Victoria's Top 10 Essential Family Travel Products

Victoria's Top 10 Essential Family Travel Products

Starting a family and travelling the world may seem like two things that you shouldn't mix, but Victoria at @bridgesandballoons is here to prove that you can do both! Since having her first son in 2018, Victoria and her husband kept on travelling as a family of three (now four!) and have continued having the same sort of exciting and memorable trips that they had as a couple. 

While it's definitely possible to enjoy travelling as a family with young children, evidently some adjustments will be necessary to make sure that the trip is as comfortable and fun as possible for everyone on board. So, we've asked Victoria to share some of her must-have family travel products! From a stroller which you can take with you on the plane as hand luggage, to an on-the-go travel potty, she has shared some fantastic items that you should consider purchasing if you're thinking of globe-trotting with your little one(s). 
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Victoria
Travel Blogger

Founder of Bridges and Balloons, a blog about travel to special places, featuring detailed itineraries and accommodation guides. Specialises in road trips, A... See More

  • BabyBjörn Travel Cot Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    BabyBjörn
    Travel Cot

    Victoria

    Some travel cots are bulky and heavy, making them a chore to travel with, but the BabyBjörn travel cot is a compact, light weight option, weighing just 6kg. 

    It's suitable from birth to three years old and also doubles as a handy playpen – essential for those moments when you need to pack up the hotel room and keep the baby in one place! It's also very easy to put up and down, and has a thicker mattress than most travel cots. It's the best travel cot we've come across.
    £189.94
  • BABYZEN YOYO² Stroller Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：johnlewis.com
    BABYZEN YOYO² Stroller Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：johnlewis.com

    BABYZEN
    YOYO² Stroller

    Victoria

    The best selling point for the BabyZen Yoyo in terms of travel is that you can take it on the plane as hand luggage. This is useful as it means you can always have the stroller on you and not worry about it getting damaged or lost in transit. It also means you can definitely use it right up to the entrance of the plane. 

    This is often the case anyway, even if you check your stroller in, as airlines normally allow you to take it to the gate and then return it as soon as you get off the plane, but sometimes this means you have to wait around while they fetch it. With the BabyZen, you avoid these delays. It's also a great, lightweight stroller – and lightweight is exactly what you need when travelling.
    £356.15
  • Storksak Eco Travel Changing Bag Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：johnlewis.com
    Storksak Eco Travel Changing Bag Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：johnlewis.com

    Storksak
    Eco Travel Changing Bag

    Victoria

    The StorkSak duffle bag is my favourite travel bag for children. I use one each for both of my sons. It’s the perfect size and has lots of handy compartments so you can easily organise all their things - for example putting sleepwear in one, socks and undies in another and trousers/tops in another. 

    It saves a lot of time when everything is so well organised and you can quickly grab what you need when you arrive to a hotel. I use packing cubes in my own luggage for the same reason. The Storksak is also a very stylish bag and is a pull-along as well as a duffle, so you can carry/pull it however you like. 
    £160.00
  • Trunki Children's Ride-On Suitcase Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Trunki Children's Ride-On Suitcase Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Trunki Children's Ride-On Suitcase Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Trunki
    Children's Ride-On Suitcase

    Victoria

    The Trunki is one of the most iconic pieces of kids' travel luggage. The colourful little suitcases double as ride-ons so you can pull your child along if they get tired. They also add a bit of fun to packing and travel as kids tend to love them. 

    They come in a variety of different designs, including tigers, unicorns, ladybirds, fire engines and more. They’re perfect carry-on luggage size and you can carry them over your shoulder or by the handles. Kids also tend to love playing with these at home too, so it can be used as a toy too.
    £39.99
  • Ergobaby Baby Carrier Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Ergobaby Baby Carrier Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Ergobaby
    Baby Carrier

    Victoria

    For me, a baby carrier is a big travel essential, necessary for all those times when a stroller isn’t practical, for example on difficult terrain or in small spaces. They’re also really handy on airplanes if your baby wants to be carried as they help take the weight. 

    The ErgoBaby 360 is my favourite baby carrier. It’s easy to use, comfy to wear and can be used all the way from newborn up to 20kg. We’ve used ours on walks all over the world and found it especially useful in places like Lisbon which is filled with steps and hills, and in New York, where the subway isn’t particularly stroller friendly.
    £154.90
  • Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit SE Booster Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Summer Infant
    Pop ‘n Sit SE Booster

    Victoria

    I love this little travel highchair, which is so handy for when a big highchair isn't available. We found it invaluable on our California road trip when Otis was around 9 months. You can use it as a standalone highchair or it can also be attached to a bigger chair, so the baby is level with the table. 

    It’s nice and lightweight and easy to clean. And we found it also doubles as a handy little play seat for moments when you need the baby to stay in one place – for example when getting ready in the mornings.
    £38.95
  • Petit Collage Pet Hospital Magnetic Play Scene Set Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Petit Collage Pet Hospital Magnetic Play Scene Set Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    Petit Collage Pet Hospital Magnetic Play Scene Set Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    Petit Collage
    Pet Hospital Magnetic Play Scene Set

    Victoria

    This Petit Collage Pet Hospital game is ideal for travel as it all packs neatly away and the magnets make it relatively easy to keep together. We've taken it on planes before, and it's also a favourite for cafes and restaurants. You can play with the different animals and characters, which can keep toddlers entertained happily while you wait for food to arrive, and so on. 

    Other travel games I recommend include simple crayons and colouring books – twistable crayons are ideal as they avoid the mess and wax crayons/felt tips, and don’t need a sharpener like pencils.
    £17.50
  • My Carry Potty Penguin Travel Potty Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    My Carry Potty Penguin Travel Potty Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    My Carry Potty
    Penguin Travel Potty

    Victoria

    This little carry potty is so useful for potty training. You can take it wherever you go and kids love the cute designs. It has a useful little handle and is pretty lightweight (850g). 

    Designs include a ladybird, penguin and bee. And the same company do a portable kids toilet seat, too, if your child had moved beyond the potty stage! It also has a leak-free seal so you can avoid any spills.
    £26.99
  • JetKids Bedbox Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    JetKids Bedbox Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    JetKids
    Bedbox

    Victoria

    The Jet Kids Bedbox is super useful for long plane journeys as it allows you to turn the plane seat into a little bed. The box has an integrated mattress and support foot, which attaches to the plane seat – little kids can lie down and bigger kids can stretch out their legs comfortably. 

    This is so handy for helping kids to sleep on long journeys. The Bedbox also doubles as a ride-on case, just like the Trunki. It has a small amount of storage space too for packing a few essentials.
    £205.34
  • The Gro Company Stars and Moons Gro Anywhere Portable Blackout Blind with Suction Cups Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    The Gro Company Stars and Moons Gro Anywhere Portable Blackout Blind with Suction Cups Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk
    The Gro Company Stars and Moons Gro Anywhere Portable Blackout Blind with Suction Cups Translation missing: en-GB.activerecord.decorators.item_part_image/alt
    Source：amazon.co.uk

    The Gro Company
    Stars and Moons Gro Anywhere Portable Blackout Blind with Suction Cups

    Victoria

    Kids tend to sleep better in the dark, so we travel with this portable blackout blind, which is super useful for blocking out light in hotel rooms and other accommodation. 

    It has handy suction cups that you can attach to the window and can adapt to fit any window size up to a maximum of 130 x 198 cm. It should help you get some extra much-needed sleep – essential after those long travel days. It's also particularly handy if you're battling jet lag and need to sleep in the daytime.
    £32.99

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