10 things to do before you fly abroad with your toddler

Start early

01 Check entry requirements

I start with the passport and entry requirements for every traveler, including the toddler. I check our destination countries and any relevant transit stops: passport validity, blank pages, visas, travel authorizations, and any documents required for a child.

There isn’t one passport-validity rule for every trip, but generally, a six- or twelve-month margin covers everything.

The U.S. State Department’s travel checklist and Sherpa’s travel-requirements tool are useful starting points. When in doubt, I cross-check both resources. Apply direct for visas to save on fees and avoid being scammed.

Around booking

02 Sort travel insurance early

I use InsureMyTrip to compare plans. I look at who is covered, medical and evacuation coverage, cancellation and interruption benefits, exclusions, and purchase deadlines.

Some benefits depend on buying within a plan’s specified window after your first trip payment. That’s why I look early, rather than leaving insurance until the night before we fly.

I also review the coverage on the card used to book our trip. I always use my Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum cards as complimentary insurance. The difference is the purchased insurance has wider coverage, including medical, more reasons for trip cancellations, and it doesn't matter what card you use. Insurance provided by premium credit cards typically only cover purchases made on that card. For example, I love the Chase Sapphire Reserve for rental cars because eligible rentals include theft and collision coverage. With a toddler, I ensure I have both.

Chase Sapphire Reserve travel protections

• Rental car theft & collision: up to $75,000 for an eligible rental. Coverage is generally primary, with exceptions, including certain U.S. rentals by New York residents.
• Baggage delay: essential purchases after a delay over six hours, up to $100 per day for five days.
• Trip delay: up to $500 per covered traveler per trip for reasonable, unreimbursed expenses after a qualifying delay over six hours or requiring an overnight stay.
• Trip cancellation & interruption: up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for eligible prepaid, nonrefundable expenses after a covered event, with a $40,000 account limit per 12 months.
• Lost luggage: up to $3,000 per covered traveler for eligible checked or carry-on luggage losses, subject to item sublimits.
• Emergency medical & dental: up to $2,500 with a $50 deductible on qualifying trips at least 100 miles from home.
• Emergency evacuation: up to $100,000 on qualifying trips lasting 5–60 days and over 100 miles from home; the benefits provider must authorize and arrange the service in advance.
• Travel accident insurance: up to $1 million for covered accidental death or dismemberment.
• Roadside assistance: up to $50 per eligible incident, four times per year.

Check Chase’s current Reserve benefits and the Guide to Benefits for the full terms.

Before departure

03 Get your phone ready to connect

I usually use Airalo because I have AT&T and it's much cheaper and more convenient to buy and configure an eSIM prior to departure. On Airalo, you can select eSIMs for a specific country or region, whether you're buying data only or if calls and texts are included.

To install the eSIM, follow the instructions provided by Airalo and ensure you're on WiFi.

Before departure

04 Set up how you’ll get around

I download the local taxi or rideshare app, create the account, and configure the payment method before we go. It’s easier to do those steps when I’m not also managing Apollo and our luggage.

I also download the areas we’ll visit in Google Maps where offline downloads are supported (e.g. not China) so I don't have to rely on cellular data or WiFi to know where I am and get around.

For car seats, if your child is an infant, I highly recommend the Doona because it's a car seat and stroller in one. Plus the newer version allows for a recline so your child is not stuck in that car seat position all the time (e.g. naps on the go). Sometimes you can request a car seat if you opt for a hotel transfer or car service. Some rideshare apps allow you to request a car with a car seat. When renting a car, you can rent a car seat.

Before departure

05 Confirm your AirTags are working

I check the AirTags on our luggage, stroller, car seat, and other important belongings. In Find My, I open Items, confirm each one appears, and replace any battery showing a Low Battery message. It’s a small check that belongs on the list before everything is zipped up. This step is especially useful for bulky baby items like car seats and strollers as they're prime suspects for getting lost, regardless if you check, gate check, or bring them onboard. We discovered Apollo's Doona was left at our departure airport multiple times and were able to locate it before the airline did!

Before airline deadlines

06 Recheck seats and meal options

I check our seat assignments (especially useful if you didn't find good seats at booking or on aircraft change) again and pre-order meals before their cutoffs. Not only are there usually more options when pre-ordering your meals (e.g. on United or Book the Cook on Singapore Airlines), but you don't want to be stuck with a meal you don't want on a long flight. I ask specifically about infant or child meals. I also check for availability of whole milk. Just because an airline serves coffee on board, doesn't mean it's always served with whole milk. I've seen milk alternatives, skim milk, and even oat milk, with no option for whole milk.

AeroLOPA is useful for researching cabin layouts. Most of the time, not all seats are created equal! I then complete seat selection on the airline's website. Airline family-travel pages, such as British Airways’ food and drink guidance, are the place to check child-meal options.

Before each flight

07 Know where everyone can eat

I research lounges at our departure and connecting airports: the terminal, access rules, opening hours, and food options. That helps me plan our meals and decide what extra food to bring for the toddler.

I also check child and guest policies. A membership or eligible card doesn’t make every lounge visit automatic; entry can depend on the lounge’s rules and capacity.

Where I check lounge access

• Priority Pass, often included with premium credit cards. Check your card’s membership benefits and the individual lounge listing for visits, guests, and children.
• Mastercard Travel Pass, powered by DragonPass, if your card issuer offers it. Included visits and guest fees depend on the card.
• Amex Lounge Finder and Centurion Lounge access rules, if you hold an eligible American Express card.
• Chase Sapphire Lounges and Capital One lounges. Confirm your specific card’s eligibility, guest policy, and entry window.
• Airline status and lounge access. For example, Star Alliance Gold can provide access to designated lounges with an eligible same-day departing Star Alliance-operated flight, on international and some domestic itineraries.

Check food-service hours as well as lounge opening hours, and keep a backup meal plan. I bring food and drinks for the toddler even when a lounge visit is in our plans.

When the submission window opens

08 Submit arrival and health forms

I check each destination’s official submission window and set a reminder using our actual arrival date. An arrival form can have a different deadline from a visa or travel authorization, so I track them separately. In general, use official portals and not third party sites.

For example, Singapore and Thailand, use the free official portals: the SG Arrival Card through Singapore’s ICA and the Thailand Digital Arrival Card through Thai Immigration. Check the current window and any exemptions on those sites, and submit for every family member who needs one. Thailand’s requirement includes infants and children.

I save the confirmations with our trip documents. Arrival cards don’t replace any required visa, and a connecting flight may have different requirements depending on whether you clear immigration.

Before leaving

09 Keep important documents available offline

I want our important documents accessible even when the airport Wi-Fi isn’t working. Here’s what I keep ready before we leave.

Printed & offline copies

• Passports
• Birth certificate for babies
• Flight confirmations, including onward or return flights
• Driver’s license
• Vaccination records, such as a Yellow Fever certificate when required
• Required visas or authorizations

Offline copy

• Hotel reservation confirmation

I also keep insurance details, and arrival confirmations easy to find.

Bring the required original travel documents as well. Copies are useful backups, and I keep them separate from the originals; they don’t replace a passport or another required original document.

Requirements for parental consent, proof of your relationship to a child, immunizations, and onward travel vary by itinerary. The State Department’s guidance for travel with minors is a helpful starting point. Airlines may need to validate documents before issuing a boarding pass, so have them accessible before check-in.

Before leaving

10 Sort your cards and cash

I bring cards without foreign transaction fees and check my ATM card’s PIN (oh hey sometimes you forget, never needing cash in SF thanks to Apple Pay), expiry date, and account balance. I also bring any leftover currency from our destination.

I use my Charles Schwab debit card for ATM withdrawals. The Schwab Bank Investor Checking Visa Platinum Debit Card has no foreign transaction fees and refunds ATM cash-withdrawal fees at the end of the month, domestic and international.

When an ATM or POS system offers its own currency conversion, always choose local currency and decline that conversion.