We've now taken our son Jackson out of the country 7 times: Turks & Caicos when he was 1, Dominican Republic when he was 2, Aruba when he was 3, Greece and Bahamas at 4, and Bonaire and Japan at 5. Every trip, our packing list got a little shorter and a lot smarter.
This is the international packing list we actually use now. It covers the bags we love, how we stay organized, what goes in Jackson's plane bag, and the handful of things we won't leave home without. Here is (almost) everything we've used on our own trips.
Heading to Japan? We also have a full list from our carry-on-only trip in What We Packed for Japan (Family of 3, 14 Days, Carry-On Only).
Planning a beach trip? What to Pack for Bonaire With Kids: Our Family Packing List.
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Jackson usually calls dibs on the window seat.
Our 5 Can't-Leave-Home Items
Our Best Packing Tips for Families
Before we get to the gear, here's what has made the biggest difference for us, no matter where we're going.
Pack mix-and-match pieces. When every top goes with every bottom, a few pieces turn into a lot of outfits.
Use accessories to change up the look. Kristy's trick for making the same few outfits feel different is a couple of lightweight necklaces. They take up almost no room and make an outfit feel brand new in your photos.
Bring a packable backpack or tote. It folds down to almost nothing and becomes your day bag, beach bag, or souvenir bag once you arrive.
The fewer bags, the better. Every extra bag is one more thing to keep track of while you're also holding a little hand in a busy airport.
Give each person their own color of packing cubes. Everyone knows which cubes are theirs, and nobody digs through the whole bag looking for socks.
Limit shoes to the useful ones. Shoes take up the most space, so only pack pairs you'll actually wear a lot.
Plan on laundry for long trips. It means you can pack a lot less. On our two-week Japan trip, we did laundry once.
Don't forget the comfort item. A favorite stuffed animal or blanket makes a new hotel room feel like home.
Keep toys small and minimal. A book, a small notebook, and crayons barely take up room. Honestly, our son would rather watch movies on the plane, so ours mostly stay in the bag, but plenty of kids love them.
KRISTY'S OUTFIT-CHANGING NECKLACES
Colorful beaded heart necklace→ Beige chunky heart necklace→ Initial scarf necklace→Checked Bag or Carry-On?
We've checked a bag on every international trip except Japan. For Aruba and Bonaire, we wanted our own snorkel gear, and fins and masks for three people just don't fit in a carry-on. Before Japan, we also packed a travel play yard in our checked bag for Jackson to sleep in. Most hotels will bring a crib if you ask, but in our experience, sticking with what our kid is used to works better for everyone.
Japan was our first carry-on-only trip, and it worked because we used luggage forwarding to send our bags between cities. You can read exactly how in Luggage Forwarding in Japan With Kids. We loved traveling that light, and we're hoping to do carry-on only on more trips.
Our favorite bag by far is the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L. It's durable, fits a surprising amount, and is comfortable to carry. Our favorite part is that it opens like a suitcase (clamshell style) instead of from the top like a regular backpack, so you can see everything without digging.
We also love our expandable carry-on travel backpack. It’s usually Matt’s main bag, and it opens clamshell style just like the Cotopaxi. It doesn’t hold quite as much (which is exactly why it’s Matt’s bag and not Kristy’s), but for the price, it has been awesome.
Usually, everyone carries their own bag, including Jackson with his own kids' backpack. It keeps our hands free for everything else.
Read More: What We Packed for Japan (Family of 3, 14 Days, Carry-On Only)
Read More: What to Pack for Bonaire With Kids: Our Family Packing List
Matt with his expandable carry-on travel backpack.
Packing Cubes and Organizers: How We Stay Organized
Compression packing cubes keep everything organized and squeeze out extra space. There are a few ways to use them, and we've tried them all:
By person: one color per family member. This is our favorite.
By day: one cube for each day's outfits, which is great for short trips or a quick overnight stop.
By item: tops in one cube, bottoms in another, underwear and socks in a third.
An electronics organizer keeps every charger and cord in one place, so nothing gets left in a hotel outlet. Clear zip organizers hold the rest of the small stuff, and we put an AirTag in our checked bags so we always know where they are.
SHOP OUR PACKING FAVORITES
Colorful compression cubes (a color for each person)→ Daily packing cubes (one cube per day)→ Compression packing cubes→ Electronics organizer for chargers and cords→ Clear zip organizers for small items→ Kristy's go-to toiletry bag→ AirTag for checked bags→ AirTag luggage holder→ Luggage locks→Our Can't-Travel-Without Item: A Portable Sound Machine
If we could only bring one thing on this list, it would be our portable sound machine. Jackson uses one at home, and keeping bedtime as normal as possible makes a huge difference when everything else is new.
It also blocks out the noise you can't control: neighbors in the next room, the hallway, the street outside. When the whole family sleeps well, the whole trip goes better.
It also comes in handy for naps during layovers between flights!
OUR #1 TRAVEL ITEM
Portable sound machine for better sleep anywhere→Staying Healthy on the Trip
Getting sick can derail a trip fast, so we use hand sanitizer religiously. There's a travel-size bottle in every bag, plus wipes for airplane trays and sticky hands.
A habit we picked up in Japan: gargling with mouthwash. It's an everyday habit there, and we've kept it up on every trip since. It keeps us feeling fresh on long travel days, and we think it helps cut down on getting sick, too. Travel-size mouthwash makes it easy.
We also pack a travel medication organizer, so everyday medicines and the just-in-case ones stay sorted and easy to find, plus a small first aid kit for the bumps and scrapes that always seem to happen. Before you go, check your destination’s rules on bringing medications into the country. Japan restricts some common medications, even with a prescription.
How We Handle Long Flights With a Kid
Our biggest tip for long flights: fly overnight. Jackson sleeps for most of the flight, which makes it easier on everyone.
To make that work, we keep his schedule as normal as possible right up until the flight. Then we treat the plane like bedtime: pajamas on, comfort item in hand, lights down.
An eye mask helps him stay asleep. It’s a lifesaver when a neighbor opens their window shade at 2 a.m. and the sun is up, or when the cabin lights come on for a 4 a.m. meal service.
We’d love to recommend a neck pillow, but we haven’t found one that works for any of us. If you have one you love, tell us! Jackson usually ends up asleep with his head in one of our laps anyway.
Jackson is a big movie guy, so his tablet comes on every trip. You don’t always know ahead of time whether your flight has seatback screens, so the tablet is our backup plan. On our flights to Japan, he never touched it because the seatback screens had plenty of movies. On a long flight without screens, though, it’s nice to have. Download a few shows before you leave so you’re not relying on plane Wi-Fi.
One more thing that always goes in our plane bag: a travel sick bag or two. Don’t ask how we know, but we never fly without them now.
For activities, we bring one or two of these, depending on the trip and how much room we have. These are the ones Jackson has actually used:
A travel sticker book. It keeps little hands busy for a long time, with no mess.
A find-it book. Something new to search for on every page.
Magnetic figures. We take them out of their container and tuck them in a small pocket of his bag, so they barely take up room.
UNO cards. A game the whole family enjoys. It comes camping with us, too.
Triangle crayons. They don’t roll off the tray table.
For everything else in Jackson’s carry-on, including what he used and what never left the bag, see our full list: Kids' Carry-On Essentials: Our Pack-Light List for Long Flights.
For sleeping and screens
Kids' sleep eye mask for overnight flights → Kids' headphones for the plane → iPad (our backup when there's no seatback screen) → Protective iPad cover → Travel sick bags (just in case) →Activities he actually uses
Travel sticker book → Find-it book for the plane → Magnetic figures (pocket-sized fun) → UNO cards for the whole family → Triangle crayons that won't roll away →
Peace of Mind in Crowds
Kristy will be the first to tell you she's a nervous mom. Busy airports, train stations, and crowded markets are a lot with a little one. Jackson wears an ID bracelet with our contact information, and it gives us real peace of mind.
For another layer of reassurance, an AirTag bracelet lets you see where your little one is right on your phone.
SHOP KIDS' TRAVEL SAFETY GEAR
Kids' ID bracelets→ AirTag bracelet for kids→ AirTag→ AirTag holder for his backpack→Shoes for 10,000+ Steps a Day
On most trips abroad, we walk at least 10,000 steps a day, and often a lot more. Comfortable sneakers are a must for all three of us, and every pair below held up great.
One thing we've learned: skip sandals for city trips. They're fine for the Caribbean, but anywhere you'll walk all day, sneakers win.
Headed to the Caribbean? Pack a pair of pool shoes for the pool deck and beach, so you’re not wearing sneakers everywhere. We also bring water shoes for rocky entries, like most of Bonaire’s “beaches,” which are more rock than sand. Bonus: our pool shoes double as shower shoes on camping trips with shared showers.
Read More: How Much Do You Walk in Japan? Our Real Step Counts From 14 Days With a 5-Year-Old
Small Things That Make a Big Difference
A travel adapter. Outlets vary by country. We needed one in Greece and Bonaire, but Japan and most of the Caribbean use U.S.-style plugs, so check your destination before you go.
Reusable water bottles. One for each of us, refilled all day.
A lightweight travel shawl. Kristy bought hers for Japan, and now it comes on every trip. It's perfect on the plane and in chilly, air-conditioned restaurants, even in warm places, and it takes up almost no space.
A small wallet for cards and coins. Especially handy in Japan, where you’ll end up with lots of yen coins. Ours fit right in our passport bag, which kept all the essentials together.
Mosquito spray for warm-weather destinations.
A passport bag. In Japan, visitors are required to carry their passport at all times, so we each wore a Béis sport sling and loved it. For trips where we don’t need passports on us every day, a family passport holder that keeps all three together is on our list for next time.
Sunscreen that follows local rules. Check your destination before you buy. Some places, including Aruba and Bonaire, ban sunscreens with certain chemicals like oxybenzone to protect their reefs. We use a mineral sunscreen.
ackson wearing Kristy’s travel shawl, with Kristy’s passport bag and the packable backpack we now take everywhere.
Gluten-Free Travel Snacks We Always Pack
Two of us eat gluten-free (Jackson doesn't), and finding food we can eat isn't always easy in a new country. So we never travel without a stash of snacks we trust.
GoMacro bars, in both full size and minis
Chomps beef sticks for Kristy and Chomps turkey sticks for Matt
Fruit bars
Applesauce pouches. Kristy always keeps these with her for when her blood sugar starts to drop and there's nothing nearby she can eat.
Gluten-free cheese crackers
We're not celiac, so always check labels for your own needs. For more help eating out, grab our free gluten-free dining card, and see every restaurant we tried in Gluten-Free Bonaire: Every Restaurant We Ate At.
What We've Stopped Packing
A few things kept coming home unused, so they don't make the list anymore:
A hair straightener. It was humid almost everywhere we went, and there was no time (or need) for it. Cute hair clips are where it’s at!
Jean shorts. They take up too much space and don't dry fast enough when you do laundry on the road.
Sandals and “cute” shoes for city trips. Unless we're headed to the Caribbean, we walk too much for them.
WHAT I PACK INSTEAD
Cute hair clips for humid days→Beach and Snorkel Trip Add-Ons
For Aruba and Bonaire, we checked a bag just for snorkel gear. Jackson snorkeled at every stop in Bonaire with a wetsuit (he gets cold easily), a kids' swim vest, and a bright swim buoy tied to him so we could always spot him and keep him close.
Headed to Greece!
Our Quick Family Packing Checklist
Screenshot this one for your next trip.
Bags: one main bag per person, a kids' backpack, a packable daypack or tote
Organization: packing cubes (a color for each person), electronics organizer, clear organizers, AirTags, luggage locks
Sleep: portable sound machine, comfort item, pajamas for the plane
Plane bag: headphones, comfort item, eye mask, a tablet with downloaded shows (in case there’s no seatback screen), a small activity or two, water bottle, snacks, sick bags
Health: hand sanitizer, travel mouthwash, medication organizer, wipes, toilet seat covers, small first aid kit
Clothes: mix-and-match outfits, a necklace or two, a light layer or shawl, two comfortable pairs of shoes each
Extras: travel adapter, water bottles, coin wallet, sunscreen that follows local rules, mosquito spray, pool or water shoes for beach trips
Documents: passports, ID bracelet for your kid, copies of bookings
He was under 2 here, so he flew as a lap infant. Pajamas and comfort items like his sleep suit help him sleep on the plane.
Packing for International Travel With Kids: FAQ
Can you travel carry-on only with a kid?
Yes. We spent two weeks in Japan carry-on only with our 5-year-old, using luggage forwarding between cities. For beach trips where we bring our own snorkel gear, we check one bag.
How many outfits should I pack for a kid on an international trip?
Fewer than you think. Pack mix-and-match pieces, and plan to do laundry on trips longer than a week. It saves a lot of space.
What should a kid have in their carry-on for a long flight?
Less than you think. Headphones, a comfort item, snacks, a sick bag or two, and pajamas for overnight flights cover most of it. Add a tablet with downloaded shows if you are not sure there will be a seatback screen.
What's the one thing you'd never travel without?
Our portable sound machine. It keeps bedtime normal for Jackson and blocks out hotel noise for all of us.
Want to See Everything We Use?
From our walking shoes to the sound machine we never travel without, it's all in one place.
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