The summer of the staycation! I’m sure I can’t be the only person when faced with being able to staycation again that was terrified at the thought – of what to pack, of what we might need, of what it was like to travel with a toddler… Travel with a baby seems so long ago already, and so much has changed!
We’ve managed to squeeze in 4 self-catering staycations since last October and thankfully they’ve been a dream, so here’s my hacks to help make a toddler in tow staycation work out!
Packing list
Essential. I’ve had one since his first trip when he was about 7 weeks old and I’ve edited it for every trip and staycation since. I keep it in google so I can edit it on the go and it’s like my holiday bible. Especially now holiday’s are fewer and further between. I’ve still got a little section of it for trips that involve flights, maybe one day we’ll need passports and E111s again!
Stickers and magazines
This is a new little tradition we started and definitely makes the journey run smoother. About an hour into our drive we stop at a service station for diesel, coffee and for Little P to pick a new magazine. He is of course drawn by the plastic tat attached to the magazine but that doesn’t bother me – the plastic tat, followed by reading of the magazine and the finding of stickers inside the magazine makes the next 90 minutes of driving time run like a dream! We also always pack a new sticker book which continues to be part of a winning car journey formula!
Things to do en route
Kids shouldn’t spend too much time in their car seats and nor should our bladders! And we all need some fresh air and exercise on a journey. Pre-baby we tried to get from A to B as quick as possible but now we stop for a couple of hours to explore and have lunch. It makes more of an adventure of the travel day and there’s some cool places when you start looking. Between Hampshire and Dittisham we found Becky Falls Country Park and Pecorama Trains. Between Hampshire and Anglesey there’s the Gruffalo Trail at Cannnock, a Monkey Forest nearby and RAF Cosford museum which are truly perfect for a couple of hours. We finish our journey in peace while the little one naps!
Pack supper
There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere and trying to find somewhere to eat or hoping your food delivery turns up on time. We pack the food we need for tea and milk for bedtime. I have a food flask that keeps food warm for us which is really handy in the autumn/winter, and pretty much every Sistema box available! I book a food delivery for the evening once the toddler is asleep and we are settled. I’ve settled on ASDA for my deliveries, I’ve found it easy to find slots in random places and they email about missing items or substitutions in good time to pick something up en route. Also, easy to forget – but pack milk/tea/wine/nibbles, holidays aren’t all about the little people!
Toddler lilo
By the time our little one was about 14 months old he’d worked out that travel cots with their mesh a) aren’t very friendly and b) can be pushed over with a bit of effort. I did a lot of googling and found my way to an Intex toddler lilo. Like an adult one but with sides to contain the child. It’s perfect. Ours takes a few minutes to blow up and make into a bed and he sleeps like a dream in it. It’s really handy for a staycation or hotel stay as it packs up small and is often far nicer than the alternative that might be left for you to use.
Travel pushchair
Our travel pushchair hasn’t had quite the use I intended for it – pushing it on and off aeroplanes – but it has been a god send on our staycations. It fits in hand luggage so it’s tiny, so we sling it into the boot of the car and forget it’s there. We’ve taken it on tiny steam trains and ferry’s because it folds up so small. If we’re lugging stuff round a town then it’s good either for the toddler or the bags. The best thing is that if you don’t need to use it on a trip, it doesn’t get in the way or take up half the car boot, but it’s there if you need it!
Picnic rug and tent
We have a habit of losing our rugs so this spring I found us a new one! I found an excellent waterproof mat that doesn’t have fluffy material on it like most do which means it is easy to wipe clean. It also wraps up super small so is perfect for slinging in the bottom of a rucksack too. We’ve also got a beach shelter/tent which we use in the garden at home as well as at the beach. So good for sun shade or to shelter from the wind.
Portable high chair
Having your own travel high chair is super useful and we’ve got a foam booster one as well as one that attaches to a solid table. I bought them for use away but also at home when we have playdates that include toddler teatime! It’s really nice to be able to use something that you know is clean if you are out and about and we just keep ours in a corner of the car boot in case we need it.
Swim towel
If you have the good luck to find accommodation with a pool in the UK then chances are that changing facilities are currently limited. So a swim towel that has a hood that you can just put on your child as they get out of the pool that they can then walk back to your cottage or room wearing is so very useful. Also small to keep in a rucksack for a beach day. Talking of water, our little one hates wearing puddle suits now he’s ‘grown up’ but on a rainy summers day in the UK his has been a godsend!
Potty
I am so glad I bought a My Carry Potty as the poo that always seems to need to be done just after the start of a car journey stays closed away in the potty until we get to a loo to flush it down. No smell at all! Sure they are a bit of a pain to lug around but for the no smell no leak benefit I’ll take it!
Packing cubes
An essential for all trips but with toddlers even more handy. If you’re looking for clean clothes in the night, or scrabbling round in the back of the car then it makes it easy to find things. My toddler likes to unpack bags too and the packing squares slow him down for long enough that I can divert his attention elsewhere! They really are useful and keep the suitcase nice and neat and manageable!
Other staycation essentials
A black out blind is essential, so many holiday homes have thin curtains and being able to make the room dark at bedtime just like home is really important. As is a nightlight or sleep clock so that there’s enough light in an unfamiliar place if they wake at night – I either take our Gro one or the Calpol plug in. And while we’re on Calpol, obviously you need the adult version – wine and beer – because it’s time to relax and make sure you have a holiday break too!
We’ve got a large car and fill it to the brim for a staycation, but what tips do you have and what have I missed? Have you got a staycation planned?
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