Lifestyle

How We Travel with a Kid and a Pet

Let’s be honest, traveling with a kid and a pet is no joke ! It takes time, courage, lots of patience but still you’re going to make mistakes, so you need EXPERIENCE to excel at it. Fortunately we had the opportunity to take our one year old daughter Isabella to eight countries so far (humble brag) and we always travel with our dog Bacchus within US so gradually over time I learned few things that can simplify your travel experience with your kids or/ and pets.

First thing is planning. Even if you’re a last minute packer like me you have to clearly know what you’re going to pack for everyone. I tend to make a list so that I don’t miss anything. Always try to reach airport two hours earlier before a domestic flight. That way even if you get stopped in the security for having baby milk or baby food you have plenty of time. You are going to have enough time for your pet to finish their business as well.
All the small stuff goes in zip lock bags . Baby socks, shoes, bibs, pet food everything I pack in the zip lock bags for easy access and I organize it that way.

3. Be prepared for emergencies. From first aid medicines for everyone including the pet , don’t forget about the extra diapers, wipes etc. I always keep few diapers, wipes, bibs and extra clothes in my handbags other than the diaper bags for emergencies.

4.Don’t forget to pack snacks for everyone . The last thing you want is to be hangry!! I always pack my dog’s fav treats for him which are life savers during putting him in the kennel and during the flight.

5.During the flight we always try to put Isabella to sleep. She has been flying from a very early age so she is kinda used to with the atmosphere and most of the time she goes to sleep. But when she doesn’t , I always carry her favorite toy, a coloring book or a story book in my purse to keep her engaged.

6.It costs $125 one way to fly the dog with us in the aircraft regardless of the destination within US. The dog with the kennel have to be within 20 lbs to fly in the aircraft with you. Our dog Bacchus doesn’t like much to stay in the kennel in the aircraft , so snacks help a lot in this situation. A lot of the airports have pet relief area so that’s a relief. But always carry dog waste bags in your purse cause you know… accidents happen! Bacchus has his own bag pack with all of his stuff including his bowls, snacks, food, a favorite toy and most importantly his medical records. Always book pet friendly hotels but check how much they charge for the one time pet fee, which can range from $0-$200. We use an app called Bringfido to find out about the pet friendly restaurants or activities.

7. A smart packing simplify the trip for sure. As I said before I make a list and pack the clothes that I can use in multiple and versatile ways. For toiletries definitely get the travel sized bottles. A good and sturdy luggage system is a must if you’re traveling a lot. We use iflyluggage which are affordable ,very high quality luggage with the luxe look and smart functionality. We have their full set ,Fibertech ,rose gold with the matching Fibertech Minicase which holds all of our toiletries . If you’re looking for a new luggage set I highly recommend them.

All in all traveling with everyone in the family is hard, more work but I wouldn’t do it any other way. It makes my heart full to share the experience of traveling with my ENTIRE family .