[Experienced Mom’s Tips]How to Manage Food, Clothing, Accommodation, and Transportation for Kids Under Two When Traveling Abroad – A Comprehensive Guide!!

I’ve mastered the art of eating well wherever I go!!

Traveling abroad with a child under two is a mix of joy and worry~

The upside is that the whole family can travel together, and plane tickets for kids under two are super cheap. But the downside? Figuring out how to pack for a toddler is a huge task!! It’s really a big project~

And when you’re traveling, you can’t always be picky about everything—moms, relax!!~ We’re here to have a great trip!!

I’ve put together a list of tips to ease your worries. I really racked my brain, read up online, and only after returning from my trip did I come up with these handy methods.

For all you first-time moms planning to travel abroad, take a look…

Water – I buy mineral water locally. Hotels usually provide two small bottles a day, but that’s not enough because you need water for formula and porridge. If you want to boil water, you also have to check if the local water quality is good. I’ve boiled water before and it was full of impurities—I didn’t dare drink it~ So buying mineral water is safer!!

No need to worry when traveling abroad because the portable breast pump is right there—it’s super convenient. But remember to wear a nice nursing top so you can take cute photos, and bring a small nursing cover to avoid exposing yourself.

I use a nursing blanket—it’s two-in-one, great for feeding and as a little blanket!!

Moms with engorged breasts or oversupply definitely need to pump, or else it’ll be unbearable!!

Store the extra milk in breast milk storage bags. In the hotel, keep them in the fridge, but when you’re out, bring your own ice packs and insulated containers for the milk!!

Also bring ice bricks or small ice packs in case the milk goes bad, and put it back in the fridge once you return to the hotel.

The volume is small—just put a few bags in the fridge for the number of meals you’ll have the next day. Before feeding, pour it into a glass baby bottle and warm it up in a thermos or warmer.

Thermos for hot water + glass baby bottle or double-boiler container + glass baby bottle

Breastfeeding for every meal is amazing, but just have enough, Up!! When traveling, sometimes you produce more milk than you can store. Don’t feel bad about discarding excess milk during a short trip—it’s okay because luggage weight is limited, and water and milk are the heaviest. If you have extra space and weight allowance, bringing some back is fine, but if you feel wasteful and insist on bringing home a bunch of milk as souvenirs, it’s kind of a waste of the trip, Up!! Traveling is for shopping!! Remember—relaxing is key to a great trip!! I’ve seen too many moms lugging ice bricks of milk back home!!

Actually, a mix of breast milk and formula is fine too. Before the trip, you can start training your baby to drink some formula—train for over half a month!! That way, traveling will be much easier!! But if your baby really refuses formula, then bring enough ice bricks of breast milk for the trip!!

If your baby eats too many meals, I bring disposable bottles—they’re the most convenient and space-saving. But if it’s just three meals a day plus formula in the morning and evening, I’ll just bring two bottles.

When bringing bottles, I also pack cleaning brushes, detergent in small packets, and give the bottles a final rinse with hot water for sterilization!! (After one year old, I just sterilize the glass bottles with hot water and that’s enough!! No need to bring cleaning tools anymore!!)

As a mom, I’m a bit wary of the plastic liners in disposable cups, but it’s hard to be picky when traveling, so convenience comes first.

A great space-saving method—just bring as many packets as you need for the number of meals per day.

But I only use disposable formula packets when I’m out or on the plane where it’s inconvenient to measure formula, because it costs an extra NT$5 per meal. Other times, I use the regular formula tin.

I’ve also seen smart moms using plastic bags—it’s another money-saving trick!!

The advantage is having a fridge and power supply, so you don’t have to keep changing rooms, and you can just return to your room whenever you need to.

Back when my baby was only 8 months old, I didn’t trust street food in Malaysia, so I brought homemade baby food that we ate daily.

I flattened and froze my homemade baby food to save space. For however many days we were traveling, I brought enough meals, packed them in a Styrofoam box, added some ice packs or plastic bags as ice bricks, and put everything in the suitcase before departure. Once at the hotel, I transferred it to the freezer to keep it frozen.

Before heading out, I’d heat it up in a thermos and take it out for feeding.

The volume is small—just put a few packets in the fridge for the number of meals per day. Before feeding, warm it up in a thermos or warmer. If you’re going out, pour it into a thermos to take along. (You can also use a double boiler, but that requires bringing a container, which is more troublesome.)

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Everything must be simple and easy to carry when traveling!!

*Thermos Cooked Porridge + Instant Pack (Based on a child’s daily portion):

Thermos 350ml / 40g rice = Eight-fold porridge (split into two meals)

Instant pack 80g / I did a lot of research because I don’t really like those that include rice grains or noodles—the textures are all weird. Also, my kid is used to eating porridge, so I chose Morinaga instant packs that can be poured over porridge or noodles. You can also buy some ready-made, just heat-and-eat instant packs to bring.

My kid’s portion per meal is about 250ml, so one meal of porridge plus instant pack is also about 250ml.

If you start cooking it in the morning and open it at noon, it will still be warm. Pour out half and add the instant pack. If you’re at a restaurant, you can ask them to heat up the other half and put it back in the thermos—it’ll still be warm by dinner.

But if you cook it in the morning and open it at dinner, it will still be slightly warm, because plain white porridge doesn’t spoil easily. I’d just ask the restaurant to heat it up again for my kid, and she was totally fine with it. But if you’re worried, you can also buy some local instant packs for dinner, heat them up, and they’re good to eat.

You have to soak the rice overnight first.

*In European countries, there are none (hot water dispensers), but in Asian countries, there are. Still, it’s best to bring your own just in case.

(I thought about bringing an electric soup spoon—it’s small and easy to carry, but you need a container. Hotel containers are limited—usually only cups. If you’re lucky, you might find an ice bucket. After considering all this, I decided to just bring a small pot myself, just like a hot water kettle!! Also, kids run around and pull things—so I was worried about safety!!)

On the day, add boiling water in the morning and let it sit for 15–30 minutes, then pour out the water, add the soaked rice, and pour in boiling water. Let it sit until noon—about 3–4 hours—and the rice should be soft enough inside.

*But eating porridge every day gets boring, so I switch to tiny Italian tubes or chewy noodles. But don’t let it sit too long when using the thermos—I usually pour out the water after about an hour and tighten the thermos shut. (Because noodles get mushy if soaked too long.)

(Two packs a day + a wide-mouthed hot water kettle can directly fit the instant pack, or bring a bowl to heat the instant pack in a water bath.)

Get one glass and one plastic—glass can be microwaved and makes me feel safer as a mom. Honestly, whatever is easiest for you to carry as a mom is fine.

Common baby food items you see in stores can actually be bought cheaper at the destination.

Any of the above methods work—moms, just pick whichever is convenient and reassuring for your child’s meals!!

Food scissors, spoon, bowl, bib.

Abroad, just eat what the adults eat. You can ask restaurants to specially prepare kid-friendly meals, like egg fried rice, stir-fried noodles, cooked lightly. Order dishes that everyone eats together. For Western food, you can choose pasta, then cut it up small with food scissors.

PS. Eating Tips: (Bring lots of small clear plastic bags)

At hotel breakfast buffets, you can pack some bread, crackers, for the kid to eat as dry snacks on the go. (But don’t overdo it—I only take the amount my kid would eat!!)

For fruits, pick ones with peels that you can take along. If you’re staying at a fixed hotel, cut fruit can be taken back to your room and chilled. When you come back from playing, you’ll have cool fruit to enjoy!!

Pack clothes based on the season and the number of days. Don’t forget to check the recent weather forecast.

For 3–5 day trips: one outfit per day, plus 2–3 extra outfits.

For 5–12 day trips: take half the number of daily outfits, plus 2–3 extras. In between, I use a coin-operated laundry to wash once or wash by hand. Hand-washed clothes tend to stay wetter—wrap them in a towel and twist to absorb moisture, then hang in a ventilated area. (If you plan to use a washing machine, remember to bring a small pack of laundry detergent.)

Clothes: Actually, in summer, it’s fine to bring a lot of thin clothing, because it’s summer—you wash clothes at night and they’re dry by the next day.

Light jacket: Bring one for big day-night temperature differences, or when it gets chilly inside malls while shopping.

Swimwear: I bring 1–2 sets. If there's a chance to swim, having extras to change into is good. (Applies to island destinations.)

Clothes: Winter clothes take up a ton of space, so I bring only the essentials. Plus, winter clothes take longer to dry, and since you’re not sweating much, I don’t wash them daily unless I’m staying at a hotel for more than two days. So I end up wearing some items twice.

Thermal wear: Definitely dress in layers (like onions). Peel off layers if it’s too hot during the day, and bundle back up if it gets cold at night.

Pants: If it’s really cold, I dress my child in two pairs of pants.

Jacket: Bring one windproof jacket—day-night temperature swings can lead to colds, and getting sick abroad is a hassle.

You can bring your own or buy them locally.

I always bring some diapers and decide on the sizes after arriving based on how many days we’ll be there. I think the price difference isn’t that big.

Diaper sizes: In Europe and America, they’re divided into 1, 2, 3, 4; in Southeast Asia, they’re S, M, L, XL, XXL (the weight in KG is marked on them, so just choose according to your baby’s weight!!)

Look~ What a thoughtful country, you can get free diapers in various sizes, and there are also changing tables for babies.

The changing tables even have disposable pads—super considerate!!

So when you travel with a baby, you’ll find thoughtful designs in every country that really touch your heart~!!

1. You can request a crib, but some hotels may charge extra.

2. A king-size bed allows the whole family of three to sleep more comfortably together.

These two things are very important for good sleep quality to continue your trip, and some hotels go the extra mile by providing bottle warmers, baby bathtubs, and baby bath kits.

3. Voltage: Please check the voltage carefully and ensure your electronics are compatible with international voltage to avoid damaging them.

4. Plugs: There’s a universal voltage adapter that works worldwide. Buy one and bring an extension cord to plug in multiple devices.

P.S. Moms, remember to bring your baby’s comfort items, like pacifiers or blankets... etc.! Because moms know best what their babies need.

Everyone recommends a stroller that folds up quickly—it’s lighter and more convenient for buses. (But there’s a risk of it getting damaged during air travel.)

Highly recommend!! The French BABYZEN YOYO stroller (it can fold and go on the plane, no worries about it getting damaged!! I think you can rent strollers in Taiwan too!!)

I’ve heard many moms had their strollers broken and had to buy a new one locally. This one was passed down to me by my aunt—it’s been through two kids and has six years of history!!

I’ve traveled abroad with my aunt at least over ten times, and the stroller’s been dropped just as many times. All I can say is it’s super tough~!!

Don’t leave home without the stroller; otherwise, carrying the baby will make your arms sore, and carrying shopping will make your hands ache. It’s really better to have a stroller.

Avoid suitcases that open in the middle—if you do, you’ll need a huge space just to open them, and if you pack too much, they won’t close properly. They’re just too troublesome with kids, so I gave up on those.

I use a suitcase-in-a-suitcase setup, which counts as one bag. This makes moving around and carrying things much easier. One suitcase, one stroller, and one running-around kid—just right for two people~ But on the way back, it’s definitely fully loaded!!

Get a large, lightweight tote bag to keep on the side of your suitcase. If you buy too much, you can use this bag to carry things. It’s allowed on the plane or as checked luggage. If checking it, just put non-important, unbreakable items inside—I’ve put clothes and shoes in there. Keep valuables locked in the suitcase.

For smaller babies, but if the kid gets fussy, just carry them in a carrier and walk.

At this age, kids think they can conquer the world just because they can walk, so I still prefer to carry them in a carrier and hold their hand. Mommy feels more at ease that way.

I must be the same species as dogs—let’s go!! Thankfully I was holding the leash the whole time; they kept chasing after big dogs.

Standard airlines: Adults 20–30KG / Children 10KG.

Low-cost airlines (buy extra yourself): Usually starts at 15KG, and prices vary by airline. Some charge 500 TWD for 5 extra KG, others 250 TWD for 5KG, so check carefully.

If adding weight isn’t cost-effective, split the weight among travelers—for example, 20KG each for a total of 40KG.

If adding weight is worth it, get one person up to 40KG and don’t add for the other.

Remember, when traveling abroad, don’t try to pack everything “just in case.” The simpler and lighter, the better.

I once saw a family of four—a couple and two young kids—departing for Europe with three fully packed suitcases. It was a free independent travel trip, and they had to take the subway with three suitcases and a stroller. Luckily, one kid was older and could help carry stuff, but I think it was a great experience and memory for them.

Only bring the luggage you need, or use a suitcase-in-a-suitcase setup so you have an extra empty suitcase for shopping. Because how can you travel abroad without buying souvenirs? Haha~

So remember to take your little one for a full check-up before departure and ask the doctor to prescribe some just-in-case medications, such as for high fever, common colds, and diarrhea… etc.

Mom, I’ll bring some heat patches, an ear thermometer, mosquito repellent, wound ointment, and band-aids!!

I actually ran into this kind of situation myself—on the fifth day of our trip to Germany, oh my goodness~!! And it was roseola—how could it be so coincidental!! I’ll share with all the moms later how I managed to handle Bunny Girl’s case~!!

PS. Remember to confirm whether you need a visa (apply in advance, please).

If it's a visa on arrival, be sure to prepare a passport photo and cash!!

(Bring a pen: for filling out visa-on-arrival forms or white cards—best to have your own pen and not rely on others.)

Phew~ So there are so many things to keep in mind when traveling abroad with kids, my hands are sore from typing!! If there’s anything I missed, moms are welcome to share with me too!! Kneeling Mom hopes every mommy has a joyful and happy trip!!