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Packing List for Traveling With Toddlers (Carry-On Only as a Solo Parent)

ByKristi
A gray double stroller, a rolling suitcase, and a backpack stand at an airport check-in kiosk. A young boy wearing a red Cars T-shirt stands beside them, looking down.
We only travel with a carry-on size suitcase, a backpack, and a double stroller – even for long international trips!

I’ve taken my toddlers on short getaways and multi-week international trips—all with just a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. No checked luggage. No hauling car seats or giant diaper bags. It’s absolutely possible to pack light when you’re traveling with kids—if you’ve got a solid plan.

Whether I’m flying solo with toddlers for a 4-day trip or heading overseas for two weeks, this is my real packing list for traveling with toddlers. I’ll show you exactly what I pack (and what I skip), how I fit it all, and what makes it manageable as a solo parent.

Note: all product links provided in this post are the exact items we have used and love, unless otherwise noted.

How I Pack Light With Toddlers (Even for Long Trips)

This trip is only four days long, but I used this same approach for a two-week trip across Canada and Europe last fall. For longer trips, I pack about 5–7 days’ worth of clothes and plan to do laundry on the road. Most hotels have laundry facilities, and in cities, you can usually find laundromats or even send laundry out to be cleaned.

I travel with:

  • One carry-on sized suitcase (my exact suitcase is no longer available, but this one is similar)
  • One large backpack (my exact backpack is no longer available, but this one is similar)
  • My Zoe Twin+ V1 stroller with handle attachment, which I use in the airport and gate-check at the plane door

I also keep one full change of clothes for each of us in the backpack. Even if I’m not checking bags, this has saved me more than once—like during the blowout diaper situation that ended up all over my shirt before our transatlantic flight even left the gate (yes, really).

Packing List for Traveling With Toddlers: What’s in My Suitcase

A complete flat lay of a suitcase's contents for a trip with toddlers, including shoes, diapers, clothes, toys, a sound machine, and a Disney Parks mini backpack—perfect for a visual packing list for traveling with toddlers.
All of the items that will go into our carry-on size suitcase.
  • Crocs for all 3 of us
  • 5 shirts, 5 pants, 5 underwear, 5 socks for each kid
  • 4 shirts, 4 pants, 4 underwear, 4 socks for mom
  • 3 sets pajamas for each kid
  • 2 sets pajamas for mom
  • 3 bras for mom
  • Pull-ups (5 per kid)
  • Sound machine
  • Small Disney backpack for day to day use (I use a Loungefly backpack, similar to this one)
  • Swimsuits for all of us
  • My son’s beloved Elmo stuffie

Inside My Carry-On Suitcase

The bottom layer of a suitcase packed with toddler clothing, pull-ups, Crocs, and soft baby clothes, tightly rolled for space efficiency.
The bottom layer of the kid’s side of the suitcase.
A top layer of a suitcase packed with toddler essentials including underwear, pajamas, swimwear, and a plush red Elmo toy nestled among folded clothes.
The top layer of the kid’s side of the suitcase.
A close-up of one side of a suitcase packed with adult clothing including leggings, sweaters, and a rolled-up swimsuit with a blue-green paisley print.
Mom’s side of the suitcase.
An open suitcase showing a neatly packed Disney-themed backpack, sound machine, clothing, and accessories on one side, with toddler clothes and toys organized under mesh compartments on the other.
The carry-on size suticase fully packed and ready to close.
A hard-shell suitcase overpacked and unable to zip shut, with clothing, a travel pouch, and a printed Disney backpack spilling out from the edges.
Suitcase looks full bit it’s still an easy close and could fit even more!

What’s in My Backpack (Carry-On Essentials for Traveling With Kids)

A flat lay of carry-on essentials for traveling with toddlers, including toiletries, diapers, clothes, snacks, water bottles, electronics, toys, medications, tablets, and a hair tool—everything neatly arranged on a bed for easy reference.
All of the items that will go into our carry-on backpack.

Inside My Backpack

The inside of a carry-on backpack fully packed with diapers, a sock, clothes, water bottles, a hair tool, and a zip pouch—organized and toddler-ready.
Most of the items fit easily into the main compartment of the backpack, with room to spare!
A peek inside the front compartment of a carry-on backpack showing a smartwatch, charging cables, and a handheld gaming console—toddler travel entertainment essentials.
Charging cables and small electronics in the front compartment of the backpack.
The back pocket of a Deego backpack unzipped to reveal two kids’ tablets with protective cases, securely strapped in for easy access during travel.
The kid’s iPads slip easily into the laptop pocket in the back compartment of the backpack.
A close-up of a front pocket on the Deego backpack showing a travel wallet partially tucked inside, emphasizing organized carry-on essentials for traveling with toddlers.
Travel wallet with all of our important documents slips easily into the front pocket of the backpack for easy access.

What I Leave Behind

Part of packing light with kids is knowing what not to bring. I rely on the destination for things like:

  • Towels (hotels always have them)
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Hair dryer
  • Water (we bring reusable bottles and refill or purchase as needed)
  • Car seats/RideSafer Vest (read why here: Traveling Without Car Seats)
  • Breast pumps (I’m no longer nursing, but if you are—they’re allowed as an extra carry-on!)
  • Stroller cover (I don’t use one for gate-checking)
  • Stroller bag (same as above)

Things I Used to Pack But Don’t Anymore

If your kids are younger, you might need more gear than we do now. Here’s what used to come with us but no longer makes the cut:

Final Thoughts: Packing Light With Toddlers Is Possible

A soft blush-pink Deego backpack sits next to a black Samsonite hard-shell suitcase, both fully packed and ready for toddler travel.
Carry-on size suitcase and backpack all packed up and ready to go!

Traveling solo with toddlers doesn’t mean you need to lug half the house with you. With the right strategy and some intentional choices, you really can get away with just a carry-on and a backpack.

This packing list for traveling with toddlers has served me on everything from short trips to full-on international adventures. I hope it helps you simplify your next trip and proves that traveling light—even with little ones—is absolutely doable.

Got a trip coming up? Let me know what you’re packing or what questions you have—I’d love to hear!

More Posts to Help You Travel With Toddlers

Kristi is a mom, a world traveler, and a commercial pilot spouse who travels solo regularly with her two young children. Together, they have visited Disney World many times, cruised, and traveled to cities across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Prior to having children, Kristi visited places all over the Americas, Europe, and Africa, and spent time doing volunteer work in remote villages in the mountains of Peru. She worked as a Concierge Cast Member in Disney World for 3 years, participates in runDisney races, and regularly spends her free time keeping up with the constant changes and developments in all things Disney.