10 Affordable Items That Make Travel To Europe Easier With Kids
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Having just returned from our third trip to Europe in a little over a year, I feel like I have a good grip on what items are essential to have when you are going to be spending time away from home for an extended period. While my experience has primarily been in Europe as of late, these things can be beneficial for any vacation, even if it’s just a short plane ride away.
The ten items in this list have uses for all aspects of a trip, including the plane ride there and back, items for use in the hotel room or Airbnb, and even things that make your daily adventures easier – especially with kids. I’m not one that likes to spend a lot of money (I’d rather save that for the trip itself!) so all of them fall into the affordable range.
I pushed this recommendation out as long as possible. People always championed the use of compression socks when traveling by plane, but I never wanted to go that route. Something about it screamed old person and I didn’t want to spend the extra money on them.
However, I’ve now reached that stage of life where it really isn’t an option any longer. The older you get, the more likely things are to happen due to blood circulation and clots. I found this six-pack of socks on Amazon that weren’t very expensive and I ended up really liking them. They are definitely not something I would wear outside of travel, but the pain in my legs that I routinely get after long plane rides was non-existent when we got to Poland.
2. BravoKids LCD Writing Tablet
I purchased these for my kids before we left, timing aligned nicely with Easter taking place before heading out. My son didn’t use it as much as my daughter did while we were on the trip, but has used it pretty consistently since we got back home. My daughter loved having drawing contests with her dad on our shorter flights when there weren’t any screens.
I got this backpack for myself before our visit to Paris, and it was one of the best purchases I have made. What I love most is that you can open it like a suitcase, which lets me organize everything better. It also has a million different compartments that I can use and they are all easily accessible. There are even spots that are inconspicuous that I use for my passport and wallet.
One note – don’t buy it in white. It’s not an item you can throw in the washer because of the spot where you can plug in a power bank and charger, and the white obviously gets dirty easily.
Traveling with kids means you travel with a lot of stuff. The pockets in front of your plane seat only hold so much, and it quickly becomes a black hole when you’re trying to find stuff you put in there. Not only that, but they are kind of gross! You can often find discarded napkins and other things that weren’t cleaned up.
These organizers are tucked into the pocket and have various pockets to store snacks and other assorted items. It also has a hook for headphones!
We love this carry-on suitcase so much that we bought two of them. I love the ability to plug in a power bank, the separate pouch for a laptop, and how the wheels glide like butter. Our other carry-ons had trouble with the handle extending fully and the wheels getting wobbly over time. The LUGGEX brand has held up so well that we are soon going to replace our full-sized suitcases with the brand.
6. Welly Quick Fix Bandaid Kit
The number of times we have needed a bandaid or first aid ointment on a trip is endless. Previously, I was just throwing a handful of bandaids in our toiletry kit. However, they would get bent up and lost or even ripped open. I found this kit at Target and the metal casing keeps everything together. What’s more, we can restock them when it starts to get low!
I don’t know about anyone else, but it seems like the trash cans in hotel rooms fill up with just one item. Even if you have 2-3 cans in your room it doesn’t take much for them to be overflowing. And then you’re forced to stack things on top or next to the trash and it smells and looks bad. On this most recent trip, I packed a roll of small trash bags and it was very helpful. Between having a bag for extra trash and a spot to put things like wet bathing suits or dirty clothes, we more than got our use out of them.
I detest the blankets and pillows that airlines give you. And also, I always run hot on planes so I rarely use a blanket anyway. I love this set because the pillow is super comfortable with the travel blanket inside. Once I am at the destination I also have a really nice blanket to snuggle up to when I am reading or watching TV at the hotel.
My husband made fun of me for this purchase, but even he uses it when we are at the airport. This cupholder slides on the handle of your carry-on and holds your water bottles, coffees, phone, or anything else you don’t have room for in your hands. It frees up my hands to wrangle my children and make sure they aren’t going in the wrong direction! lol
I will never go on a vacation without a travel fan or two. After the heat wave disaster in France and not being able to easily locate a fan in stores while there, they are the first items that go into our carry-on. I say carry-on because I also use this on the plane. It’s powered by USB or battery, and you can put it right on the tray table so you have cool air blowing in your direction throughout the flight.
Have you tried any of these, or is there anything you routinely use that I need to add to my list? I’m always open to new suggestions!
Don’t forget about my newest book – “Leo and the Puppy Intruder” – available at most major retailers!
