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After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. Here’s how to get here and where we stayed (save + share this post):

1. You can take the Shinkansen (bullet) train from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station if you have the JR Pass and it will only take you 15 minutes. If you don’t have a JR Pass the Shinkansen ticket costs about 1,420 yen (right now that’s about $11). 

2. If you don’t have the JR Pass you can take the Hankyu Kyoto Line or Keihan Main Line. These are regular non express trains and will increase your travel time to from 15 minutes to 45-55 minutes but they only cost 400 yen (about $3) so you can save money, especially for a large group.

3. There is also a bus that leaves picks up at Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, Universal Studios Japan and Namba and goes to Kyoto Station. I’m not sure of the costs.

4. If you flew into Osaka you can also take the Haruka Express train from the airport to Kyoto Station. 

In Kyoto we stayed at The Chaper Kyoto which is a Marriott property. The rooms are on the small side but the hotel is clean and modern. There is a bus stop down the block which we could take to get to Gion in 9 minutes. The room was about $240/night since it’s busy season.

The weather this time of year is pretty sporadic. Some days it was hot and sunny and some days cool and gloomy so definitely pack a variety of attire and bring some layers and the weather changes throughout the day. Will be sharing our itinerary soon.

Have you been to Kyoto? If you have other accommodation recommendations please share them below to help others!

📍Fushimi Inari Taisha
Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal St Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan? You need to know this (save + share this post):

1. Just because you have tickets to the park doesn’t mean you’ll get into Super Nintendo World, it requires a timed entry ticket. These do run out so it’s not a guarantee you’ll be able to enter! If you get your park tickets in advance you might be able to grab an advanced booking in the app but if these are all gone by time you get your tickets you’ll need an area timed entry ticket. These are only available the day you’re visiting & you can only attempt to get it once you’re actually in the park! We got to the park when they opened at 8am & there were only two entry times left so arrive early! You can get them on the app (you must grant the app permission to see your location so they know you’re inside) or you can go to one of the ticket kiosks.

2. To really enjoy you’ll need a power band which are sold for about $35. If you don’t have one you can walk around & go on the 2 rides but you can’t play the games & collect coins.

3. The wait times for both rides are usually 1-3 hours! To avoid this you can purchase an Express Pass (most people said this reduces wait times to a mere 15 minutes). Express Passes were sold out the day we went so we only got to ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge but not Yoshi’s Adventure. To avoid the 2 hour wait for Mario Kart we actually went through the singles line. We did end up in two different karts but we only waited 20 minutes to ride instead of 2 hours. Yo Shi’a Adventure doesn’t have a singles line or we would have done that too!

4. If you want to eat at Kinopio’s Cafe you also need a timed entry ticket so be sure to grab this as soon as you get inside Super Nintendo World. It’s usually a 1-2 hour wait once you get your timed entry ticket.

5. Once you leave you cannot reenter (if timed entry tickets are required at the time) so be sure to do everything you want before leaving.

Universal Studio Japan is extremely popular & tickets do sell out often so buy in advance. The most popular sites to buy them are Klook (where we bought ours) & KKDay.

Hope this helps! Who has Super Nintendo World on their list?
How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this post):

1. Kicked off the day trying soufflé pancakes, you’ll find restaurants all over the city that sell these. We personally had them at Belle-ville Pancakes.

2. Visit the Cup of Noodles Museum where you can make your own Cup of Noodles logo and then customize the flavor and toppings for your noodles. They also offer a ramen making class here in addition to the museum where you can learn the history of the company.

3. If you’re visiting in March check to see if the March Sumo Wrestling Tournament is taking place at Edion Arena Osaka. If so def try to get tickets in advance (they go on sale a month prior) or arrive early to get same day tickets. It’s a fun afternoon.

4. We also did a Tea Ceremony class but photos/videos weren’t allowed.

5. End the first day getting cheesecake at the infamous Rikuro’s for their jiggly Cheesecake.

6. The other day spend at Universal Studios Japan for thrilling rides, shows and to relive your childhood at Super Nintendo World.

Where to stay in Osaka? The W Osaka is gorgeous but a little pricey and the Fairfield by Marriott is more budget friendly with nice, modern clean rooms just less amenities and smaller rooms (will post stories of both so you can see).

How to get to Osaka from Tokyo: We took the Shinkansen bullet train which takes 3 hours but is such an experience as it goes up to 199mph. Be sure to sit of the right side of the train for views of Mt. Fuji. You can also take a quick flight!

Other things to do in Osaka we didn’t travel time for:

1. Visit the Osaka Castle

2. Go to the top of the Umeda Sky Building

3. Go out in the Dotonbori

4. Walk around Kuromon Market

5. Watch a show at the National Bunraku Theater

6. Explore the Sumiyoshi Shrine

Which activity would you most want to do? If you’ve been to Osaka before what other recommendations do you have?

#osakajapan #travellingwithkids #cupofnoodles #universalstudiosjapan
6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAV 6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Link your Lyft and Skymiles accounts to earn 1 mile per $1 on US rides and 2miles per $1 on airport rides.

2. When booking Airbnb stays go to delta.com/Airbnb instead and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on airbnbs.

3. Order groceries online with instacart? Go to instacart.com/delta to link your accounts and earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent. If you’re new to instacart you can also get 3 months free.

4. Link your Starbucks account with your Skymiles account at delta Starbucks.com and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent at Starbucks. Plus on days your flying with Delta, you’ll earn DOUBLE stars at Starbucks.

5. Sign up for SkyMiles dining at  Skymilesdining.com and is link your credit or debit card. Every time you use your card at a participating bar or restaurant, you’ll earn between 1-5 miles per $1 spent.

6. And nope you don’t have to use a Delta credit card to get miles for any of the above, no matter how you pay you’ll earn BUT is you do pay for them with a Delta co-branded credit card (there are several and depending on which one you have) you can earn anywhere from a additional 1-5 miles per dollar spent on purchases, even if they aren’t Delta airline tickets.

The cash price for the flight we took to Tokyo was $2,600pp so it would have cost me over $5,000 for this since it’s peak travel to Japan (never in my life would I pay that, we would have went somewhere else). Instead I only paid $118 total by using all of these ways to earn Delta miles over the past few years which gave me enough miles to redeem even though we don’t get to fly Delta on a regular since they don’t have the strongest presence at MIA airport as it’s American’s hub.

Do you use travel credit cards and/or points and miles from loyalty programs to offset the cost of travel? If so what are your favorite ones? Let’s all travel for less!
Konnichiwa from Japan! So excited to be spending s Konnichiwa from Japan! So excited to be spending spring break here with Jordyn on our annual mommy and me trip. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Japan right now (save + share this post):

1. US passport holders don’t need a visa to enter Japan for stays under 90 days but if you hold a different passport you may, so definitely check as passport holders from only 68 countries can visit visa free! 

2. Japan still has panini restrictions. Adults must have 3 doses or provide results of a (-) test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Children 6-18 are exempt if the accompanying adult has 3 doses or they have 3 doses themselves. If the accompanying adult doesn’t they too require - test results. Children under 6 are exempt from all requirements.

3. While Narita airport is well known, Haneda is actually the closet airport to Tokyo.

4. Everyone regardless of age needs to fill out a the questionnaire on Visit Japan Web (https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/). It is used for Immigration and Customs declaration procedures and will speed up your process on arrival to the airport in Japan.

5. Japan uses the Japanese Yen and the current exchange rate is $1 to ¥132 but this fluctuates so be sure to always check current exchange rates. Credit cards are widely accepted including AMEX but always travel with a Visa or Mastercard as a back up in addition to cash.

6. The train system in Japan is extremely functional and the main mode of transportation even to get in between cities. You have to ride the bullet train (Shinkansen) at least once while here! Walking is also popular and Ubers are available.

7. The rainy season is officially June-Mid July and very humid while spring and fall are the most popular times to visit. When visiting in March and April especially since it’s Cherry Blossom season expect lots of crowds and be prepared to book hotels well in advance.

I first visited Japan in 2015 and so excited to see how it’s changed since then and do some things I didn’t do before. We’ll be visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. If you have any recommendations especially on the best places for ramen and mochi ice cream please let us know!

Have you been to Japan?
When I tell you the #GalaxyS23 Ultra has it all an When I tell you the #GalaxyS23 Ultra has it all and I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the features this phone has. Can’t wait to share more but I promise you don’t want to miss out on these amazing features. 

Tap the link in my bio to learn more about the Galaxy S23 Ultra and consider switching to @SamsungMobileUSA! 

#SamsungPartner #TeamGalaxy #WithGalaxy
3 Ways to Get Good Pictures of Your Kids (save and 3 Ways to Get Good Pictures of Your Kids (save and share this post)!

Because spring break, Easter and graduations is coming up I’m resharing my tried and true tips of taking good photos of your kids.

Have you tried these? What trips do you have coming up that you can test these out on?

#phototips #travellingwithkids

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6 Tips for Traveling With Breast Milk Without Your Baby

October 5, 2016      Tips on Traveling with Kids, Trip Planning Tips

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.

Breastfeeding and traveling without your baby? What’s the best travel breast pump, how to pump on the plane, what’s best cooler for traveling with breast milk, how to fly with breast milk and how get your breast milk through TSA? I cover it all in these 6 tips for traveling with breast milk without your baby.

Traveling with Breast Milk: Where to Pump at the Airport

If you’re traveling with breast milk without your baby you’ll probably need to pump at the airport. Some airports now have nursing pods made by Mamava. They are private, clean, and have outlets so you can plug in your electric pump. In addition to airports they have a few locations at stadiums, malls, and hospitals. Find locations here or download the Mamava Lactation Suite Locator from iTunes. Check out these other apps that help make travel easy.

nursing pod in the airport

inside of a nursing pod

Disclosure: “Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support, it’s much appreciated.”

You may be interested in reading: Is My Baby Too Young to Fly?

The Best Travel Breast Pump

For traveling I always pack my single pump as it’s easy to travel with. It also makes pumping on the plane and in cars a breeze. On my first trips without my eldest daughter I used the Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump to pump on the plane in my seat. It’s a manual and very quiet which I liked, however it was hard on my hands. As my breast pumping journey continued I discovered the Evenflo Single Electric Breast Pump. I think it’s the best travel breast pump as it can be used with batteries or being plugged in. Either way you save your arms, that manual pump is a work out!! It is louder since it’s electric but the results are great and you can use it anywhere. I have also heard good things about this Medela travel breast pump but haven’t personally used it.

The Best Travel Breast Pump (1)

How to Use a Breast Pump on a Plane

So how did I pump on the plane? On my first flight I was lucky enough to be sitting at the window seat. My husband sat next to me and I used a jacket to cover myself. Unfortunately I wasn’t always lucky enough to get a window seat and I didn’t always travel with my husband. I have pumped on the plane with a stranger sitting next to me and they never noticed, or at least they didn’t give me any dirty looks.


 

Traveling with Breast Milk: How to Store Your Milk on the Plane or Long Car Ride

When traveling with breast milk I bring a cooler to store milk in and bring two gallon-sized zip-loc bags. After I’ve passed security I ask a restaurant to fill up my bags with ice. If it’s a long flight sometimes I will ask the flight attendants to refill my bags if the ice melted. If you have freezer packs you can use those as well. Just test them out first to see how long they will stay cool. When on road trips you can stop at a gas station or fast food restaurants for ice if your cooler packs get warm. The best cooler for traveling with breastmilk is a soft cooler.


Traveling with Breast Milk: How to ​Store Your Breast Milk at a Hotel

If you don’t see that your room comes with a mini fridge call the hotel to confirm. If it doesn’t come with one let them know you will be pumping and need somewhere to store your milk. This is what I did when my husband and I traveled to The Bahamas. Most hotels have mini fridges they can put in your room even if it doesn’t normally come with one. This was the case for me when staying at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.  The hotel even gave extended check out for free so I could use the fridge until I was headed to the airport.

If your room doesn’t come with a fridge and they can’t provide one ask the hotel to store your milk in their fridge/freezer. I had to do this while staying at a hotel in Cancun. I pumped my milk into storage bags and put them in a gallon sized zip-loc bag with my name on it. Room service came each day to pick the milk up and store it until I was checking out.

You may be interested in reading: 8 Tips on Traveling with Babies

How to Clean Your Pumping Supplies on the Plane, in the Car or at a Hotel

After using my travel breast pump I clean it with either the Medela Quick Clean Wipes or the Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags. The quick clean wipes are best used for cleaning your travel breast pump on the plane as you just wipe them down. You need a microwave and water to use the Quick Clean Bags so they are best used at a hotel. Each bag can be used 20 times.  There are 20 boxes on the back of the bag you can check off to easily keep track. For one day’s use you can put your pumping supplies in the fridge in between pumps. However, it’s best to clean them after one full days use or after each use if you don’t have access to a fridge.


 

Traveling with Breast Milk: How to Get Through TSA

Prepare Your Breast Milk for Easy Inspection

When traveling with breast milk it’s important to know breast milk is allowed in all quantities and does not have to follow the general TSA rule of 3oz or less for your carry-on. Do let the TSA screening agent know that you are traveling with breast milk. Have your milk separated from the rest of your liquids so it can be easily screened. Be prepared for the TSA agent to do additional screening on your milk. They will put it in a testing machine but they should not open it!

In my experience with traveling with breast milk TSA usually only tests 1 bottle or storage bag even if you have multiple bags. Since so many people do not follow the 3oz liquid rule the line for additional screening can be long. Be sure to get to the airport with at least an additional 30mins when traveling with breast milk. Ice packs, freezer packs, or frozen gel packs are also allowed in your carry on or cooler but if they are only partially frozen or slushy they may also be put through additional screening.

What to Do if  You Encounter a Problem

I have never had an issue traveling with breast milk throughout the U.S. but did when traveling home from Cancun. The TSA agent said I wasn’t allowed to travel with breast milk without my baby. Ummmm hello, I have all this breast milk because I don’t have my baby! If this happens to you stay calm and ask to speak with a supervisor.

Carry a printed copy of the TSA rules directly from their website in the event you encounter any issues with the supervisor or one is not available. If you are still having issues have them call a representative from the ticket counter of the airline you are flying to intervene. I have never had to go this far in the two years I have been traveling with breast milk.

Did you find this article helpful? Please share it and help another mom find the best travel breast pump and be prepared for traveling with breast milk.

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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Comments

  1. Allison says

    October 18, 2016 at 6:33 am

    Very informative ! Thanks

    • rush essay says

      April 11, 2017 at 11:34 pm

      I love all of it! I love the different information and how they are all explained in the post. I will see if there are other post that may have a similarity in this post or if there are any blogs that have the same goal and that is to inform the different types of people to have a safe trip with their kids. I wish that it will help those people that are in need of this post. This can make their trip more fun and memorable in their hearts and minds.

  2. Gillian says

    May 22, 2017 at 12:30 am

    Great article and thanks for the tips. I’ll be travelling across the country (it’ll be 9 hours of flights/layovers) and will spend 4 days and 3 nights away from my little one who will be 7-months old by then. It’ll be my first time being away from her for more than 12 hrs!! What size cooler would you recommend I travel with? I’m thinking to bring the smaller Medela one that came with my pump for the flight but after so many days of pumping I’ll need something larger. Also, would you recommend taping the cooler shut and packing it in my checked luggage at the end of the trip or its best to carry it on?

    • Monet says

      May 31, 2017 at 11:44 am

      Gillian,
      So sorry for the delayed response as we were traveling. Thank you, so happy you find it helpful! I’m not sure how much you will be producing then but I still think the small cooler that comes with the Medela will be too small for 24hrs of pumping for 4 days. I personally wouldn’t check my milk, airlines lose so many things my milk is not something I would chance. I typically freeze all my milk and that helps it to stay cool and then after passing security I fill ziploc bags with ice and lay on the bottom and top of my cooler and the milk stays frozen since there would be so much of it. I have a friend who just traveled for her anniversary for a week and she used dry ice. As far as the size of cooler I would maybe buy a few sizes and if you have a freezer stash now pack the amount you think you would pump during that time into the different sizes to see what works best. If you don’t already be sure to freeze them flat with no air in the bag as it allows for more to fit. Hope this helps!

  3. Tish says

    February 4, 2018 at 9:36 pm

    I just came back from Cancun and my experience pumping and storing my milk was very easy and effortless! TSA seemed to know the drill and i had no problems getting through. I bought a soft backpack cooler to hold my milk while out on excursions and while traveling on the plane. Also my manual pump became my best friend. I also plugged my electric pump up in the airport and just put my breast-feeding cover that I use to cover my baby over me while I pumped.

  4. Lathyra says

    May 30, 2018 at 12:54 am

    Thank you so much. This was truly helpful!

    • Monet says

      May 30, 2018 at 8:00 am

      You’re very welcome Lathyra!

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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