Traveling Tips

I received a formspring question this week: "What are your tips on traveling with multiples?"  My boys are just 13 months, so I can only answer how we've done it with babes on an airplane.

1. Bring help!  Only once did I fly alone with the boys when they were tiny, and while I survived (read about it here), I do NOT recommend it.  I think I'll be able to try it again when they are old enough to obey directions to stay put - otherwise, I need another adult.

2. Strollers: if the babies are still in their carseats, take a snap-and-go type stroller that your carseats fit into.  We bought ours on Cragslist for $20 and schlepped it all over the world until it died (tribute blog here).  Now, when we fly, we take two umbrella strollers. We do that so we can fold down the strollers to go through the security screening machine at the airport (our uber-limo double stroller weighs 40lbs. and takes up the back of our van when folded).

Me, the boys, and the beloved Snap and Go in St. Maarten.

 The boys in their umbrella strollers we use now, visiting Dow Gardens.

3. Carseats: when we fly, we try to get each boy a seat and strap him in his carseat.  I did a LOT of research when we moved up from the Snugrides.  We decided on the Sunshine Kids Radian 65's, which are top-rated carseats that fold down and can be carried through an airport backpack-style. Even though we could hold the boys, and have, we don't like doing it - for safety AND sanity!

Hubby, Matthew, and our beloved Snugrides buckled into the seat.

We use the Sunshine Radians in the van every day, too.  They're bulky, but still easier to carry through the airport and get into an airplane seat than I believe other convertible carseats are.  I had to use the above photo because we don't take pics when we're sherpas at the airport!

4. Food: You are allowed to take bottles for each baby through security, so do it!  You just have to declare it before you go through security and they will open it up to test it - they just wave a "sniffing" wand over the milk.  We've also just taken formula through and mixed it up with bottled water and a hot cup of water for warming from a coffee shop on the other side of security.  Jarred baby food is okay, too- we took the plastic sealed tubs.  Now that they're older, we take a lot of snacks: puffs, cheerios, yogurt bites, goldfish, you name it!  

5. Sleeping arrangements: we've done it both ways - take the pack and plays and use hotel cribs.  Both worked fine, even though we once had a hotel staffer tell us that two cribs were a fire hazard.  We just asked a different staffer and got them.  Our boys have each had their own bed from day one, and we're just not willing to sacrifice sleep to experiment putting them in one together.  The room is pretty mushed, but it's worth it, especially when we have to sleep in there, too.

Crib with a view

Those are the ones that come to mind first.  What about you?  Anyone out there have tips for traveling with kids?  I could use some because as the fellas get older, they're tougher to entertain.