Published: October 12, 2026

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

With some planning, you can help keep kids healthy and safer as you travel. Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Traveling by car

Babies and young children must always travel in a car seat. All babies and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the weight or height limits from the car seat manufacturer. Once your child has outgrown the limit, they should ride in a forward-facing car seat. Older children should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly. This usually is around age 8 to 12, when they reach 4’9″ in height.

• Plan to stop driving and give yourself and the family a break every two hours.
• Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute. The temperature inside a car can reach deadly levels in minutes, whether in a hot climate or cold climate.
• Pack a first-aid kit, blanket, water, snacks, hand wipes and sanitizer, diaper rash ointment, toys and games that can be played in a car.

Traveling by plane

• Strollers can be brought through airport security and gate-checked to make travel with small children easier, and airlines typically will allow a car seat as luggage with no additional fee.

Staying well

• Ensure children and adults are up to date on recommended vaccines.
• Before you leave, check in with your child’s pediatrician to ensure they don’t need preventive medicines or refills.
• During travel, wash hands frequently, and bring hand-washing gel and disinfectant wipes.
• Babies do not have strong immune systems, so it’s especially important to ensure everyone around them frequently washes their hands. Limit baby’s exposure to crowds, other children and anyone with a cold.
• As much as possible, stick to the habits that keep your children healthy at home. Maintain sleep schedules, limit sugar intake and get exercise every day.

Finally, give yourself a break, too! The surprises, stresses and messy moments that happen are just part of the holiday stories you’ll tell in years to come.

Out of town? Where to go for care. If you can’t get to your pediatrician, here’s how to know where to go: