We took our first trip as a family of three to Greece this past summer with our almost two-year old; swinging big out of the gate! Sienna had never been on a plane before, let alone an overnight flight for 9 hours. She’d only been on short local getaways and those did not go so well, in the sense that she did not sleep (she’s not the best sleeper).

The last time Vito and I travelled, it was just us and my anxiety (lol). We were used to deciding on the fly what to do and relaxing on the beach for hours. While I am grateful we went, traveling with a toddler is a very different experience. I’ve heard others reframe the word “vacation” to “trip” or “relocation.” If you’re brave and fortunate enough to consider a big or small trip with your little(s), I hope my over researching and lived experience makes your journey smoother.

Lessons Learned: European Itinerary Edition

1. Front load time at your first destination in case of up front illness – Sienna got a fever on day 1 and we were flying two days later. Then I got sick for a few days, so we didn’t really see Naxos island much, which was our trip highlight
2. Mentally prepare for jet lag and how to handle long night wakings the first few nights (we had grandparents step in)
3. Consider a time of year when daylight hours are longer to minimize feeling rushed during day trips. We wouldn’t get on the road until nap time (let’s say 2 pm) and the sun would set at 7 pm in September, meaning we’d only have three to four hours before sunset before rushing back to avoid mountain drives in the dark.
4. Consider nap times when planning any local flights or maybe plan a trip that avoids local flights all together. Sienna is a Fomo child and only fell asleep in my arms on the plane – I’m pretty sure the hum of the propeller engine did it.
5. Four hotel stays in two weeks felt like The Amazing Race – either simplify the itinerary or extend the trip to 2.5 weeks to have a more manageable pace
6. Stay on or near the beach to avoid driving, since transitions take longer than you think
7. Mix it up with apartments and hotels so you have a kitchen some of the time but also the refreshing benefit of a great hotel. Our splurge on the trip was an apartment in Naxos but I would have rather saved money there to stay at our favourite hotel in Kalamata (Horizon Blu)

Does your toddler need their own seat on the plane?

The short answer: YES for international travel!!!

We would have loved to save the money but there is no way I could have handled Sienna who is basically 25 pounds on my lap for 9 to 11 hours. Sienna was still very uncomfortable finding a comfy sleeping position in her own seat, despite the items I purchased (see below).

That said, I do think she would have slept better with a fully reclined seat or better travel bed. If we were to do a red eye flight as a family again, our biggest wish would be to fly with reclining seats. Apparently you can bid for first class seats on most airlines (a tad risky) or book well in advance to get the best prices.

We did NOT book a separate seat for Sienna for the 1-hour flight to Naxos, which was fine though it’s worth mentioning that the Cyclades winds, combined with a tiny propeller plane, made for a choppy flight in the afternoon. TIP: winds are calmer in the morning and flight times later in the day were cheaper (though not ideal for toddlers). Book in advance!

Helpful Toddler Items to buy for a smooth red eye flight

1. Some sort of plane-based sleep solution that works – maybe these blow up toddler beds are better than this very thin and sagging hammock type bed we purchased (at least for Air Transat plane)
2. Even with this blow-up poof underneath the hammock, it was not comfortable for Sienna to sleep on
3. I bought this toddler toy travel pack from Mimu & Me to save me from even more research, but Sienna was not crazy about the items (she may have been too young). She loved this dollar store find the best! Beware of multi piece toys that continue to fall under the seats of planes – germy + inconvenient.

Do you need a toddler travel stroller for Greece / Europe?

The short answer: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you take Air Transat from Toronto it is literally a 5 km walk through the Athens airport to where the plane docks and having a stroller that can be brought onto the plane instead of gate checked was a true-life saver. Sienna LOVED being in the Peg Perego Volo.

To further justify the investment: travel strollers come in handy for long day trips like the zoo or amusement parks when kids get tired of walking until the ages of 4 or 5. And they take up less trunk space!

In fact, I would skip a traditional travel stroller system all together and choose an infant-friendly travel stroller as your main go to. The only drawback may be weaker wheels and inability to convert to a double stroller but unless your popping out back to back babies, cross that bridge when you get to it!

• Uppababy Minu v3, Bugaboo Butterfly 2, Inglesina Quid 3 (and others) are car seat compatible with adapters
• Joolz Aer and Yoyo Zen have bassinet add-ons
• Ergobaby Metro 3 has a full recline seat with little fold up foot basket

Travel strollers we do NOT recommend

Firstly, umbrella strollers like the Summer Infant Ingenuity are nice and cheap but generally get gate checked and for an international trip with a massive airport like Athens, I do not recommend them. Now, I can only speak from personal experience on two strollers: The Evenflo Hummingbird (bought on Amazon) and the Peg Perego Volo (tested in person).

Like all baby gear decisions, I made a spreadsheet comparing models but ultimately should have gone with Sienna’s first choice. She was only interested in models with a high upright seat position.

WHY WE CHOSE THE EVENFLO HUMMINGBIRD & THEN RETURNED IT

It was the lightest travel stroller clocking in under 10 lbs, the seat angle was upright, with a very easy one-handed fold + unfold. When we unboxed it, it was very easy to steer with one hand, small when folded and Sienna liked being in it. I think for a small trip down south or for everyday use, it’s a decent buy on sale. However we returned it for these reasons:

1. Ultimately the seat back was sagging when Sienna was physically in the stroller, so that her chin was hitting her collarbone (even though she didn’t seem to mind)
2. The seat does not recline very much for naps – I didn’t think this mattered since Sienna does not stroller nap at home but we did transfer her into the stroller after falling asleep in the car and it became an essential feature
3. The design is not as sharp as premium strollers

Recommended travel stroller: Peg Perego Volo

PEG PEREGO VOLO PROS

1. Had a comfier, plushier seat, an easily adjustable pretty good seat recline and and upright position without sagging
2. A dream to steer one-handed and on all surfaces except beach sand
3. Compact fold. It fit in all overhead bins we tried including the small propeller plane to Naxos (height when folded is not nearly as important as depth and width)
4. Beautiful design
5. Very light at 12.5 pounds
6. Handle height was good for us shorties at 38 inches (the Inglesina Quid 3 was 42 inches and uncomfortable for us to steer when we tried it in the store)
7. Comes with a travel bag – we didn’t think this mattered but helpful for overhead airplane compartment

PEG PEREGO VOLO CONS WE WERE WILLING TO LIVE WITH

1. Does not have the most automated fold and requires two hands, but this was not a deal breaker in the end
2. The seat back is a little short (her head was an inch or two above) and not the biggest in general – I was worried she wouldn’t sleep as a result but she still did, despite dangling legs. This may become an issue at age 3 or 4 though!
3. No air vents on the sunshade (it was breezy in September so not an issue for us at all)
4. Not compatible with a car seat but still able to use from birth

Do you need to haul a car seat to Greece for toddler travel?

The short answer: NO! The ones we found in Europe were all forward facing for 1 year+.

• It is not needed for the airplane for a toddler
• We did consider getting to and from the Toronto airport with a taxi/limo service that had a car seat and it was not cheap!
• We were able to arrange local transfers in Naxos with a car seat
• The car we reserved at Athens international airport through Enterprise came with an amazing car seat – zero issues

If you feel like you need one for where you are going, I came across these options but cannot comment on them personally:

1. Maxi-Cosi Nomad i-Size
2. Harness models like this foldable travel car seat (do your research)
3. Cosco Scenara Next convertible car seat – lightweight and listed on marketplace often at $75-$100

What to Pack for your Toddler’s Trip to Europe: 11 Tips

1. Consider using a laundry service on your trip so you can pack fewer clothes
2. Compression travel bags like this came in handy for saving luggage space and keeping clothes together
3. Bring all the medicine you think you’ll need for you and your child (these immune booster pouch drinks were great to bring on the plane for me)
4. Hatch Sound Machine (or whatever you use at home)
5. Black out curtains or Slumberpod (listed on marketplace a lot) in case your accommodation is not dark enough
6. These little room night lights were great to keep a light on in the bathroom or during wind down time (vs. LED ones)
7. Video monitor to keep an eye on naps if they occur in the room (you can also use 2 cell phones with FaceTime)
8. If staying in apartments and eating meals, a compact portable high chair is a great idea – we did not have access to one (Nikidom folding booster or Dream baby grab & go seat)
9. Sienna hated most water floatation devices like life jackets, but tolerated basic water wings and this Little Tikes turtle floatie (you can also buy stuff local)
10. We brought our secondhand Guava Lotus travel crib for the one apartment that did not offer one but ultimately most places have travel cribs and you likely can avoid bringing one overseas
11. Carrier if your child is happy in one (for cobblestones, or cliffside towns)

So tell me, where was your first trip with your baby or toddler? Do you have any travel tips or widsom