Carry-on luggage with children

Carry-on luggage with kids? That’s how we’ve been doing it for 6 years!

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Before – without kids – we always traveled as a couple with a suitcase. Even for a week’s summer vacation, everyone checked in a large suitcase at the airport. Today, as a family, we travel almost exclusively with carry-on luggage – and honestly, it’s the best thing we’ve discovered for ourselves.

We’ve been flying with our child for six years – with only carry-on luggage. Yes, it’s possible. And it makes traveling with children so much easier.

Why carry-on luggage with kids is the best decision:

Flying with children can be quite challenging. You’re juggling passports, snacks, toys, mood swings – so less luggage is a real advantage. No waiting at the baggage carousel with a whiny child, no worrying about lost luggage. Instead: backpack on, everything within reach, let’s go. And if your child empties their water bottle over you? No problem – a change of clothes is in the carry-on. Exactly where you need it.

Our tip: Start with sunshine

If you’re thinking about traveling with carry-on luggage with kids, it’s best to start with a trip to the sun. Why?

  • Summer clothes take up less space
  • No thick jackets, shoes or snowsuits
  • If something needs to be washed, it dries super fast

Our first flight with a baby was to Italy in the summer – with only carry-on luggage. That was the perfect start. Today we usually travel with one backpack each – one for each person. We don’t need more than that.

That's how we travel today – without any suitcases

Friends of ours are regularly asked at the airport if they are emigrating – even for three weeks in Mallorca. We, on the other hand, get surprised looks from the hotel staff:
“Where are your suitcases?”
Our answer:
“We only have our backpacks with us – carry-on luggage is perfectly sufficient with a child.”

And we mean that seriously – whether we’re away for a weekend or a whole month. We travel almost exclusively with carry-on luggage. Not because we like to do without, but because it gives us so much more freedom.

For example, the freedom to take the smallest rental car – a Fiat 500, preferably as a convertible, and drive relaxed through Italy. That wouldn’t be possible with suitcases – the trunk alone is far too small for that. And honestly, we don’t miss the big pieces of luggage at all.

On the contrary – we have repeatedly had the experience:
No matter how big a suitcase is – you tend to fill it up.
Whether you really need the things or not is secondary. Space = potential for excess baggage.

Today we pack more purposefully, more minimalist – and if we miss something on the way? Then we can find a washing machine everywhere, be it in the hotel, in the vacation apartment or in the laundromat next door. It’s amazing how little you really need when you pack consciously – especially when traveling with children.

Of course, there are also a few minor disadvantages:
You can’t just take every bottle of wine or every large souvenir with you. Liquids are limited to a maximum of 100 ml, and the space for souvenirs is very limited.

But even that can be solved:
📦 Send a small package home
🎁 Only buy what really matters
🧴 And care products are available almost everywhere – or you can take solid versions with you (shampoo soap, solid toothpaste, etc.)

In the end, the lightness, flexibility and peace that traveling with only carry-on luggage with child(ren) brings clearly outweighs the disadvantages for us.

What we have learned in 6 years

After countless flights, luggage decisions (and bad decisions 😅), snack rescue operations and packing experiments, we have learned a few things. The most important thing?

👉 Less really is more.

We used to pack too much – especially toys and clothes. Many things came back unused or were not needed on the way.

Today we know:

  • The child doesn’t need 7 toys – 2 are perfectly sufficient.
  • Better 2 proven outfits than 5 “just in case” items.
  • And: The bigger the piece of luggage, the more you stuff in.

Our packing list is shorter, more thought-out and simpler today – but just right. And if we forget something? Then we solved it on the way – be it with a spontaneous purchase, a washing machine or simply with flexibility.

Traveling with children teaches serenity.
And carry-on luggage often brings it faster than you think.

Best Practices for Carry-on Luggage with Kids

After six years of traveling with (only) carry-on luggage, certain things have proven themselves time and again. Some of them were real game changers, others simply turned out to be logical over time. Here I share our tried-and-tested best practices that make traveling with children easier, more organized and more relaxed – literally.

1. The right backpack is worth its weight in gold

We’ve tried everything – trolleys, suitcases, weekender bags. But with children, a well-structured backpack has proven to be the most effective as carry-on luggage.
Important:

  • Padded straps
  • Large opening
  • Practical compartment layout
  • Separate compartment for documents
  • Max. size matching the airline (e.g. 40x20x25 cm)

The smaller the backpack, the less you pack – and that’s exactly what helps.

Also pay attention to the respective baggage regulations – the differences between airlines can be large. In my article on the carry-on baggage guidelines of the 7 most popular airlines you will find a practical overview.

2. Reduce clothing – wash instead of lugging

We don’t pack a completely new outfit for every day, but try to reuse as much as possible. We usually wear pants several times, but not underwear, of course. We usually take one T-shirt per day, depending on the weather and activity. Our goal is to pack for about 7 days – no matter how long the trip lasts. After that, it will be washed: Either classically in the accommodation (washing machine or laundromat) or on the go by hand – for example with the Scrubba Wash Bag, a small travel washing machine that is super practical. This saves us space, weight and nerves – and we really only pack what we need.

3. Liquids? Only the essentials

The 100 ml limit is not a drama – on the contrary: it helps us not to take too much with us. We use:
  • Travel sizes
  • Solid products (shampoo, shower gel)
  • Refillable bottles
  • Or buy sunscreen on site, for example
Works without any problems – and saves space and weight.

4. Toys: Less is more

We only take what is really used:

  • 1 favorite toy
  • 1 small novelty (surprise!)
  • 1 activity such as a sticker book, coloring book or audio play

Tablet & headphones? Yes – but not from the beginning. We deliberately rely on analog entertainment.

Less is more – and the right toy makes the difference. Here you can find my Top 6 toys for the plane, which have really proven themselves with us.

5. Involve children

Our daughter is allowed to pack her backpack herself – with a little support. She knows: toys, snacks, clothes – that’s “her luggage”. This not only strengthens her self-confidence, but also relieves us as parents. But the packing goes even further with us: We also involve her in the selection of clothing. Of course not with the emergency outfit in the carry-on luggage – that remains practical. But for the rest of the suitcase contents (or backpack) she can help decide which items of clothing come with her. This has two major advantages: No discussions at the vacation destination (“But I want the unicorn shirt!”) More anticipation because she is consciously engaged with the trip We use a small checklist and discuss together what makes sense. Packing becomes a joint preparation – and not a parental monologue. And yes: a glitter dress is also allowed, even if we are only going camping.

Our most important things in carry-on luggage with a child

After numerous trips, we know exactly what has proven itself. Here are our personal must-haves:
  • Snacks – always at hand, for every mood
  • Tangible change of clothes + garbage bag – because something can always happen
  • Wet wipes, plasters, disinfectant
  • Tablet with audio plays + headphones
  • A favorite toy + a new, small extra
  • Passports, boarding passes & insurance documents – organized & quickly accessible
These things have often saved our day – especially on long flights, delays or small disasters like a tipped over water bottle. They have now automatically become part of our carry-on luggage and have proven themselves in every situation – whether on a short trip to Italy or on a long-haul flight to Hawaii. Are you traveling with a buggy? In my article “Buggy on the plane: These 12 airlines allow it on board” you will find a practical overview.

Our packing list for carry-on luggage with children

If you expect the ultimate packing list for everyone here, I have to disappoint you. Because even though we now fly almost exclusively with carry-on luggage, every trip is different – and so is our packing list. What we can say, however: We always pack individually – but in any case minimalist. Here you will find an overview of the things that have really proven themselves for us in recent years – as inspiration, not as a set of rules.

🧳 Important documents

  • Passports and digital copies
  • Flight tickets and other travel documents
  • Health insurance card or travel insurance
  • if necessary, declaration of consent for single parents

🧼 Care & Hygiene

  • Wet wipes, diapers (depending on age)
  • Mini toiletry bag
  • Medication & plasters
  • Garbage bags / Zipbags

🎒 Occupation material

  • 1–2 favorite toys
  • Coloring book & pencils
  • small books or sticker book
  • Tablet with pre-installed games, audio plays or videos (depending on age)
  • Child-friendly headphones

🥨 Snacks

  • Crackers, pretzels
  • Cookies (preferably without chocolate)
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Squeezies, bars
  • Dried fruit, such as raisins

👕 Clothing

  • Comfortable basics that can be easily combined in terms of color
  • Onion principle: several thin layers instead of one thick layer
  • Pajamas
  • Underwear
  • Socks
  • Sun hat
  • Sandals

Conclusion: Carry-on luggage with children = less stress, more lightness

Carry-on luggage with children sounds impossible for many at first. For us, it is a matter of course today – and has made our travel life so much more relaxed.

You really don’t need much – just the right thing. And with a little practice, the packing chaos becomes a well-rehearsed routine.

If you have packed several outfits for every day of your trip so far, then start to slowly reduce:

  • 👕 First: 1 outfit per day
  • 📉 Then: Travel days minus 1 outfit
  • 📉 And further: Travel time minus 2 outfits

Until you notice: I have everything with me – and yet the backpack is not full.

Because the more consciously you pack, the better you get to know yourself (and your child) as a traveler. And if you forget something that you urgently need: Shopping opportunities are really everywhere in the world. From diapers to sun hats to toothbrushes – everything can be bought on the way.

So if you’re wondering if you can do that too:
Yes, you can. Start easy, travel consciously – and enjoy the time together with your child instead of spending it lugging suitcases.

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