You can find second-hand Bumbleride strollers on Facebook Marketplace. That is how we got ours and they still work great!
Skip the Car Seats
We don’t take car seats to Europe and instead rely almost exclusively on the amazing public transportation.
If you will be renting a car, rental companies often offer car seats, although you don’t always know what you will get. I will admit I was a bit sketched out by the car seat we “strapped” our 6 month old in on our way from the Prague airport to our apartment. My favorite way to travel is by train. So I would plan to just skip the car entirely unless in very rural areas.
Less is more! You can do it!
The less luggage you bring, the more you get to enjoy your time and not worry about how you are going to cart all of your items across Europe. When packing a family for Europe, I encourage you to focus less on what fancy gear you need to purchase, and more on how to use what you already have in an intentional way. Have a fantastic time making memories!
