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#EddieBauerPartner Can’t go on an outdoor advent #EddieBauerPartner Can’t go on an outdoor adventure without packing some of @eddiebauer’s warm weather apparel. It has been perfect for our spring and summer outdoor adventures from hiking to kayaking and all the other ways we’ve been sending time outside. Where will you #LiveYourAdventure? 

#EBContributor
Since IG hates on photos gotta get them in how I c Since IG hates on photos gotta get them in how I can! Honestly sunset in the lavender fields is everything, probably one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever witnessed. I don’t have much information to give today I really just wanted to share these photos 😬.

Check out my last 3 reels with @oneikatraveller for information on experiencing lavender season in Provence, France. These photos are from a lavender field in Valensole.

P.S. the skirt is from Amazon and they have multiple colors!

#valensole #valensoleprovence #lavenderfields
Things to do in Provence, France 🇫🇷 besides Things to do in Provence, France 🇫🇷 besides the lavender fields (save + share this post):

🇫🇷Go village hopping and take in the small towns. The first clip of this video was shot in the village of Roussillon and we also visited nearby Gordes.
🇫🇷Explore the ancient town of Saint Paul de Vence
🇫🇷Hike the beautiful Calanques de Cassis
🇫🇷Relax at the beaches of Grande Plage of La Ciotat and the Grande Mer beach of Cassis
🇫🇷Visit Gorges du Verdon, a gorgeous must see lake
🇫🇷Go wine tasting at one of the vineyards like Les Vignerons du Mont Saint-Victoire. Provence is known for their Rosé but you can also taste sweet and spicy wines.
🇫🇷Explore a multitude of ancient ruins, including Roman amphitheaters.
🇫🇷Take a tour of one of traditional perfume factories, Parfumerie Fragonard, Molinard or Parfumerie Galimard and do a workshop where you make your own perfume
🇫🇷Visit the Pope's Palace in Avignon
🇫🇷As you’ll most likely fly into Marseille don’t forget to leave time to explore this city as well, especially the port.

Have you been to Provence? What did you enjoy about the region?

Follow @thetravelingchild and @oneikatraveller for more tips.

#provence #blacktravelfeed
Everything you need to know about visiting the Lav Everything you need to know about visiting the Lavender fields in Provence, France (save + share this post):

Lavender season varies each year but falls between June and August.

Provence is the region but there are various cities with fields. Valensole is the most popular and where the fields we visited were located but there are also fields in Sault, Manosque and Luberon. The time frame that the lavender blooms is different in each city. Our visit was July 3-5th but the bloom and harvest time could change next year.

The best airport to fly into is Marseille. Airlines that fly to Marseille from the US are Air France, British Airways, Swiss, Royal Air Maroc, Iberia, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa and TAP Portugal. If you’re already in Europe you can also fly Pegasus, Ryanair, Tunisair, Aeroflot, Ethiopian, Easyjet, Vueling, Eurowings and Air Algerie. 

If you’re visiting from Paris you can take the train to Marseille! 

From Marsielle you will need to take the train or bus to Valensole or Manosque as your home base. As you’ll 100% need a car to get around to all the Lavender fields you can also rent a car from Marseille and drive as finding a rental car in the smaller towns is more difficult. 

What questions do you have about the lavender fields or Provence?

Follow @oneikatraveller and @thetravelingchild for more travel tips.

#provencefrance #lavenderfields #girlstrips
My top 5 favorite international destinations I’v My top 5 favorite international destinations I’ve visited!

1. Botswana- I did an exchange program here where I lived with a family in the village of Oodi right outside Gaborone one summer in high school. It completely changed the way I view travel. Besides getting to learn so much of the countries culture from my host family to learning a bit of Setswana to camping in the Okavango Delta it will always be one of my favorite trips.

2. Turkey- from the people to the food to the landscape to the sea it was everything. I visited Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Izmir and the country has so much to offer with varying landscapes. 

3. Rio de Janeiro- We loved our family trip to Brazil, the food, the people, the vibrance of Rio was everything. So many beautiful hikes, learning how to dance Samba, learning how to make Moqueca, going to a futbol match in Maracana Stadium, wow the energy!! Oh and the nightlife was 🔥. Can’t wait to return and explore more of the country.

4. Kenya- This country has so much to offer. We visited Amboseli National Park, got to do a walking safari amongst zebras and giraffes in Lake Naivasha and even ran into a hippo 😅. We visited a Maasai Tribe who gave us such a warm welcome inviting us into their homes, teaching the girls how to make fire from scratch and we even say 5 cheetah take down a topi, seeing a live kill was insane! Ended the trip relaxing on Diani Beach swimming in the stunning Indian Ocean.

5. Madeira, Portugal- the landscape on this island is insane. Exploring I often felt like I was in 20 different places, like how is all in one island? Loved the hikes here, being above the clouds, seeing all the waterfalls, spotting dolphins in the ocean, and the food was so good! I also enjoyed Lisbon but Madeira was everything!

What have been your favorite international trips? What country is highest on your bucket list (doesn’t have to be from my list)?

Should I make a list for my favorite US destinations (they’ll probably surprise you).

#madeiraportugal #travelreels
Answering the most asked question on my vacuum sea Answering the most asked question on my vacuum sealed carry-on only reel (save + share this post). This is how my clothes look once I take them out of the bag. Do you think these are really wrinkled? They were vacuum sealed for roughly 22 hours.

If you’re going to visit more than one city the best way to pack these is to pack each bag per city. Then all your clothes for that one city are all together and you only have to open one bag at a time. Then reseal that one bag with all your dirty clothes before going to the next city and don’t worry about the other ones getting dirty or smelling! You can label each bag with a sticky note or tape with a marker to know what bag has what clothes.

The link to purchase the bags and hand pump is my bio.

#packingtips #packinghacks #traveltipsandtricks
#WBPartner The girls are so excited to watch the n #WBPartner The girls are so excited to watch the new @wbpictures DC League of Super Pets. To prepare for our trip to the theater to see it we did a fun activity of making our own super hero costumes for us and our very own super pets. 

Jordyn turns villains into ice cream and eats them, James turns villains into money and spends them and Kennedy shoots lighting with her eyeballs. 

If you or your child could have super powers what would you pick? @dcleagueofsuperpets #DCSuperPets

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Tips for Flying With Toddlers That Will Have Prepared on Your Next Flight

September 21, 2016      Tips on Traveling with Kids

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

Does traveling to Europe with two toddlers by yourself sound crazy? Well I’ve done it twice amongst other short and long haul flights to Kenya, Cuba, and Aruba. Here are my tried and true tips for flying with toddlers! Looking for tips on flying with babies, click here.

mom sitting on the plae with her young children

Tips for Flying with Toddlers: Book the Right Flight 

Always Fly Non-stop if Possible

I know it can be a bit more costly but not having to board and de-board multiple times or dealing with a layover is usually worth the cost. Click here for tips on surviving connecting flights.

Book a Flight with a Departing Time About 30mins Before Nap or Bedtime

If your child is used to a routine and generally tired around this time, it should be easy for you to get them to sleep. If you have a shorter flight they might sleep the entire time but even if you’re on a longer one they will still be knocked out for a good majority of it.

Aisle or Window Seat When Flying with Toddlers

If you know you will have the entire row to yourself this doesn’t matter much as your child can sit on whoever’s lap, but if you don’t there’s a lot to consider. On one hand the window seat seems like a great idea, your child can look out the window and get lost in the clouds. They can rest their head against the window and they won’t be able to kick people as they walk by. On the flip side, what about when they want to use the bathroom 15 times or you have to change their diaper more than once? What if they have a lot of energy and you want to take them for a walk down the aisle. This one is all about preference, but these are important things to consider, you know your child better than anyone.

Tips for Flying with Toddlers: Getting Them and Their Stuff to the Gate

Traveling with toddlers usually means you have a lot of extra baggage. You may be traveling with a car seat, diaper bag, and more all while trying to make sure they stay near to you. If you don’t have TSA Precheck I highly recommend investing in it. We got Global Entry for free which also includes Precheck through our Delta Amex credit card.

mother pulling a car seat with her child in the airport


How to Prepare for Flying with Toddlers Before Your Flight

If you allow your child screen time download all their favorite movies, TV shows, and apps. Make sure whatever you download doesn’t require WiFi to watch or play as not all airlines have this service available and even if they do you don’t have access to it while you are waiting to take off and during the final descent. The last thing you want is to have all these things to entertain your child and find out midair you can’t access them.

Let them roam around while you are waiting to board. They are about to be cramped up for the next few hours so use this time to have them tire themselves naturally. Check to see if your terminal has a playground, many do. Here’s a video of my girls playing at the airport in Zurich before our flight.

If there isn’t a playground hopefully you have lounge access. We get access to tons of lounges through our Priority Pass membership. Thankfully is comes as a free perk through our credit card, all of these cards offer a membership. Lounges offer a comfortable space with free food, drinks, wifi, clean bathrooms and some even hav beds!

READ THIS: TIPS FOR SURVIVING LONG HAUL FLIGHTS WITH KIDS

On the flip side let them sleep if they are tired. I know you want to have them sleep on the plane as long as possible and forcing them to stay up when you see them falling asleep just 30mins before boarding seems like a good idea but let me tell you it isn’t. Toddlers act crazy when they are over exhausted and getting them to sleep at that point usually involves extreme crankiness, tantrums, and a lot of effort. That is not what you want to deal with while you are on the plane in a tight space so if they doze off before the flight boards let them, a well-rested toddler on the plane is a much better experience than an overtired one.

READ THIS: TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH THE AIRPORT WITH KIDS

Tips for Flying with Toddlers: When Should You Board Your Flight?

One of the “perks” of flying with children is that you can board early, but should you? With a non-active baby, hands down yes but with a toddler, I say no. Why? Toddlers are super active and the last thing I want is an extra 30mins on the plane with them in a cramped space.

I usually aim to be the last one on the plane, having as little time on it as possible. The potential downfall to this is a lack of overhead bin space and having to check your luggage at the gate. However, if you checked another bag, stroller or car seat at the ticket counter and have to go there any way I just see it as one less thing to carry. It could also make life easier if you have a layover.

Flying with Toddlers: What to Do on Take Off and Landing

Toddlers can still be affected by the changing pressures during landing and take off. Have them chew ice, drink water, or eat something during this time to prevent their ears from popping.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

What to Do During Your Flight When Flying with Toddlers

Distractions are the name of the game at this age! I recommend a different toy/ activity for every 30mins to 1hr. Bring a few of their favorite toys, coloring book, reading books, and flashcards. I have found that buying some cheap new toys (hello $1 store) holds their attention a little longer since they have to figure it out. To make the excitement of these last even longer, wrap them if you have time. Why do toddlers get so excited by unwrapping things?


Get up and walk around! Toddlers love waving and saying hi to everyone they see. If you see them begin to get antsy take a few laps up and down the aisle. Be prepared with food including many snacks for the flight. Have the snacks separated into single serving size snack bags and keep them easily accessible.

One time I made the mistake of having my daughters snacks in the overhead bin. While we were taking off she had a meltdown because she really wanted a snack but I couldn’t stand up to get them.  If your child is under 2 and is a lap child they will not receive a meal on an international flight. Be sure to have a proper meal packed for them or you’ll end up sharing yours.

If you allow your child screen time, this is the time to whip out the tablet of your choice. I highly recommend the Kindle Fire Kids Edition Tablet that comes with a protective case. It ranges from $99.99-$119.99 depending on the memory size. One year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is included.


Flying With Toddlers: How to Let Your Child Sleep Comfortably

I was so happy when we discovered Fly LegsUp, which is a flight hammock that allows her to lay flat and sleep comfortably in her own seat. Use promo code FLY CHILD to save 5% on your purchase. There are also many other options for in flight beds for kids to make sleeping on the plane easier.

little girl sleeping on the plane


I hope you now feel prepared for flying with toddlers. Found this article helpful? Please share it!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christine says

    June 27, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    Very helpful thank you !

  2. Charisse says

    January 2, 2018 at 4:30 pm

    Very helpful indeed!! Thank you.

    • Monet says

      January 8, 2018 at 2:54 pm

      You’re welcome, glad you found it helpful!

  3. Sathya says

    July 11, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    My daughter is 2.5yrs and this is her first time international travel. This is very helpful, thank you!!

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Hey, I’m Monet!

Hey, I’m Monet!

A full time working woman, wife and mama of two. I use every last one of my vacation days traveling with my kids, hubby, friends or solo. Join me as I share my travel experiences and tips to make travel affordable and easier with the little ones. You can read more about me here.

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