Adventures with a kid

Ticking off the toddler’s 4th continent before his 3rd birthday, we recently travelled to the United States of America, or well, Florida, and I found getting everything in order before we left a bit of a challenge, so thought I’d share my list to help you on your travels! Flying to the US can be a bit daunting, so let me know below if you’ve got any questions!

Non-Negotiable Travel Documents for the USA

Thinking about what documents do I need to travel to the US with a child? The list below should have you covered!

• ESTA. Use the US gov website, as it is the cheapest way to do it. Set aside at least 15 minutes per person to complete it. ESTA website. Make sure you have your hotel booked (or know where you’re staying in advance), as you’ll need to give contact details for where you’re staying in the US. If you have multiple locations, just complete with the first hotel you are staying in.
• Travel insurance. Make sure you’ve selected worldwide travel insurance, and that it includes the US. Use something like TravelSupermarket or another comparison site to get the best deal.
• Passport (check expiration dates for all the family!). For the US, your passport needs to ‘be valid for the length of your stay’, but if you are travelling elsewhere, it’ll need to have at least 6 months left. Read more on the UK gov website.
• Birth Certificate – if you are travelling alone with a child, or if you have different surnames, just in case you get challenged!
• A signed or notarised letter from the other parent, or parents, if the child is travelling with grandparents, or only one parent. Read more on the UK gov website.
• Ability to access something that proves you live in the UK – most of which you’ll have on your phone, like banking apps, or work emails etc.
• Ensure you have the address or at a very minimum, know the name of where you are staying.

I was travelling solo with my son, but luckily wasn’t asked for his birth certificate or letter from my husband, but I made sure I prepared as I have previously been asked quite seriously about my son’s names/passport/is he my son, when coming back into the UK passport control, one solo holiday to France.

I had a signed letter, with my husbands passport scanned on to it too. My son has my surname as a middle name, but has a different surname to me, which always seems to cause a few issues.

Important Things to Organise Before You Go

• Plane meals! Check if you can order a kids meal, or if you have special dietary requirements a specialist meal. If you have a diary allergy, we were told by a air steward who’s kid has a diary allergy, to order the ‘lactose free’ one, as actually it just doesn’t include any milk. Check out BA’s overview.
• Airport parking (if driving). With a toddler, we’ve found that valet parking at the airport is worth the extra cost, but extra convenience! It’s one of the closest locations at Gatwick and Heathrow to enter the airport, and not having to wait to get in your car after a long flight feels like absolute luxury!
• Travel to/from the UK airport
• Travel to/from the US airport
• Car hire in the US if needed
• Hotel in the US. This address is needed to complete your ESTA.
• Check your debit/credit card works overseas. I always just get cash out at an ATM on arrival!
• Check out what tv and films will be on the plane, so you know what to guide your child to!
• Download films and favourite tv shows. The morning you leave, pop your phone / iPad into airplane mode to confirm they work offline! Don’t repeat our issue of promising Hey Duggee, but iPlayer didn’t work!
• Make sure you don’t have anything disparaging about the US / government on your social media, just in case you are stopped.

Plane Prep: What to Pack for Flying with a Toddler

• Snacks, snacks and more snacks!
• a new toy – I like the small lego sets to take on the plane, as they aren’t too fiddly, and can usually keep my son’s attention for an hour or so. I use an Ikea drawer divider to keep the pieces together on the tray table, then a string bag to make sure no pieces go missing.
• Change of clothes for everyone (down to your socks!)
• A large muslin or thin blanket. We were provided with blankets, but I used a thin blanket as a foot rest – tucked into the tray table to help make the toddler more cosy.
• Travel and sticker books. Check out my recommendations here.
• Toddler over ear headphones. We have a pair like this, and whilst British Airways did have some for children, it’s probably best to get your toddler used to them in advance!
• Reusable bottles – you can fill up at the airports.
• Baby wipes, sterilising / anti-bac wipes, and anti-bac hand spray
• Portable potty or nappies. If you’re early in potty training – maybe take puppy pads to pop on the seat. Plane toilet seats actually aren’t too bad for toddlers to sit on as they seem to be smaller than normal toilets – but the noise of the plane / toilets can be a bit scary for a newly toilet trained kid.

Click here to check out our guide for transport in and around Walt Disney World.