Ever stared at an empty suitcase the night before a big international trip with your kids, wondering how on earth you’ll fit it all and not forget something essential? You’re not alone, and this episode is here to save you from the stress spiral.
In this Toolkit Series episode from The New Modern Mom Podcast, host Barbara Mighdoll gets real about what it actually takes to pack smart for international travel with little kids. As a seasoned traveler and mom of two, Barbara has done the trial-and-error for you—including 8 international trips with babies, toddlers, and now a future kindergartener. And spoiler: it’s not about packing more, it’s about packing smarter.
This isn’t your basic “remember your toothbrush” kind of list. Instead, Barbara dives deep into the extras that actually make a difference when you're managing long-haul flights, jet lag, unfamiliar hotel rooms, and a different routine in a different time zone. From the carry-on must-haves you’ll wish you’d brought to the important baby gear you never knew existed, this episode is a must-listen for any parent prepping for international travel—especially if you’re balancing work and family life.
Whether you’re a minimalist, a routine-keeper, or a just-in-case packer, you’ll walk away with practical tools and strategies to help you feel confident and prepared—not overwhelmed—before your next family trip abroad.
🧳 The three types of parent-packers and how knowing your type leads to a smoother trip
Understanding your packing personality can be a game changer. Whether you prefer to travel light or bring a piece of home with you, knowing your tendencies helps streamline decisions and avoid over- or under-packing. Barbara breaks down the three most common types of parent-packers.
“I've noticed there are three types of packers—ultra minimalists, intentional routine-keepers, and the just-in-case packers. Minimalists bring one checked bag for the whole family, do laundry often, and buy essentials once they arrive. Then there are the intentional, routine keepers. That’s where I land—thoughtful, but not overdoing it. And of course, the just-in-case packers who always end up with two extra bags… just in case.” -Barbara Mighdoll
✈️ The on-flight MVPs that make long-haul travel manageable
Let’s be real: flights with kids can be rough. But a few key items in your carry-on can completely shift the experience. Barbara shares her go-to airplane essentials that ensure smoother skies for everyone.
“I’m not talking about bringing your entire medicine cabinet, just the basics onto the flight with you—band-aids, fever reducers, a thermometer, and meds your child will actually take without a fight. I also always pack shelf-stable milk cartons. And each kid gets a multi-compartment toiletry bag filled with 20 tiny toys or activities to keep them entertained during flights, delays, or downtime in the hotel.” -Barbara Mighdoll
😴 The sleep essentials that help your kids rest in unfamiliar places
Nothing can derail a vacation faster than poor sleep. Barbara reveals the key items she always packs to help her kids sleep well, even in a brand-new time zone or noisy hotel room.
“Non-negotiables for us are the items that help with sleep. We bring our Hatch sound machine or a mini version paired with a plug-in nightlight. I also always pack a blackout curtain with suction cups that can mold to any shape and size window. These help create a familiar sleep environment, which is so important when you're adjusting to jet lag or new routines.” -Barbara Mighdoll
👶 The gear upgrades that make travel easier (and avoid major meltdowns)
From strollers to scooters to baby carriers, the gear you bring matters—and not all of it is created equal when it comes to navigating European cities or long airport layovers. Barbara shares her hard-earned lessons (including a stroller disaster in Frankfurt).
“Do not bring your everyday stroller. Get a compact travel stroller that fits in the overhead bin. We learned the hard way when we gate-checked ours and had a 55-minute walk with no stroller and a 2-year-old. I also swear by the WildBird toddler carrier—it's ideal when you’re somewhere stroller-unfriendly. And don’t forget a foldable scooter or a travel car seat vest for kids over 2. Game changers!” -Barbara Mighdoll
📝 A simple method to build your personalized packing list
The key to smart packing isn’t a one-size-fits-all list—it’s starting with your actual daily routine and translating that into what you’ll truly need on your trip. Barbara shares the exercise she uses every single time she travels.
“Imagine a full 24-hour period with your kids. Write down everything you use from morning to bedtime—including the environment-based tools that help make your day smoother. Then cross-check that list with your actual destination activities and adjust accordingly. That becomes your packing list. It takes 10 minutes and will save you hours of stress later.” -Barbara Mighdoll
Download my International Packing List
Need help packing for your next international trip? Grab my go-to international packing list designed specifically for moms traveling with kids. It covers everything you need for mom, baby, preschooler, and a first aid kit, so you can pack with confidence, not chaos.designed specifically for moms traveling with kids. It covers everything you need for mom, baby, preschooler, and a first aid kit, so you can pack with confidence, not chaos.
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[00:00:00] Hi everyone. Welcome to the toolkit series from the new Modern Mom podcast. I'm thrilled to bring you this bonus series in between seasons. Each episode will be a quick, actionable deep dive into some of the most important themes from season one. My goal is to help you build the tools you need, so the ready and waiting in your toolkit, the ones you're going to reach for to calm the chaos of career in motherhood. [00:00:23] Today's episode is for any parent who has stared at an empty suitcase at midnight the night before a flight, wondering how on earth you're going to fit it all in and still have exactly what you need once you land. [00:00:34] We're talking about packing for international travel with little kids. [00:00:38] After eight international trips with babies, toddlers into now a future kindergartner, I've learned a few things the hard way. What to bring, what to pack, and how to pack in a way that actually makes the trip smoother. So today I'm sharing my hot take packing list. Not the basics, but the extras that make all the difference. [00:00:58] But before we jump into [00:01:00] the list, let's talk packing strategy. I've noticed there are three types of packers, ultra minimalists, one checked bag for the whole family laundry every other day, and buying most essentials once you arrive. This is a lean in light and smart move if you're hopping from city to city or country to country. [00:01:18] To be honest, I've never quite made it into this category The next are those kind of intentional, routine keepers. You're not a minimalist, but you are thoughtful. You bring just enough to create some of your daily flow so that your destination feels like a version of home. This is definitely where I land when traveling with. [00:01:40] Then there's the just in case packers, You start with a plan, but somehow end up with two extra bags just in case. I try to avoid this as best as possible, but if it's just me and my husband, honestly all bets are off because my suitcase usually has way more space in it than I'm used to having So let's jump [00:02:00] in to those extras I talked about, and we're gonna start with those on flight MVPs . These are the things that I didn't know to bring when I first started traveling internationally with kids, and now I will not travel without them. So the first is a mini first aid kit. I'm not talking about bringing your entire medicine cabinet, just the basics onto the flight with you. [00:02:22] These are band-aids, fever reducers, like kids, Tylenol or Advil. A small thermometer and a few meds your child actually will take without a fight. Hopefully you never need to touch this thing, but you definitely don't want to be stuck three hours into a nine hour flight with a child that is spiking a fever. [00:02:43] I also like to bring children's Benadryl on the flight, not because I plan on giving it to them to help them sleep, but actually just in case they eat something or start having hives or something on that flight because they are exposed to a new environment and new food [00:02:57] the next. Are those shelf [00:03:00] stable milk cartons that you may pack for your kids for lunch or that you've definitely seen at a Whole Foods or Costco aisle? If your kids drink milk, don't count on the airplane having it, and definitely don't count on finding an open grocery store after a late night or Sunday arrival when you are in Europe. [00:03:19] You may be wondering, can I bring these on the flight with me? The answer is yes. Just separate them from your bags when you're going through security and let them know they're for your kids This next one is so critical, and that is packing an activity kit for the flight. I prep one. Multi compartment toiletry bag per kid with about 20 tiny toys, stickers, crayons, little activities for them to play with on that flight, which comes in handy for long flights. But also if your flight is delayed or you have a long layover, it also. [00:03:53] Is critical when you have downtime at your hotel or Airbnb, which you most certainly [00:04:00] will. Whether that's buying you 10 minutes to get ready in the morning or just needing a relaxing break in the afternoon before you head out to an evening activity. Not for the flight, but since we're on the topic of downtime at your hotel or Airbnb, I also always pick up one or two of those Mondo Llama craft kits from Target. [00:04:21] They're like three to $5 and they include every single thing you could need for an arts and crafts activity for your kids, Anything. So this keeps you from having to think through all those tiny little items that you typically grab for at your house to entertain your kids, and it's new, it's exciting. [00:04:38] They will love to do it. The next thing to bring on an international flight is something to help your kids sleep, [00:04:44] so that could be making sure that they have their favorite stuffy or a blanket from home, a mini sound machine, to replicate that environment. And since we are also on the topic of helping your child sleep once you get to your [00:05:00] destination. [00:05:00] For me, non-negotiables are those items that help with sleep. So we bring our hatch sound machine because my son needs that red light because he gets scared at night and he needs the sound. However, I've also brought a smaller version of that, which is just a mini sound machine paired with a plugin, nightlight. [00:05:19] I also always bring a blackout curtain. I love the ones that have suction cups on them so that they can kind of mold to any shape and size of the windows that are in the room that your child is sleeping in. And then last item I definitely learned the hard way to bring was a manual breast pump while I was breastfeeding my kids. [00:05:39] So if you are still breastfeeding or pumping. Of course, bring the pump that you typically use, but you need to plan for emergencies. Maybe a piece breaks on the pump or you are out and about and forgot to charge it. You need a manual one to bring with you at all times. [00:05:58] Short story time. [00:06:00] I was at a resort in Mexico and one of the valves on my pump broke. It was about 6:00 PM at night. The closest Walmart was a 20 minute Uber drive from me. I had plans to go out to dinner that night. With just my husband. We had hired a babysitter and I couldn't leave my baby because I couldn't pump, and thankfully we were able to pay that babysitter from the agency to go to the Walmart for me and pick up a manual breast pump. [00:06:29] But it was so much stress, I was in tears, and it was so avoidable. So after that experience, I brought a manual pump with me at all times. I think I only needed to use it once, but it was so much peace of mind and avoided a nightmare situation. Next, not necessarily something to pack, but something you need to think about that will impact your packing, which is around doing laundry at your destination. [00:06:54] Before kids, I would plan out 10 days worth of outfits, but post kids. [00:07:00] Especially when I'm planning my outfits for my kids, I always plan to do laundry at my destination. Now, if you are staying in a hotel where you don't have access to laundry, you can purchase these very thin, literally way nothing laundry detergent sheets from Amazon. [00:07:16] Pack them in your bags and they disintegrate so well just using a hotel sink. Mix it around. Kind of do a small hand wash, and then you can hang your stuff to dry if you're staying somewhere with a washer, just plan to grab detergent once you're there. But this allows you to pack literally half the clothes you think you need for your kids and yourself at your destination. [00:07:35] Okay, let's talk about gear that you need. So if you are traveling internationally, do not use. Your daily stroller, make sure you have a compact travel stroller. It is worth every penny to get a good one. You want one. And this is key that can fit in the overhead bin. [00:07:55] And here is why. If you have a layover in Europe. More [00:08:00] often than not, your gate checked items will be gate checked all the way to your destination where you end up picking up that gate check item with your bags on the carousel. I did learn this the hard way. We had a layover in Frankfurt. We had gate checked, our stroller got off our first flight waiting around by the gate and it never came. [00:08:19] And then we had, I kid you not. A 55 minute walk to get to our connection gate with an eight week old and a 2-year-old. I did of course, have a carrier, thankfully, for my baby, my little eight week old to stay in, but my 2-year-old most certainly could not walk 55 minutes throughout a hot airport. So in this case, we did have a carry-on Rollie bag that we sat him on top, but. [00:08:46] It was not pleasant and not something I would recommend for anybody. So that is reason number one, to make sure your stroller can fit in the overhead bin. The second reason is because if you do gate check something, it will more often [00:09:00] than not, have some sort of damage to it, and you do not want a damaged stroller at your destination that defeats the entire purpose of having a stroller. [00:09:07] So make sure you get one that fits in the overhead bin The next is probably an item you have never heard of, but once you get it, you will not look back and that is a wild bird toddler carrier. I discovered this option for my walking, but still wants to be carried Toddler, last summer when we were in Portugal, we are going to a destination where I knew a stroller could not be used. [00:09:32] Very big hills, lots of stairs, lots of cobblestone. I also knew that she was a little too big for the Arti pop. [00:09:40] But also using a back carrier was going to be an impractical option because I knew she was going to want to walk and then be carried and then be picked up constantly. And so once you're strapped into that thing, it's kind of hard to go back and forth. So I decided to find. An assistant to hip carry, and that's when I came across the Wild [00:10:00] Bird toddler carrier. [00:10:01] Since then, it is now carried at Nordstrom's, so I will link it in the show notes. But this thing is such a lifesaver when you are in that toddler stage where you want them to walk, they wanna walk, but then that walking does not last very long. And now my daughter is so obsessed with this thing. We have three flights of stairs at our home in San Francisco, and she asks to be carried in this up and down the stairs instead of walking all the time. [00:10:28] I don't mind. I think it's cute and she just loves it. The last piece of gear is a foldable scooter, so you need to check your destination first. If there are cobblestones, if there are hills, if there are a lot of stairs, do not bring a scooter with you. This was my case in Portugal last year, but if you see that there are smooth walkways, if there is a long boardwalk. [00:10:52] This is a great option for your children, but make sure you bring one that is foldable because then you can bring it on the [00:11:00] flight with you. It easily folds down into the overhead bin and counts as one of their carry-ons. I will also link our scooters that we use. in the show notes. [00:11:08] Okay, the last. Category here is car seats. And of course you're gonna say, well, that's on an extra. I knew about that, but what I'm talking about is a very specific travel car seat vest that you need to know about. These vests can be used for ages two and up, and they are an alternate than having to bring or rent one of those bulky car seats. [00:11:33] So this vest is also amazing if you plan on taking Ubers at your destination or if you are. Renting a car at your destination, but taking an Uber to the airport and don't know how you're going to get there with your children. So these vests are super compact. They are approved in the US to be used in cars, and what they do is they attach to your child like the vest and they help the seatbelt drop down to their [00:12:00] level so that it can be used safely. [00:12:01] Okay. We love our travel car seat vests. We used them constantly in Portugal last year and we used them even at home when we are going in an Uber somewhere. [00:12:11] This is just such a critical purchase. Once you hit that age two to three and you plan on traveling with your kid, I am going to link those as well in the show notes. [00:12:20] Okay. That is my little bonus extras that make a big difference list. So let's talk, what's the actual tool for your toolkit in this episode? Here's the method I swear by for creating a stress-free packing list. Step one. Imagine a full 24 hour period with your kids. Now, pull out your computer, grab a pen and paper. [00:12:47] I want you to write down every single thing you use from morning to bedtime, and not just the physical things that you're using, but the things in the environment that make your life easier. [00:12:58] Now look at that [00:13:00] list and crosscheck that list against what your days will really look like at your destination. For example, if you are hiking or if you're doing beach days, adjust accordingly. [00:13:11] This gives you a personalized, realistic packing list so you are not scrambling when you land. And because I know how helpful a visual is, I'm sharing my full international trip packing list for a week abroad in the show notes as well. You can use it, tweak it, make it your own. [00:13:29] But go through this exercise, it will relieve some of that packing anxiety. It will make you feel more confident that you'll have a smooth trip once you get there. So here's to calmer packing and enjoying that journey. [00:13:43] Thank you for tuning in to this toolkit series on the new Modern Mom podcast. I hope today's tips help simplify the chaos of career and motherhood one tool at a time. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe. Give a five star rating and leave a review. My [00:14:00] dms are open. I'd love to know where you are going on your next trip. [00:14:04] You can always connect with me. On Instagram and please subscribe to my newsletter. Your support means so much as I continue my mission to help more moms find work life fulfillment. Until next time.Author
