I have written about anxieties I have had traveling solo with toddler twin kids which manifested themselves into reality. While there were a handful of ups and downs, thanks to meticulous planning on my part, both flights went pretty smoothly. These are my best tips for traveling with twins. Especially when you are going at it solo.
- Seat Choice – Choose seats towards the front of the plane. I know most suggest near the bathrooms but I prefer closer to the exit. Choosing seats near the front of the plane makes for a much quicker exit. After a long flight, neither you nor your toddlers want to be on that plane any longer than you need to. Also, using the distance between you and the bathroom as a reason to get up and take a little walk is a useful tool to have a change of scenery and get a little exercise.
- A Bag per Person – Before the trip we went to Target and I let the boys pick out their own backpack. I was under no illusion that they would carry their own bag, however, knowing we each got a carry on bag allowed me to put stuff in their bag without trying to jam everything into my bag. They loved having their own bag, I think mostly because as a twin you don’t get a lot of things that are just yours at this age. Each kid’s bag held their entertainment plus lunch while my bag was more of an emergency kit filled with change of clothes, wipes, things of that nature.
Pack new items that they don’t see until they are on the plane
- Entertainment – This is really the key to happy children on a plane. Leading up to our flight I bought some toys so when we got on the plane everything would be new for them. The only item that was from the house were some cars which I let them each pick out 5 to take on the plane. I packed sticker books, magic paint books, a brand new car, magna doodles, and a new paw patrol each. I also brought 2 movies and downloaded a couple of episodes of their favorite show onto my phone. The airplane is the only place where there is no such thing as too much tv! I also brought an old iPhone so they could each have one to play a game if they wanted. ***Get a splitter so both their headphones can plug into one device!
Make sure the activity is age appropriate so you aren’t having to constantly do it for them
- Snacks – I packed a ton of food that was easily consumed with little mess. At the airport I bought bagels and bananas for breakfast but all else was brought from home, as there isn’t much to choose from on the plane that works for kids, plus it is expensive. I made them each a sandwich for lunch and I packed apples, goldfish crackers, Little Duck gummies, and granola bars. I tried to pack items low in sugar so I didn’t end up with 2 hyper toddlers stuck in a 5×5 space. I also let them kind of graze throughout the flight instead of sticking to our daily eating schedule. Eating becomes an activity when you are 40,000 feet in the air.
Not many of us have multiple devices, that is where a double splitter comes in handy
- Toilet Seat – It isn’t super pleasant to carry a toilet topper up and down the aisle with you however, it is a must have when you have fairly newly potty trained twins. The toilet in an airplane is slightly scary to them as it looks like it drops into a black hole and it is really loud in there. Neither of them wanted to sit on it nor was I thrilled with that notion. Those seats are gross! So we brought our Elmo topper with us. I just kept it in a plastic bag when not in use. And much to their dismay, I put the boys in pull ups. They hate them so I called it their special plane underwear and pretending I had some on too. I did not want to deal trying to get to the bathroom with two if we had a particularly bumpy flight or if we were locked to our seats for turbulence.
- Guest Pass – Airlines will let you have a guest help you right up to the gate, so make sure you have whomever is bringing you to the airport allot enough time that they can wait with you until you board. It is extremely helpful getting through security, allows you to grab anything you need from the kiosk and go to the bathroom on your own before you are tied down to two toddlers for 6 plus hours.
