Family at an airport with young children getting ready to board a plane

Travel essentials.

Your complete guide to travelling with a baby or toddler — from cabin-approved strollers to travel beds and portable high chairs.

Travel guide

One Brand. Every Travel Moment.

Planning a holiday with a baby or toddler means thinking about every moment — the flight, the hotel, mealtimes, and sleep. This guide covers it all, with expert advice for UK parents travelling with children from newborn to 6 years old.

Pre-holiday checklist

Baby Travel Essentials

Whether you're flying short-haul from Gatwick or embarking on a long-haul adventure, travelling with a baby or toddler requires preparation. The good news? With the right kit, family travel can be genuinely joyful.

A cabin-approved travel stroller

Lightweight, compact, and fold-small enough for the overhead bin.

A travel high chair

For safe, comfortable feeding wherever you are.

A kids' travel bag or suitcase

Ideally one that doubles as in-flight entertainment.

A portable travel bed

So your little one sleeps well away from home.

A baby carrier

Essential for airport navigation and busy sightseeing days.

By age

Traveling by age: What you actually need.

Your child's age changes everything. Here's how to think about travel gear at each stage — so you pack smart, not heavy.

0–6 months

Newborn travel: safety and comfort first

Travelling with a newborn can feel daunting, but babies under 6 months are often the easiest travel companions — they sleep a lot and don't yet need much entertaining. The priorities at this stage are safe sleep, feeding, and keeping them close.

  • Baby carrier — keeps your hands free at security and boarding.

  • Newborn-compatible stroller — the YOYO³ accommodates babies from birth.

  • Portable sleep surface — most hotel cots are not travel-safe; a dedicated travel bed gives peace of mind.

NHS guidance recommends that babies under 4 weeks should not travel by air without medical advice.

Parent cradling a newborn in an ergonomic baby carrier while navigating a bright, modern airport terminal

6 months – 2 years

The gear-intensive phase

Once your baby is sitting up, the travel kit list grows. This is the phase where a great travel stroller, portable high chair, and proper sleep solution make the biggest difference.

  • Cabin-approved stroller — reclines, has a sun canopy, light enough to carry one-handed.
  • Portable high chair — restaurant high chairs vary wildly abroad. Bringing your own guarantees safety and hygiene.
  • Travel pram accessories — rain cover, leg rest, and cup holder transform a stroller into a full day-out kit.
Baby aged around 9 months sitting upright in a lightweight compact stroller on a sunny European street, parent relaxed beside them

2–4 years

Toddlers: keeping them moving and happy

Toddlers are mobile, opinionated, and easily bored — which means travel gear needs to work as hard as they do.

  • A stroller that's still compact — many parents continue using a travel buggy until age 3–4.
  • Kids' travel luggage — a ride-on suitcase like JetKids BedBox™ turns the airport into an adventure.
  • An accessible bag — the JetKids BackPack lets toddlers carry their own.
Excited toddler riding on a JetKids BedBox ride-on suitcase through an airport departure hall, parent walking alongside

3–6 years

Pre-schoolers: independent little travellers

By age 3–4, most children are walking confidently and no longer need a stroller full-time — but a lightweight buggy for tired legs is still wise on longer trips.

  • In-flight comfort — the JetKids BedBox™ extends into a leg rest and bed platform.
  • Their own luggage — children love having their own bag to pack and carry.
  • Continued use of a travel high chair — the Clikk™ is suitable up to 3 years and 15 kg.
Young child aged around 4 sleeping comfortably on a JetKids BedBox in-flight bed extension in an airplane economy seat

Strollers

Choosing a cabin-approved travel stroller

Not all compact strollers fit in the overhead bin. Here's what UK parents need to know before flying.

What to look for

What makes a good travel pushchair?

The best travel strollers combine three things: a compact fold, low weight, and genuine usability day-to-day.

Folded dimensions

Must fit within airline cabin baggage limits.

Weight

Aim for under 7 kg so you can carry it one-handed through security.

Fold mechanism

One-hand or one-motion folds are essential when you're carrying a baby.

Recline

Important for napping children and for babies under 6 months.

Basket size

Underbasket storage replaces a second bag on travel days.

Durability

A travel pushchair gets knocked about — look for robust frames and quality wheels.
YOYO3 stroller folded to compact dimensions being placed into an aircraft overhead luggage bin with ease

UK airline rules

Cabin baggage dimensions (2026)

Cabin baggage rules vary by airline. Here's a quick reference for the four most popular UK carriers, and how the YOYO³ (folded: 52 × 44 × 18 cm) compares.

  • easyJet — 56 × 45 × 25 cm. YOYO³: fits comfortably.

  • Ryanair — 55 × 40 × 20 cm. YOYO³: exceeds the 40 cm width limit; consider gate-checking.

  • British Airways — 56 × 45 × 25 cm. YOYO³: fits comfortably.

  • Jet2 — 56 × 45 × 25 cm. YOYO³: fits within allowance.

Always verify the latest cabin baggage rules directly with your airline before travel.

Infographic-style overhead view of YOYO3 stroller folded dimensions next to an airline overhead bin measurement guide

High chairs

Safe feeding, anywhere in the world.

Restaurant high chairs are inconsistent. A portable high chair you trust is one of the most underrated travel items.

What to look for

A portable high chair you can trust

The Stokke® Clikk™ delivers on every criterion: tool-free assembly in under a minute, just 3.62 kg, dishwasher-safe tray, machine-washable 5-point harness — suitable from 6 months to 3 years.

Assembly time

Sets up in seconds, not minutes.

Weight

Every gram counts in a holiday bag.

Harness safety

A 5-point harness is the gold standard.

Tray hygiene

Dishwasher-safe or easily wipeable for real-world mealtimes.

Age range

The best travel high chairs grow with your child.
Stokke Clikk high chair fully assembled on a terrace at a holiday villa, toddler eating happily with a Mediterranean backdrop

Bags & luggage

Make the airport an adventure.

The right kids' luggage doesn't just carry things — it keeps children engaged, builds independence, and turns queuing into playtime.

Ride-on case + in-flight bed

JetKids™ BedBox™

The Stokke® JetKids BedBox™ is unlike any other children's travel suitcase. During the journey to the airport, it's a ride-on case — toddlers sit on top and parents push, turning long terminal walks into something children actually enjoy. During the flight, it transforms into a bed extension: slide it under the seat in front, and children can stretch out and sleep across a flat surface.

  • Ride-on function for the airport and everywhere in between.

  • In-flight bed extends the economy seat into a flat sleeping platform.

  • Approved for most airlines — fits under standard economy seats.

Young child riding on a JetKids BedBox suitcase being steered by a parent through a bright modern airport terminal, both smiling

Their first travel companion

JetKids™ BackPack

Designed for children who want to carry their own things, the JetKids BackPack is built for small shoulders and big adventures. Ergonomically shaped to distribute weight comfortably.

  • Sized to fit as a personal item under the seat in front.
  • Roomy enough for snacks, a small toy, and a change of clothes.
  • Coordinates with the BedBox for a matching travel set.
Smiling toddler wearing a JetKids BackPack confidently walking through an airport boarding gate, parents behind them

Travel beds

Sleep well, everywhere.

Toddler sleeping soundly on a Stokke CloudSleeper inflatable travel bed in a bright hotel room, soft lighting, cosy atmosphere

Hotel room cots are often old, poorly maintained, or simply not available. The Stokke® JetKids™ CloudSleeper is the solution. Designed specifically for children (not repurposed camping gear), it inflates to create a supportive, comfortable sleep surface that feels reassuringly familiar. It packs down small enough to fit inside a suitcase and is built to the safety standards parents expect from Stokke.

Carriers

Hands-free, holiday-ready.

At busy airports, narrow aircraft aisles, or on uneven terrain where strollers can't go, a baby carrier is indispensable. The Stokke® Limas™ Carrier is designed with ergonomic M-position support — so your baby's hips are positioned safely and comfortably for as long as you carry them.

  • M-position hip seat — recommended by hip health specialists.

  • Suitable from birth (3.2 kg / 7 lbs) without additional inserts.

  • Soft organic cotton — ideal for warmer travel destinations.

  • Folds flat — easily packed in a changing bag or hand luggage.

Parent wearing a Stokke Limas carrier with a contented baby at a sun-drenched European market, hands free and relaxed

Top tips

Flying with a baby or toddler.

Practical advice from parents who've done it — covering packing, airport navigation, and keeping little ones calm in the air.
Before you fly: the packing strategy+

Overpacking is one of the most common mistakes parents make on their first trip. Here's what actually matters:

  • Pack the night before — tired-parent packing leads to forgotten essentials.
  • Change of clothes in hand luggage — at least two for babies, one for toddlers (and one for you).
  • Snacks and small toys in accessible pockets — not buried in checked baggage.
  • Familiar sleep item — a muslin or small soft toy signals sleep time regardless of location.
  • Ear pressure tip — breastfeeding, a dummy, or a bottle during take-off and landing helps babies manage ear pressure changes.
  • Check in online and early — request a bulkhead or bassinet seat if flying long-haul with an infant.
At the airport: navigation made easy+

Airports with a baby or toddler are manageable — if you're prepared.

  • Arrive early — add an extra 45–60 minutes to your normal buffer with a young child.

  • Use the family security lane — most UK airports offer priority lanes for families with pushchairs.

  • Keep the stroller until the gate — gate-checking is free on most airlines.

  • Or take it in the cabin — a cabin-approved stroller like the YOYO³ goes in the overhead bin.

  • Carrier through security — wearing your baby through security means one less thing to fold.

The Stokke travel ecosystem

Everything you need, in one trusted brand.

See all travel products
Stokke YOYO3 stroller folded compactly, showing its minimal footprint for cabin travel

YOYO³ Stroller

Cabin-approved. 6.2 kg. Birth to 4 years.
Stokke Clikk high chair assembled on a holiday terrace, tray in place, ready for mealtime

Clikk™ High Chair

Tool-free setup in under a minute. 3.62 kg.
JetKids BedBox shown in ride-on mode at an airport and then as in-flight bed on aircraft seat

JetKids™ BedBox™

Ride-on suitcase + in-flight bed.
Stokke CloudSleeper inflatable travel bed set up in a hotel room with child sleeping peacefully

JetKids™ CloudSleeper

Portable inflatable travel bed for children.
Stokke Limas carrier with a baby in ergonomic M-position, parent exploring a new city hands-free

Limas™ Carrier

Ergonomic babywearing. Birth to toddler.
JetKids BackPack worn by a toddler confidently walking through airport departure gates

JetKids™ BackPack

Their first travel adventure bag.
Placeholder image

Snoozi™ Bassinet

Portable and lightweight for sleep on the go.

Ready to travel? Start with the Stokke travel checklist.

From cabin-approved pushchairs to portable high chairs and travel beds — explore the complete Stokke travel range and find everything you need for your next adventure.