Traveling with Twin Toddlers? Here's Everything You'll Need to Pack

Traveling with twin toddlers can seem like a daunting idea.

Initially, it sounds like fun. Then, slowly, it starts to feel scary.

Traveling by air with those same twin toddlers can seem like a much more daunting idea.

The logistics or lists of what you'll need might even be enough to turn you off of the idea until they're old enough to be "self-sufficient" and help with at least packing or carrying their own bags.

There's a lot to think about:

• There are passports to be obtained ahead of time.
• Where do your babies sit on the plane?
• How do diaper changes work on the plane?
• How do you keep them busy on the flight or during layovers?
• What about the liquid rule and needing to have milk or formula throughout the journey for your little ones?
• What if you forget something obvious at home?

It can be, to say the least, overwhelming.

But, sometimes, the trip is worth the extra planning and meticulousness and ends up paving the way for making sweet memories together as a family.

Of course, you'll need to pack clothes and other essentials for the trip. But what exactly are you going to need? And what might you overlook?

The essential packing checklists below should help you with everything you'll need to pack for a successful and (hopefully) stress-free vacation with your twin toddlers.

When planning your trip

Before any flights or airline tickets get booked, you'll need to have everybody's passports ready and in-hand well in advance of the trip. In general, it can take four to six weeks to get new passports processed and printed, though you can pay extra if you need to have them rushed and ready sooner than that. Check with your local guidelines as soon as you think about booking a trip to see if you can secure them in time, and don't leave it until the last second.

When booking flights, consider flying at night, when your kids would be sleeping, and think about other factors, like layover time if you have connecting flights, their usual nap time, their wake windows, and their general daytime schedule. The best time to fly with your toddlers might not be the same as the best time to fly before you became parents.

A long layover for your connecting flight can be the hardest, or most tiring, part of your travel day. It can call for lots of short walks with Mommy or Daddy, impromptu sessions of Hide 'n' Seek (except dulled WAY down because you want to actually not lose sight of your children in the airport), or playing I Spy on the tarmac to see what colors, shapes, or sights they can see.

If they really get antsy, see if they can spot their very own luggage being loaded onto your plane, or find a way to keep them preoccupied instead of thinking about when they'll be getting on the plane. I purposely wore three necklackes on travel day and both twins spent time fiddling with the chains and charms when we ran out of other things to do.

If it works for you, book premium seats that come with snacks and drinks included, as that will limit the amount of snacks you'll need to pack in your carry-on bags. If you're planning to book economy seats, be sure to pack lots of snacks for each kid. You'll never regret having leftover snacks, but you WILL regret running out before you get where you're going.

The week before your trip

The week before your trip is going to be filled with chaos—more than normal—of laundry, checklists, packing, and taking care of any other responsibilities (paying bills, etc.) before you're away. Even so, be sure to take the time, even just five or 10 minutes a day, to sit down with your twins and actively prepare them for what is coming in the days ahead.

Explain to them, or show them a video, about what an airplane is, show them what the seats look like and tell them how they have to sit next to their mom, dad, or caregiver (and wear their seatbelt the entire time!), talk about how fast the airplane goes for take-off and explain how fun it is when it starts zooming, explain that the plane goes up in the air and comes back down when you get where you're going.

Tell them about security lines and how they have to be quiet and serious and have to listen to mom and dad. Show them a video of what airport security and screening looks like, if you can. You don't want anything to be totally brand-new to them, if possible, because if there's even just a bit of familiarity, it will be less scary to them, which means it'll be smoother sailing for everyone.

And put your suitcases out a few days ahead of time, so they can see the bags and get used to the idea of what their purpose is. Have them pack their own bags (even just for practice) and tell them to put what they think they'll need in there for however many days you'll be away from home. This gets them used to the idea of being away from home, too.

The day before your trip

Before you reach your travel day, you'll want to have your itinerary clearly mapped out to ensure everything—and everyone—is on schedule, so you're not frantically running through the airport à la the McCallister Family circa 1990.

Be sure to pack everybody's luggage into the vehicle the night before (aside from anything that needs to be refrigerated, like milk for your dynamic duo), as long as you can park your vehicle in a garage, where everything will be safe overnight. This will help save you loading time when you're trying to get everybody out the door and will also ensure you aren't having to worry about Tetris-ing bags while the clock is counting down.

When it's actually travel day, plan to arrive early, even earlier than you initially might think is a good idea, in case you run into unexpected delays.

If you have twins, you already know it takes you much longer than it used to get everybody ready and out the door. When planning how much time you'll need to get to the airport, think of your usual timeframe for getting everybody up and on their way, and then add in an extra buffer to maneuver all your extra bags through the airport with two toddlers in tow.

You'll be thankful you gave yourself extra time and had more than you needed. That's always better than racing against time and trying to keep track of a million bags and excited toddlers who want to explore while you anxiously check the time and try to keep everybody en route to the correct gate.

Remember, as much as you can plan ahead, be ready for the unexpected to be thrown your way. Like your flight being canceled (not delayed, just totally canceled) one minute before you were going to lay down and finally go to sleep, just mere hours before you're going to wake up at an ungodly hour and head to the airport.

This happened to us and resulted in our carefully curated premium seats being thrown out the window as we had to desperately rebook ourselves, at 1:00 in the morning, onto the next available flight through different hubs that would result in the fewest disruptions to our meticulously organized travel plans.

No matter how prepared you are, unforeseen things are going to happen. As long as everyone makes it where you're going (and hopefully with all of your bags in tow), that's all that really matters.

Things to consider for the flights

Each person who booked a seat is allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item. Strollers do not count toward this; each baby can have one stroller checked in either when you drop your checked luggage before going through security or at the gate just before boarding the plane.

If you bought a seat ticket for your child and are planning on having them buckled into their car seat on the plane, be sure to bring a Federal Aviation Administration-approved car seat. If it meets the safety requirements, your seat will have an FAA sticker on it indicating this. If it doesn't, you will not be able to have your child in that seat on the plane. Check your airline's requirements to ensure you're good to go before travel day.

If your babies are under the age of two and you've decided to fly with a babe in each parent's lap, note that you will likely not be able to sit with two adults and two babes in the same row of seats (e.g. A, B, C), as nice as that would be. This is because of how many oxygen masks are in each section of seats. Check with your specific airline, but there are usually only four oxygen masks per row of three seats—and if there are two adults and two babies, plus a third person filling out your row, that would require five masks.

So, if you're flying with two adults and two babes-in-lap, you could have one adult and babe-in-lap in one set of three seats (A, B, C), and then the other adult and babe-in-lap across the aisle in the other set of three seats (D, E, F), or they could sit in the set of three seats on the same side as the other parent, just in front or behind by one row, so you could still be close, but not sitting immediately next to each other. An exception would be if there just happened to be an empty seat beside the two adult seats, but this is probably not something you want to leave up to chance when you'll already be worrying about other things on travel day.

As a side note for those who are wondering, if your twins are traveling in their car seats on the plane (or are two years old and can sit in their own seat without a car seat), then you could have two toddlers and one parent all sitting in three seats together and have the other parent sitting in the row in front or behind, or across the aisle, so they're nearby if anyone needs anything.

If you aren't bringing your own car seats for the flight and don't want to lug them through the airports, look up the rules for car seats in your final destination. We left our car seats at home and booked a shuttle with car seats appropriate for their age and weight. It was easy to do and we booked it ahead of time so we didn't have any extra worries on our travel days.

When packing bags for carry-on/personal items, consider where everyone will be sitting (will it be one parent and one kid in two separate spots, or will it be two kids with one parent taking up three seats, with the other parent in the row nearby? Plan to have all your supplies easily within reach at your feet and the items you probably won't need but would like to have in your carry-on bag, just in case, above your seat in the overhead bin.

Depending on how many carry-on bags you have for the airport, you may consider bringing a wagon to easily transport everything to your gate and then gate-checking the wagon when you board. Our friends did this when traveling with their two little girls and said it worked well for them.

• Packing checklist for the flight

This list is pretty exhaustive, and it's meant to be. Try not to get overwhelmed…this part goes in-depth now, while you're in the planning stage, so you can kick back and rest easy when it's time to travel.

Check out the below packing list with essential items for airport travel with your toddlers. Underneath the checklist (and the ones that follow), you'll find recommendations for a few of our favorite things that made traveling with our twin toddlers as smooth as can be.

We truly had so many people compliment us on how well-behaved our twins were on every single flight. As first-time parents who were on a major first-time family trip with our toddlers, this was a huge relief for us.

We do have very good little toddlers, but we also know that we were able to put our best feet forward by packing the right items to keep everyone occupied and entertained (and quietly!) for four long-haul international flights.

• Passports. Make sure you have everybody's and when you do, put them inside a Ziploc bag inside a bag you'll have eyes on at all times. It may sound like overkill, but, trust me, it's not. Our friend's toddler was investigating their passports when they were traveling internationally, and they somehow ended up going for a swim in their hotel toilet and were damaged and rendered useless. The parents had to deal with the consulate to get expedited passports issued in order to get back home. The last thing you want to be doing on vacation is worrying about how you're going to get back home when it's over. I heeded our friend's advice and put them in a Ziploc bag. I felt a bit silly being so "overprotective" of our passports, but it immediately paid off on the first flight because if they hadn't been in a sealed bag, they'd have been covered in (a little bit, but enough) milk that leaked out of their sippy cups and into my personal bag, I guess due to the pressure change in the cabin? Not something I'd accounted for, but I was sure glad our identification documents were kept pristine. On the second flight, it'd have been orange juice that wrecked the passports, but we were saved, again, by having them in a sealed Ziploc bag.
• Stroller(s), depending on how young your twins are. Ours were 2.5 when we traveled, and they were able to walk most of the way through the airport or be carried without too much difficulty. If your twins are younger and can't walk great distances or at all yet, then you may want to bring your stroller and then check it at the gate right before you're boarding your flight. Check with your specific airline, but they should be free to check in one for each toddler. They were for us.
• Carry-on roller bags. Limit it to as few bags as you can get by with. The less you need to carry, the better.
• Diaper bag, pared down to the bare minimum with the changing pad for emergencies and an extra set of clothes for each twin, in case of any accidents en route. And while we're talking about outfits, consider layers for your twins' travel outfits. A jacket or warm sweater they can wear on the plane but remove if they get too hot during a layover for a connecting flight. Cozy pants that will be comfy to snooze in on the plane. Instead of a sweater, we opted for jackets with a cozy lining and a bright red plaid print on the outside for easy tracking, in case anybody decided to suddenly sprint through the concourse.
• Pull-Ups or diapers for the travel day. We put any we estimated we needed during plane rides into our pared down diaper bag. And then we packed an extra sleeve of Pull-Ups in our roller bag, just in case things went sideways and we needed an emergency stock of them. For those who haven't been on a plane or been paying attention when they've used the airplane's facilities, there are change tables in the plane bathrooms, at least on the ones we encountered for both our domestic and international flights.
• Baby wipes for bathroom changes and small trash bags for disposing of Pull-Ups in the plane garbage bin. We put these in our diaper bag and then also packed an extra pack of wipes in our carry-on bag, just in case our seats were rearranged and we had parents and toddlers separated, so everyone would have easy access to wipes, if needed.
• Hand sanitizer and wet wipes for sanitizing hands on-the-go. Trust me, they'll want to touch EVERY railing or escalator handle they can remotely reach.
• Two small backpacks for storing entertainment (more on these items, below) and snacks. Each twin will want their own bag to be responsible for or you may risk a meltdown. Don't chance a tantrum in the concourse. Get two small ones and pack them light, so they can each carry one (or so they're less cumbersome if you end up carrying them).
• Travel-friendly blankets and pillows (think a throw blanket and a mini-pillow). Get your kiddos cozy, and they may knock out for a fair chunk of the flight, which means you can rest or relax, too. Win-win.
• Snacks. Pack more than you think you'll need. You can always eat them while you're on vacation or use them for the flights home. Just don't bring fresh fruit or vegetables if you're traveling internationally, as you'll have to declare them and may have them confiscated. Keep this in mind, even if you're flying domestically and THEN connecting to an international flight; our initial flight was canceled and we ended up flying internationally on our first flight instead of our second, and I had almost packed fruit and then decided not to, so we didn't have to worry about it, but I was glad I decided not to bother being as healthy that morning.
• Milk or formula. But what about the liquid rule at security, you ask? The liquid rule doesn't apply to milk or formula and water for babies or toddlers. You still have to declare these items at the security screening line, but just tell them you have sippy cups or bottles with milk and / or formula for your children, and they'll scan and swab items as needed for their processes, and then you can carry on to your gate. There were no specific milliliter amounts specified for us, we just had a reasonable amount for the start of our travel day and planned to buy milk to put into their cups after the first flight.
• Any necessary inhalers or prescription medication for you and your toddlers. If your medication needs to be refrigerated, you can keep it cold with a combination of ice packs and instant cold packs. Have a doctor's letter for your medication, if needed. Put these medical items, including Children's Tylenol or Motrin, Gravol, Tums, or traveler's diarrhea medication, if you get ill while traveling, into a medically necessary bag and declare it at the security checkpoint. They may swab it during the screening process or ask you questions about it. Just be honest and explain why you have it.
• Sippy cups for use on the plane and throughout your travel day. We brought one set of cups for their milk and a second set of cups for their water and juice and it was doable without being too much to keep track of.
• Tablets that are stocked with downloaded content to keep your toddlers quietly entertained. We made sure they had a variety of movies, shows, games, and digital coloring books to keep them busy until they got tired enough to take a nap.
• Headphones for their tablets. Ideally, you'd want ones that are cordless while they're using the tablet but that also come with an audio cable to plug into the plane's entertainment system.
• Portable battery packs or charging cables for everybody's phones, tablets, etc., especially because you don't want their headphones to be drained if that's what's keeping them quiet on the flight.
• Coloring supplies that won't give you a heart attack mid-flight. We went with Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free coloring paper and markers. This way, they didn't accidentally color on any plane seats or tray tables if I wasn't paying close enough attention to their artwork session. Sticker sheets are a nice touch, but if you get them, just make sure your toddlers keep them on the paper you've given them for doodling on and don't stick it to the plane window or entertainment screen.
• A pack or two of travel tissue. We tossed one into the diaper bag and one into my personal bag, so we had them easily available if anyone needed to blow their nose to relieve discomfort in their ears during take-offs and landings. Pressure changes can affect the Eustachian tubes, and blowing your nose, sipping from a bottle or cup, or swallowing a treat can help equalize the pressure in the middle ear.
• Fruit snacks, suckers, or gummy worms. These are different from the regular snacks category. These are to have for take-offs and landings. This is another way to help your toddlers alleviate the feeling of fullness in their ears AND it also helps them make a positive association with an otherwise sort-of-scary experience (it can be loud when the plane takes off and when the landing gear comes out during descent; if they know a treat is coming at those times, it can make things a little better).

Now that we're through this portion of the packing checklist, I want to go back to the stroller. Whether you have a double-stroller or not, you may be leery about taking it to the airport and having it checked in for the flight. Instead of worrying about your nice stroller will fare on the flight, consider getting two cheaper single strollers that may not have all of the bells and whistles as your usual one but that will get your kiddos from Point A to Point B. We got ones like this for our trip, and they worked really well for our needs, especially for days we did a lot of walking and touring around.

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Disney Hide & Seek Mickey Umbrella Single Stroller

Cute Strollers That Get the Job Done

This is a lightweight single stroller that comes with a removable umbrella accessory to provide shade on sunny days. It has a handy cargo area underneath the seat where you can toss snacks, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, diapers, and wipes for your outings. It folds down easily for quick and compact storage.

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And I cannot tell you how much I love these portable power banks by Belkin. They're compact and have integrated cables, so you don't have to worry about bringing a separate cable for it to function. They were perfect for making sure everybody's devices wouldn't run out of juice on the plane AND they're handy to have during outings because if you're taking a lot of photos or videos while you're touring around, your phone can get tapped out pretty quickly.

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Belkin BoostCharge Portable Charger Power Bank

Portable Power

This is the BoostCharge Portable Charger Power Bank by Belkin. This battery pack has integrated Lightning & USB-C cables, plus a USB-C port. It provides up to 31 hours of additional power for your devices. Thanks to its thoughtful design, it can charge two devices at once (one on Lightning and the other on USB-C), with up to 23W of total output. You can even charge a device while the power bank recharges through the USB-C port. A handy LED indicator light lets you know when it's time to recharge the unit.

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Paw Patrol Fleece Blanket by Expressions

A Source of Warmth for the Plane

This is an ultra-soft fleece throw blanket for kids. It comes in many patterns, including Paw Patrol. It's 50 by 60 inches, so it's a great size for your toddlers to snuggle up with to keep cozy on the plane.

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Buckle Toys Buddy Activity Backpack

Holds Snacks & Attention During Travel

The Buddy Activity Backpack by Buckle Toys incorporates zipper and snap pockets, bright buckles, and various rainbow-colored clasps to encourage your toddlers to practice how to fasten and unfasten the clips through interactive play. The inner storage area of the bag allows your little ones to practice loading and unloading their books, toys, or other essentials, like airplane snacks, for when they're on-the-go. This bag saved us from boredom while we waited to deplane at our final destination.

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Paw Patrol Coloring Case by Bendon

An Essential Art Pack

This is a Paw Patrol-themed carry-along case by Bendon. It comes with 60 coloring pages, stickers, and markers—but they're REAL markers, so the fear of leaving permanent artwork on the plane is real. Instead, this case is the perfect size to swap in your Crayola Color Wonder markers and specially formulated coloring pages, so you can relax on the plane while they color to their heart's content.

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Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Markers

All Art, No Mess

This 10-pack of Color Wonder Markers makes mess-free coloring a reality when used with Crayola's specially formulated Color Wonder coloring pages. The ink from the markers won't show up on skin, walls, furniture, nor clothing. When used on the right paper, the drawing your toddler has applied transforms from clear to whatever color of marker they used for their artwork.

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Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Coloring Pages

Mess-Free Fun

This 50-page pack of Color Wonder paper can be used as-is for creative drawing or it can be used to print coloring pages from Crayola.com, so your toddlers can practice coloring within the lines of the designs.

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Things to consider for the hotel / condo rental

If you're renting a car, it makes sense to also rent car seats, unless you're bringing your own from home. This decision will probably depend on how old and mobile your children are. Ours were old enough to walk for the most part and be carried if the trek was too far. We opted to save ourselves the hassle of lugging two full-size convertible car seats around the airport (in addition to all of our carry-on luggage) and rented them as part of our shuttle service to and from the airport to our condo rental.

If dealing with overnight leaks is the norm at home, consider waterproofing for the mattress they'll be sleeping on at the rental. If your toddlers are working on potty training, just make sure they're dry right before bedtime and limit their liquid intake an hour or so before they start winding down for the night.

If your toddlers sleep in their own cribs or beds at home, sleeping in a hotel or condo all together can be a different experience. Beds may be higher than at home. Pillows may be bulkier (although, if you bring your own for the flight, they can use those at the hotel). Our condo had a ton of extra pillows, which we used to make sure we had a soft landing for any potential falls out of the full-size bed (luckily, that didn't happen).

If you use sleep sacks and baby monitors at home, still, pack those if you really think you can't get by without them. Our twins outgrew their sleep sacks about six months ago, so bringing them didn't even cross our mind. We do still use baby monitors in their bedroom, but we opted to go without them for the trip since our condo set-up allowed for easy check-ins once they went to sleep.

If your rental has a sofa bed, be careful, as they can pose a risk for small limbs to get caught, even if they're not open or set-up, when toddlers get playing or building forts on the couch.

• Packing checklist for the hotel / condo rental

This is the point of packing where you'll probably decide if you need three checked bags, or four. We went with three to limit how many we'd have to wrangle to and from the airport, even if they'd be checked in right away. And it turned out, if we'd gone with four bags, they all wouldn't have fit into our vehicle without some serious maneuvering and repacking.

• Stuffies. Don't bring the fan favorites. This will be a job for the second string, the ones that will provide comfort to your littles in a foreign place but that also won't be a disaster if they get lost somewhere along the way.
• Toiletries and hygiene items, like tear-free shampoo and baby wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste (I brought a small plastic cup to keep these off of the counter and I was so glad I did because they always wanted a sip of water after brushing their teeth), nail clippers (because even if you cut their nails mere hours before take-off, you'll somehow still end up with little daggers the day before you're set to fly home; it happened to us and we were only gone nine days, but I was SO happy I packed them), a comb or brush, cotton swabs, petroleum jelly and / or zinc to nip potential heat rash in the bud, etc.).
• A variety of t-shirts, tank tops, and shorts. The exact amount will depend on the length of your trip and whether or not you're planning on doing laundry while you're away. If you're planning on doing laundry, you can pack some dry laundry strips, which basically weigh nothing but can handle a load of laundry just like your normal detergent at home.
• Runners for your travel day. And then you'll have them if you'll be doing lots of walking.
• Sport socks to wear with their runners.
• Flip flops if it'll be hot and humid where you are. Our twins got new Reef slip-on sandals for our trip, and they absolutely loved them. Make sure to check the fit before your trip since kids' feet grow so quickly. If they fit them in the summer, just a few short months ago, they may not fit come wintertime. Or, they may appear to fit when slipped on but may actually be too tight for walking. Have them practice walking around the house ahead of time to ensure a proper fit, in case you need to buy new ones before your trip.
• Pajamas, both long and short-sleeved ones. I thought we'd use summer ones since we were at a hot locale, but our twins wanted their long-sleeved ones instead.
• Tropical outfits, if it's fitting for your destination. We got these two-piece shirt and short sets for our twins to wear when we surprised their grandparents by knocking on their door in Hawai'i. It set the scene but was also practical, so they had a nice button-down shirt for a nice dinner out.
• A potty seat for the hotel toilet. Your twins will already be in a new setting. Give them something familiar by having their usual potty seat from home at the hotel, so they don't have to feel worried about going to the bathroom in a new place.
• Disposable diaper pails. Can you use the hotel or rental's garbage for diapers or Pull-Ups? Sure. Do you want to smell that while you're on vacation? I doubt it. We brought a five-pack of disposable diaper pails by Munchkin with us. They weighed almost nothing, so I felt like they didn't even count toward my checked luggage weight, and they held up amazingly well for everyday use for our travel purposes. They kept the stink where it was supposed to be (yes, you need to be prepared for a waft of unholiness when you open the seal to toss the next one in, but when you close the resealable tab, whatever you put in there will stay in there and you'll forget all about any scary diapers you had to deal with). Five pails was just enough for our nine-day trip with our twins, with two of those days being travel-and-changing-diapers-in-airports-and-airplane days.
• Pull-Ups and baby wipes for the rental bathroom (you can also plan to buy these at your destination, if you prefer to have less weight in your checked bags). We packed enough Pull-Ups and baby wipes for the first three or so days, knowing we'd go to a store to stock up on what we needed for the next week before we returned home. Try not to overbuy, though, so you don't end up with a bunch of extra weight to carry home or leave behind if you can't fit them in your bags.
• Baby wipes for the kitchen and eating area if you're staying in a condo rental.
• Any sippy cups, plates or bowls, and toddler-friendly utensils you feel you might need or want while you're away. We brought a handful of each, since they're so light. We mostly just used the utensils and cups and didn't really need the bowls or plates because the ones at the condo were toddler-friendly-enough for our needs.
• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. This is something small that will provide big entertainment wherever you're staying. You'll be able to enjoy all of your usual shows, channels, or movies just like you were at home. Which is huge, if your toddlers are asking to watch the Paw Patrol movie for the umpteenth time. Telling them you can't access it where you are will not suffice, so grab one of these, plug it into the TV's HDMI plug-in (you can also get a plug adapter, if needed), and you'll be ready to rock for those moments where you need to unwind or get a few things done while your little ones are distracted and sitting quietly.
• If your hotel or condo has a balcony your twins can theoretically access, consider if you'll need to childproof the doors and bring whatever you will need for that, whether it's zip ties, a belt, or something else. We kept the curtains closed where the balcony entrance was, so our twins didn't even know there was a way to get out there, but I brought a sash-style belt along with us, in case we needed to tie it shut during our stay.
• Garbage bags to separate dirty laundry in your suitcase on the way home.
• Towels and a garbage bag to wrap any wet clothing in for the flight home. I assumed our bathing suits would be dry by the time we got to our last day, but lo and behold, they were not, because everyone wanted to hit up the beach one more time since we had a late flight. We used a hairdryer to get our suits mostly dry, and then folded them each up into a towel and closed them in a garbage bag to keep everything else in our checked luggage dry. It worked like a charm. Just don't forget to unpack that part of the bag right away when you get home, so things don't have a chance to get moldy or stinky.

Now that we're through this portion of the packing checklist, here's a closer look at some of the items we recommend checking out to make things easier during your travel adventure.

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Tropical Print Button Down Shirt & Shorts Set

Tropical Duds

This is a two-piece shirt and shorts set with a tropical Hawaiian print. Your toddlers will look the part once they don these duds. Aside from being adorable, they're also practical because the button-down shirt works well for a nice dinner out.

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Munchkin Sturdy Potty Seat

A Secure Seat for Potty Time

This is the Munchkin Sturdy Potty Seat. It's simple to use and has sturdy handles to help your toddlers feel secure when they use the big kid potty. It has a non-skid base and built-in splash guard, which means you'll encounter zero messes for number ones OR number twos. It's available in green and white, or and gray and white.

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Munchkin Toss Disposable Diaper Pail, 5-Pack

The Best Pails for Traveling

This is a five-pack of Munchkin's Toss Disposable Diaper Pail. The pails are compact and portable, which make them an ideal candidate while traveling or on-the-go. Each pail has a resealable lid that keeps the bulk of the smells contained until you break the seal to dispose of the next diaper. The bin has a window to show how much space remains inside, which helps you plan when it's time to start the next pail. We had a five-pack and it lasted us for a nine-day trip, with a bit of room to spare.

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Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Entertainment Anywhere You Go

This is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It's a streaming device that allows you to watch free and live television without cable or satellite. You can stream over 700,000 movies and TV episodes from services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Crave, and more in 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio. It supports Wi-Fi 6E, giving you smoother 4K streaming, even when other devices are connected to your router.

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Toddler Pillow, 2 Pack, by Utopia Bedding

Soft Pillows for Snoozing

This is a two-pack of soft and breathable toddler pillows. They have a cotton blend shell and polyester filling, and at 13 by 18 inches, they're the perfect size for traveling. We brought our twins' pillowcase covers from home, so they'd have some familiarity in the condo bedroom.

• See at Amazon

Things to consider for the beach / outings

When you're packing and thinking about your outings, try to pare things down as much as you can and keep things to the bare-bones essentials. Keep in mind your "I'd love to have" versus "I need to have" list.

While, in a perfect world, you'd have absolutely everything you could imagine for every scenario, the truth is that you can get by for the day without most of the stuff you'd normally pack.

Is it scary to leave some of those "What if we need" items at home? Sure. But remember, there will be stores where you're going (probably? Unless you're going somewhere REALLY remote), so if you get to your destination and decide you absolutely must have whatever you left at home, then you can buy it when you're there at a store that's probably super close to where you're staying, anyways.

• Packing checklist for the beach / outings

This is the other point of packing where you may change your mind and decide on four checked bags instead of three. If you do, make sure you definitely pack everything into your vehicle a day early to make sure everything will fit, unless you're planning on having a shuttle pick you up (and if you do, then make sure it's equipped with car seats appropriate for your toddlers' age and weight).

• Single strollers for each twin (unless you're bringing your double-stroller from home). We bought inexpensive ones at our destination and then checked them in with our luggage on the way home since they were free to check in for each toddler.
• Sunscreen (and baby wipes for greasy hands after application). Instead of a full pack of wipes, I grabbed about 15 wipes and tossed them into a Ziploc bag to keep our bags lighter during our outings.
• A separate Ziploc bag to throw phones into to avoid sand getting into everything at the beach.
• Sunglasses and sun hats. We brought baseball caps with a mesh back for breathability on our daily outings and also packed sun hats with wider brims for better ear coverage at the beach.
• Bathing suits and rash guards with UV protection.
• Swim diapers. We purposely saved a leftover pack from the summertime, in case these were hard to find in the off-season, when our trip would take place.
• Water wings and / or life jackets for the pool / ocean. These hardly weighed anything, which was nice for my checked luggage. Pack them in a garbage bag to contain any water droplets or sand when you travel home…trust me, you'll think you shook all the sand out before you left, but you'll be finding it for weeks after.
• Sandcastle pails sand shovels for important excavations at the beach.
• Beach towels and a beach bag for all your beach gear.
• Sippy cups or bottles of water to stay hydrated on-the-go.
• Snacks, snacks, and more snacks. Bring a variety of things they like, from chewy, to salty, to sweet (fruit snacks, crackers, cookies, even cheese strings if you have a cooler and ice pack coming with you). When you think you've packed enough snacks, pack two more per kid because if you don't, they'll never eat when you want them to, and then they'll tell you they're hungry the second actual food is feasibly out of reach. One day, we went through all of our snacks by the time we finished our first excursion of the day. We lucked out that we had a stop and meal coming up, so they were good to go after that, but I was worried what would happen if they wanted more when there was no more in sight.
• Bandages and antibiotic ointment. If you're not putting these into your checked luggage, put them into your medically essential bag for security screening, so it doesn't get confiscated.
• Instant cold packs for unexpected boo-boos. We bought a pack of these to keep some prescription medication refrigerated for our travel day, and they came in so handy during outings if anybody needed a quick cooldown in the heat or had to deal with, say, a scraped knee from gleefully chasing all of the birdies in the zoo.

Now that we're through this portion of the packing checklist, here's a closer look at some of the items we recommend checking out to make things easier during your excursions while on vacation.

TwinsyTwins Shop

Instant Cold Packs, 24-Pack, by Affordtex

Instant Cold Packs for Traveling

This is a 24-pack of instant cold packs by Affordtex. They don't require prior freezing and can be easily activated in seconds when needed. At just 7.5 inches by 4.5 inches, they're great for traveling, hiking, or having on-hand at sporting events to reduce pain and swelling. If you don't need to keep anything cool during your travel day, throw these into your checked luggage. If they're in your carry-on bags, you'll need to declare them at security checkpoints because they have liquid in them.

• See at Amazon

TwinsyTwins Shop

Kids Polarized Sunglasses, 3-Pack, by DYLB

UV Protection Made Fun

This is a three-pack of children's polarized sunglasses by DYLB. With a soft and flexible rubber silicone frame, they're designed to be held and manipulated by small hands. These anti-glare sunglasses have lenses that filter both UVA and UVB rays, providing complete eye protection. They're designed to fit kids from ages three to nine, and each three-pack comes with a variety of bright colors to wear.

• See at Amazon

TwinsyTwins Shop

Adjustable Toddler Mesh Baseball Cap by Watame

Stylish & Breathable

This is an adjustable baseball cap by Watame. This sun hat is designed to fit kids from ages three to six and comes in several colors and cute patterns. Best of all, it has mesh on the back of the hat for breathability, which is ideal on hot and humid days.

• See at Amazon

TwinsyTwins Shop

Paw Patrol Chase & Marshall Two-Piece Tumbler Set by Zak Designs

No Kid is Too Big, No Cup is Too Small!

This is a two-cup set of leak-proof tumblers featuring Chase and Marshall from Paw Patrol. The drinking vessels come with screw-on lids that have a straw. Made of durable plastic and silicone, these BPA-free cups hold 15 ounces of liquid to keep your little ones hydrated.

• See at Amazon

Double-check your checklist

And there you have it, that's your ultimate guide to packing for air travel with your twin toddlers! Is your head spinning yet?

It's a lot to go over and think about, but at least now you'll be thinking about all of these things BEFORE you travel, and not after you've left, so that when you get where you're going, you can check-out and truly be on island time.

You have your list. Check it twice. Add anything you feel should be added because every kid and every family will have different needs, but this list should cover almost everything you'll need to to travel with your toddlers.

Yes, traveling with your twin toddlers is a colossal undertaking.

Yes, you may wonder if it was the right decision more than once leading up to—and during—your trip.

But you'll realize, after all is said and done, that it was totally worth all the planning, prep, and pandemonium to experience such a special and memorable time together.

Have you traveled with multiple toddlers before? Did you forget anything you wish you'd brought? Did you overpack and wish you'd left more things at home? What is your biggest piece of advice for anyone who will be going on a big trip with their toddlers for the first time? Let us know in the Comments section below.

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