June’s storiesFamily · Tips & practical

What we actually packed for a toddler

The list we wish we'd had: what earned its place in the bag over three weeks, and the eleven things that came home unused.

Profile picture of June & Teo MarshJune & Teo Marsh22 August 2026 · 1 min read

Before Pip, we travelled with one bag each and a sense of superiority. Now we travel with a bag each, a bag for Pip, a bag for Pip's things that don't fit in Pip's bag, and the sense of superiority has been left at home to save weight.

A pair of small blue shoes on a bed
Her shoes. Two pairs. She wore one of them.

01 Worth every gram

  • A soft carrier. Lisbon, Sintra, the Cíes lighthouse: none of it is possible with wheels.
  • A small, folding pushchair that goes in the overhead locker, for flat bits and naps.
  • A travel cot sheet from home. Every cot is fine. Every cot smells wrong.
  • Two snack boxes with lids that a two-year-old can't open in a restaurant, which is to say none.
  • Plasters, a thermometer and Calpol. We used all three on the same day in Porto.
  • One new toy, kept secret, brought out on the hardest day. It was the drive to Santiago.

02 Carried for three weeks and never used

ThingWhy we brought itWhy we didn't need it
A second pushchair rain coverGaliciaThe first one was enough, and so was the arcade
Eight picture booksBedtimeShe wanted the same one every night
A plug-in night lightStrange roomsEvery flat had a hall light and a toddler who didn't care
Swimming nappies, 20BeachesWe swam twice. Fifteen degrees.
A tablet with cartoonsThe flightShe slept. We watched the cartoons.

Pack for the trip you're taking, not the one you're afraid of.

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