Travelling overseas with 2 & 5yr old

Hi, in a few weeks time we will be moving to the US. It will be the first time we've travelled overseas with the kids & I was just wondering if anyone who has travelled long distance with young kids has any tips or advice that might help keep the stress levels down. I think my 5yr old should cope ok, but i'm really not sure what to expect with my wee 2yr old. I'm also not sure what to do about a carseat for him, the one we currently have is not certified for the states, i'm torn between waiting to buy one when we arrive (the same seat looks cheaper to purchase there rather than here) & relying on shuttles/buses while travelling but don't want to get into a situation where i need one & don't have it. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I'm leaving for Germany on Sunday, flying solo with my daughter. It's the third time I am doing this trip with her but I think this age will be the more challenging one.

I am taking a couple of new toys for her (a wooden puzzle and a new Duplo set)

I am also packing healthy, low sugar/salt and preservative free snacks. I want her to snack as a time killer but do not want her hyped up on sugar and stuff.

No help on the carseat front. We are taking our seat, I don't even know if it is certified in Europe but it keeps her safe here so I don't see how it should be different over there.

Thanks for the advice. I'm normally such a stickler for the rules that i hadn't even thought about taking our current carseat but it totally makes sense, so thanks for that.

ToniF wrote: Hi, in a few weeks time we will be moving to the US. It will be the first time we've travelled overseas with the kids & I was just wondering if anyone who has travelled long distance with young kids has any tips or advice that might help keep the stress levels down. I think my 5yr old should cope ok, but i'm really not sure what to expect with my wee 2yr old. I'm also not sure what to do about a carseat for him, the one we currently have is not certified for the states, i'm torn between waiting to buy one when we arrive (the same seat looks cheaper to purchase there rather than here) & relying on shuttles/buses while travelling but don't want to get into a situation where i need one & don't have it. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

When we emigrated from the UK to NZ when DS1 was 2.5 we fetched his seat with us....but only because we knew it was legal here and we wanted to be able to 'confine' him on the plane if necessary. He actually coped very well; he spent his time sleeping or being entertained by the in-seat entertainment or DVDs. He pretty much ate anything so we got a children's meal for him which is pretty bog standard for kids meals so if you want a bit healthier or know there is something in particular they like then take some of your own stuff.

We just flew back to the UK for the first time since coming out here, last year, with DS1 who was nearly 8 at the time and DS2 was nearly 4. We were very concerned about DS2 because he hasn't previously traveled well, but he surprised everyone by coping really well wit the journey. Again they spent their time sleeping, playing games or being entertained by in-seat entertainment/DVDs. DS2 actually coped better on the trip home than DS1 did. We took some Rescue Remedy with us in case we needed it...but I don't recommend Phenergan, as another poster pointed out it can make them hypo (did the one and only time we gave it to DS2) and the last thing you want when stuck on a tin can that you can't get off. Plus if you give it to him and he has a reaction..20,000 feet half way across the Pacific isn't an ideal place to have it.

Sometimes I think we stress ourselves out worrying about what might happen, when the vast majority of the time things will work out fine.