Holiday Travel Tips for Families
The busy holiday travel season is upon us! It’s an exciting time, but after the past few years of pandemic-related restrictions, traveling with little ones can feel daunting. I can’t wait to get together with family, but I’m feeling a bit nervous because this year my husband and I will be officially outnumbered on the plane now that we have three kids! The good news is that with a little preparation, families of young children can travel more smoothly.
What medications should we bring?
Families often ask me for tips about which medications to pack. My most important tip is that you remember to pack prescription medications in their original packaging – including those that could be needed urgently, such as inhalers, epinephrine autoinjectors, and migraine, or eczema therapies. Check expiration dates and plan to request any necessary refills at least a week before you travel.
If you’re going to be far away from a drugstore, it’s also wise to pack some basic over-the-counter products. If your child is old enough, choose chewable tablet versions of oral medications to save on space and spills. I would include:
- Acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain/fever
- Antihistamines (Zyrtec/cetirizine or Benadryl/diphenhydramine) for allergies/reactions
- Hydrocortisone cream for rashes/bug bites
- Antibiotic ointment + bandages for cuts/scrapes
- Hand sanitizer/wipes
- Tissues
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
Check out travel first-aid kits online, or create your own with a thermometer, motion sickness tablets, bandages, tweezers, ice packs, rapid COVID tests, and masks.
Should we give our child Benadryl before travel?
Wondering about giving Benadryl or melatonin to help kids sleep during long trips or travel across time zones? I don’t typically recommend it. Benadryl can have unpredictable side effects in young children, including making them super hyperactive – not the response most parents are hoping for!
Instead, we generally recommend natural remedies like:
- Good hydration & structured meal/snack times.
- Plenty of morning light exposure and exercise.
- Dimming the lights and shutting off screens 1 to 2 hours before desired bedtime.
- Bringing a familiar blanket, stuffed ‘lovey’, or white noise device to ease the transition to sleeping in a new space.
How do I keep my family well when travelling?
It can be hard to keep kids from being exposed to germs when you’re travelling. As every parent knows, kids tend to touch every surface they see. I once flew behind a toddler who thought he’d try licking the aircraft window a few times just to test it out. Teach your kids to wash their hands often – and not lick the windows!
Keep your family as safe from illness as possible by protecting them with all the recommended immunizations, including the flu and COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and up. Travelers aged 5+ may also be eligible for the COVID-19 booster. Whenever possible, plan to get recommended vaccines at least 2 weeks ahead of departure, allowing the body time to achieve the maximum immunity benefit.
Any tips for flying with babies and toddlers?
Families who haven’t flown in a while, or are flying for the first time with a baby or toddler, can plan ahead by researching current recommendations for several important topics:
- Ticketing and family seating
- Lap travel and child restraints
- Identification needs
- Traveling with breastmilk/formula and baby food
Review your airline’s website for more specific policies and rules.
Check your airport’s webpage to review typical security transit times (and allow extra time to get your family through) and scope out the location of lactation/nursing rooms or ‘pods’. I have made good use of these ‘Mother’s Rooms’ during layovers in the past, and they’re much more comfortable than nursing at the gate!
If you’re flying internationally, 1-2 months prior to departure:
- Review the US State Department Travel site or CDC Travel Page for destination-specific safety tips.
- Talk to your doctor about travel-related vaccines/medications.
- Remember that travelers of all ages (even infants) require their own passport and children’s have to be renewed every 5 years.
What should we carry on?
- Breastmilk, formula, water bottle (or sippy) to fill at the gate
- Snacks.
- Extra diapers, wipes, and tissues.
- Plastic bags/diaper baggies.
- Change of clothes.
Plenty of books, toys, and games. I usually bring a couple of my child’s favorites, a comfort item, and something new to hold my kids’ attention – the excitement of a brand-new Lightning McQueen race car once got me through a lengthy delay on the tarmac tantrum-free!
- For older kids, child-friendly headphones, and a childproofed tablet.
- Sanitizer and sani-wipes for high-touch surfaces.
- Masks, if you like (for kids age 2+ who can safely wear them).
- Pacifier, bottle, and travel-size Tylenol/Ibuprofen. Most kids handle take-off and landing just fine, but it can help avoid ear pain to feed your baby or offer them a pacifier during these times.
Wishing you and your family safe and healthy travels this holiday season!
Resources for Parents:
KP Thriving Families
Traveling With Children? Pack Your Sense of Humor!
American Academy of Pediatrics
Featured Author
Dr Conti's biography reads: I believe in evidence-based pediatric medicine with a focus on wellness and access to quality preventive care for all children. As your physician, I hope to foster clear and open communication to guide you in making important healthcare decisions, to ensure your child has a strong and healthy future.
I previously graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 2007. I completed my residency at the University of Chicago. I practiced outpatient pediatrics and served as an associate medical director for a community health center on the south side of Chicago until 2017, when my family and I made the leap to much better weather as I joined the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara team.
Dr. Conti's full biography can be found on My Doctor Online. Disclaimer: If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder. This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.