Everything I Packed For Spain with a Toddler
What to bring for a long-haul flight and 10-days in Europe with a 16-month old
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10 days in Spain, two carry-ons, and three people – one of whom is a demanding toddler.
If you had asked the internet (which I did…many times), all you’d get back was a raised eyebrow. Everyone said it was the worst age to travel with a kid.
We wanted to try it anyway. And we wanted to do it our way: packing light, but still having enough to feel prepared for 10 days in Europe, long-haul flights, public transit, plus all the unpredictability that comes with traveling living with a toddler.
Packing for trips is kind of my super bowl. I became a little obsessed with packing the perfect carry-on back when my husband and I did four countries in three weeks, pre-children.
So when we started planning our first trip to Europe with a toddler, I spent hours researching realistic packing lists, advice for surviving a long-haul flight with a young toddler, and how much we’d actually need for 10 days in Spain with her. Most of what I found was either written by families checking a large suitcase or with kids who were a little older (and perhaps slightly easier to entertain on a plane).
So I took what I could, but did it my way. And I’ve decided to write the post that is exactly what I was looking for when planning our first trip to Europe with a toddler.
Three people, two carry-ons: here's exactly what we packed for a long-haul flight and 10-days in Spain with our 16-month old – the little items that made a huge difference and what I'd skip next time.
Traveling light means traveling better, in my opinion!
Clothing
We visited Spain in mid-May so the weather was very mild and easy to pack for. But, toddlers can be messy and require more than one change of clothes a day. We made sure to book an Airbnb with a laundry machine, which gave us some cover.
We were also splitting our time - half in the urban Barcelona, and half in a quieter, seaside town of Sitges. In the end, I aimed to pack enough to only have to do laundry once and I think I landed on the perfect amount:
Tops: 1 long sleeve, 4 t-shirts, 1 tank top
Bottoms: 2 shorts, 2 leggings/pants, 1 dress
Pajamas: 1 convertible footie PJs, 1 short set, 1 long set
Outerwear: 1 light zip jacket, 1 sweatshirt, 1 swimsuit
Shoes + Extras: 1 pair sneakers, 1 pair sandals, sunglasses, sunhat, 5 socks
If you’re wondering what to pack for Europe with a toddler, this formula worked really well.
Travel Gear
I joked with my husband that we should start calling our vacations “a long walk” – because that’s basically all we do! Our step counts get truly out of hand when we travel and having a kid has not changed that (yet). These were our must-haves:
Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller: If you take one thing from the list, let it be this. I did SO much research on travel strollers before our first trip with a baby and this has turned out better than I could have hoped. This stroller has handled sandy hikes in California just as well as cobblestones in Spain. It reclines completely flat for naps or diaper changes, includes straps for a car seat, folds down tiny, is super light, and has a shoulder carrying strap. I adore it.
Tula Lite Carrier: We have a few different kinds of the popular (and expensive!) carriers for use at home and never really took to any them. But, I gave the Tula Lite a shot for traveling since it packs down into a fanny pack…and now it’s our preferred carrier! I got mine secondhand off eBay.
Hip Sling: I ordered this last minute and it was such a lifesaver to have carrier options for her on the long days of walking! It’s cheap and packs flat, so definitely earned its spot.
Do you need to bring a car seat for your trip to Europe?
We decided not to bring a car seat to Spain for our toddler. Some people love having one for the plane, but my kiddo hates the car seat (tips on how we encouraged plane sleep below).
Instead, we strategically chose Barcelona and Sitges as our bases because we knew we could get around by public transit. And while we bought her a seat on the plane, but I held her during take-off, landing, and turbulence. Ultimately, only you can decide what you’re comfortable with — but this decision alone shaved off so much stress (and bulk) that I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Diapers & Toiletries
While I was tempted to overpack in this category because I like to be prepared, I stuck to the essentials and was comforted knowing that there are plenty of babies in Spain and we could definitely find what we need once we arrived.
Diapers & Wipes: I only brought 10 diapers, 1 pack of wipes, and 2 puppy pads which I use on sketchy changing tables. My goal was to have enough for our 14-hour travel day to Barcelona and then restock when we got there and that worked out perfectly. I had heard that European diapers are less absorbent than American ones – I didn't really notice that, but we used the American ones we brought for overnights just in case and the Spanish ones during the day.
Diaper Pouch: I also packed a diaper pouch so everything was in one convenient grab-and-go bag during our long travel days. I use the Mushie wet bag which has a hand strap and can hang on the back of a bathroom door. I stock it with PJs to change into on the plane, antibacterial hand wipes, mini aquaphor (for diaper rash), 3-4 diapers, a small pack of wipes, a puppy pad, and Motrin/syringe.
PRO TIP: I also kept a zip-lock gallon bag in there in case there were any inconvenient accidents and we needed to transport a dirty diaper or soiled clothes home.
Toiletries: I kept it pretty minimal with a toothbrush, travel bottle of baby soap, Tylenol/Motrin w/ dosing syringe, and some stain and hand wipes. We bought sunscreen there.
Sleep
We always book accommodations that have cribs and, so far, we’ve been lucky. Both of our stays in Spain had clean, comfortable, and safe Pack ‘n Play’s with fresh sheets. She took a couple nights to really settle in, but adjusted faster and better than I’d let myself hope for. To keep her bedtime routine feeling familiar, I brought:
A thin muslin blanket (it’s actually a nursing cover, but works as a blanket!)
Her favorite small teddy bear
Travel white noise machine
Pacifier
The MVP of the trip was this 2.8” video baby monitor. It’s a lot smaller than the one we have at home, doesn’t use WiFi, has a 19-hour battery life, and works great! With the video monitor, we were able to put her to sleep in the bedroom and then have date nights on the balcony with a bottle of wine and peace of mind!
The video monitor meant we could enjoy our charming balcony view after she went to sleep!
Feeding
At 16-months, our daughter still drinks two bottles of milk a day. I spent an unreasonable amount of time deciding whether to bring her regular bottles from home or buy something more travel-friendly. I was mostly concerned about the long travel days and the prospect of having to wash a bottle in an airplane sink! Three people and two carry-ons meant every inch of space had to count…and bottles can take up a lot of space!
I landed on one Playtex Nurser bottle with disposable drop-in liners. While the liners felt a bit wasteful, I must admit it was so convenient and worked great on the plane. I brought two nipples and Dapple Breast Pump wipes to wipe everything down I couldn’t get to a sink. This all worked out perfectly for us, though I am still curious about trying the Boon Nursh system in the future.
Milk itself was the other stressor. When she wants her milk, she wants it now, and I did not want invite a meltdown at 35,000 feet. We brought a few of the 8oz Horizon shelf-stable milk boxes and last-minute ordered these powdered milk packets. She tested both before our trip and took both without fuss. We did ask on the plane and they had milk, but I’m not sure if they all do. Next time, I’ll probably just go all-in on the packets because they’re more portable.
Two more things I brought and didn’t use at all were disposable place mats and a collapsible snack cup. The placemats were great on trips when she was younger and finger-eating off tables, but she can handle a real plate now. The snack cup sounded useful but turned out to be bulk I didn't need – when she snacked on the go, she just ate straight from the package.
Toys
Below, I listed the toys that we brought for the long-haul flight, but we didn’t really use any toys while we were actually in Spain! There was so much to do and see, we just let the world be her entertainment. 🙂
How to Survive & What to Pack for a Long-Haul Flight with a 16-Month Old Toddler
Overall, aim for toys that aren’t too bulky and can be played with it multiple ways.
Entertainment & Toys
I’ll be honest: I way overpacked on toys because I was very nervous about the long flights.
Our trip to Spain was a 1 hour flight + 2 hour layover + 8.5 hour flight and coming home it was a 9.5 hour flight + 4 hour layover + 1 hour flight. I knew these would make for some really long travel days.
Which meant I ended up dedicating half of one of our two carry-ons just on toys and entertainment! Logically, I knew it was overkill – and it definitely meant I had to keep my own packing list super trim – but I figured I’d rather be overprepared than regretting everything.
Our toddler can get overexcited when she sees new toys and will pull everything out rather than choosing one thing to focus on. So I packed the entertainment into three separate pouches — the plan being one for the flight over, one for Spain, and one for the flight home. That's not exactly how it played out, but having the toys divided certainly did keep us from blowing through the whole stash in one shot. We kept one pouch on deck under our seat and the others stashed in the overhead bin, swapping out when needed.
Here's the full inventory, plus the honest verdict on what earned its space:
Finger puppets: I wrapped 10 in tissue paper before we left and were a huge hit. They were revealed in the last few hours of the flight home and saved everyone.
Colorful painters tape: Every flying with a toddler packing list says to bring painters tape – I brought two mini rolls and never used either.
3 books: One new and two favorites. All were used constantly. We made sure to bring books that could be used many ways: to read, search & find, or generally re-approached from multiple angles.
Mini magnetic drawing board: Picked up from the dollar store and another favorite! This was the only toy we actually used in Spain, because it’s perfect for restaurants.
Animal window clings: Also recommended on many toddler flight lists and we never ended up pulling these out. I think I’ll try them again on the next flight, though, when she’s older.
Water Wow Book: Fine for a 15-minute stretch. At this age, she was more interested in putting the brush back in its plastic slot than painting. Still worth it because it's flat.
Magnatiles: I bought a travel set, but only brought a few out of the set. Didn’t really use much and probably wouldn’t bring again until she’s older.
Mini baby doll + bottle/diaper: This little care loop definitely keeps her attention for a while! The doll is bulky, though, so next time I might try to just bring the accessories for her to use with her teddy bear.
Puffy sticker book: Takes up pretty much zero space for a big return.
Suction Toys: Held her attention for a good stretch. They did keep falling on the floor and into seat crevices which was annoying.
Montessori Busy Book :I really thought this would be the winner. It wasn't. So bulky, and she didn't take to it the way I imagined. Maybe when she’s older.
Mini dry erase board: 10/10. Mostly she liked taking the marker lids on and off.
Toy Airplane: As I mentioned, I brought this to help her understand and get excited about the airplane — it ended up becoming a permanent fixture in her hand most of the trip!
Figurines: I brought just a couple of new Little People figurines. They were handy to keep in my purse in case she needed a quick distraction. LP are always a favorite!
Cozyphones Toddler Headphones: She wore these for a little while with the plane screen – but honestly, she was perfectly content watching The Bee Movie in silence lol. I will still bring them next time.
iPad: I really debated whether to bring one. In the end, my anxiety won out and I packed it last minute…but we NEVER used it! The plane screen was plenty interesting and we of course didn’t need it in Spain because there was so much to do and see!
Snacks
I bought a hard-sided clear zip case to keep snacks from getting crushed. We aimed to bring a mix of familiar, satisfying, and exciting so we could easily accommodate all her moods. 🙂 I packed individual packets of dried strawberries, yogurt/smoothie melts, cereal, oat biscuits, tractor wheels, chocolate chip granola bars, and a few pouches.
Sleep
To encourage sleep on the plane, we bought her her own seat and brought a cheap, inflatable footrest. With a full row of three seats, we could turn the window seat into a little bed – and she got three solid hours on both long-hauls! Worth every penny. Not every airline allows these sorts of footrests, so check before you commit. We flew British Airways and American Airlines and were never questioned.
For her bed set-up, we just used the blankets and pillows the airline provided (most do for an overnight long-haul), her beloved teddy bear, a travel white noise machine, and a binky. I draped a thin muslin blanket we brought over her seat to help block cabin activity. All in all, she slept about 3 hours each way so I was really pleased!
If you are planning a trip with a toddler, you will probably see a suggestion to use Benadryl, but that is not considered safe. Plus, it can have the opposite effect on some children. We did, however, give our daughter a preventative dose of Motrin before the flight because she had been teething and this is what we have been doing at home.
Luggage
We have always only traveled with carry-on bags and this trip was no different. For the three of us – two adults and a toddler – we brought:
2 carry-on bags (we swear by these soft-side, water-resistant backpacks)
1 travel stroller
2 personal items (my purse and my husband’s sling bag)
While I think we’re generally smart travelers, I was really proud of how we handled this trip. Of course, not everything went smoothly but all the prep I did beforehand saved us more than once.
Overall, would we do it again? YES.
We have so many amazing memories and – most importantly – we proved to ourselves that we could do it. While I’m sure we benefited from some luck, I’m glad we didn’t listen to the people who warned us not to do it.
Something I tend to forget before big trips is that we're the same people when we get there: same abilities, habits, personalities. And that turned out to be true of our toddler, too. She wanted what she always wants – to see stuff, wave at people, be out in the world with us. She was, as it turns out, a very good little traveler.
So while the people who told us not to go weren’t wrong to worry…they weren’t exactly right either! 🙂
