OMG what is wrong with you people. OP asked a perfectly straightforward question and everyone wants to lecture her instead on a topic on which she did not ask for advice. I’m sure she knows what CAN travel with all the baby’s gear; she just doesn’t WANT to.

It’s as if someone asked from washer dryer recommendations and you told them they can just buy a pair of 3 dollar plastic buckets and a clothesline.

UPS works fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was hoping people would report experience with such services because I am interested in using them.
Do I need to do my own post? No kids, 2 seniors, we love love love overpacking .

Honest question? What do you do will all of that stuff? My parents similarly make a hobby out of overpacking and then act as though it’s some sort of plight that has happened to them without their consent.

We go on longish trips sometimes to multiple environments eg Sydney, Singapore, Fiji
and take 2 dive bags of gear. We also have an entire carryon with prescription meds and vital OTC meds. We stay in areas that don't have supermarkets and Western drugstores. We stay in hotels and prefer not to HAVE to do laundry. Some resorts do it free, so that is good but most don't.

You can clip a cosco scenera to your stroller handle using attached tether. Baby in stroller to gate check. Carry on backpack. Share a checked suitcase.

Anonymous wrote:I was hoping people would report experience with such services because I am interested in using them.
Do I need to do my own post? No kids, 2 seniors, we love love love overpacking .

I'm learning the joys of packing less. Navy and white everything.

Make sure you're staying somewhere with laundry facilities. Buy foreign diapers, baby food etc so you only need to carry this for the first few days, or get whoever you are staying with to buy them before you arrive.

I have started to use ShipSkis for my skis. Cheaper to send than rent and easier for me, especially when traveling solo, to get through the airport with the rest of my gear. Also easier when combining skiing with other travel. It’s door to door - pick up at house, deliver to hotel. ShipSkis also does golf clubs and maybe does other bulky equipment?

Do a practice run-through of what you think you need and what you can realistically manage on your own. This has always helped me be realistic with what I need vs what I want. If I can't carry it myself, then it doesn't come.

My son and I share one small roller back suitcase and I have a carry-one back pack for the flight. For the longest time, we traveled with a foldable Pea Pod travel bed because it was so much easier to manage our kids' naps and nights - especially if we were staying somewhere we couldn't find a pack-n-play. Many things you can purchase where you are going (diapers etc). And you can also ship some stuff to yourself if you really need to (a box by USPS to your hotel).

Car seats and strollers can be bulky, but they have come up with so many great ways of carrying them that it has gotten much easier. Another tip we found was using an easily foldable small and light weight stroller then minute we realistically could with our kids. There are many things that are nice to have and you use a lot at home but they might not be so useful when you travel - or look for travel specific items that fold down small, are collapsible etc.

OP I understand what you’re saying. At 1.5 years old, I took a solo trip for 4 days with my kiddo and the bag weighed 50lbs. We were visiting family in a cabin with no laundry and I mean, the diapers alone.

That said, as long as you can get in a checked bag, a backpack, and a stroller you’ll be fine unless you have to walk long distances outside the airport. At the airport, there’s lots of help available and as long as anyone under 3 can be strapped into something, you’ll be fine.

We just used Sendmybag.com and found it really easy and useful. We were sending from London to Virginia and had to fill out a packing list of items so that we didn't have to pay customs on our own belongings.

It wasn't super cheap but for various reasons we couldn't carry on all the clothes with us. I had a lot of questions about the process and they were great about answering questions in an online chat.

KayJay wrote:Thanks for the replies so far. I'm really thinking about logistically - like, if I'm one person traveling solo with a kid, how do I bring the kid, their stuff AND my stuff?

I travelled a lot with my DS as a solo parent. The hardest part is going through security.

Always have one item on wheels. That can be a stroller if it’s needed or a rolling suitcase.
If bringing a stroller then luggage has to be a backpack. Second smaller carryon can be hung from handles of stroller if you can’t manage both on your person.

If child is walking then rolling suitcase, small backpack for child, another small carry on for yourself that can sit on top of rolling suitcase. Easier to hang onto child if you aren’t carrying luggage.

I never travelled with a pack n play. Hotels always had one.

I’ve never used a luggage service. I’d rather have all my stuff with me.

KayJay wrote:Thanks for the replies so far. I'm really thinking about logistically - like, if I'm one person traveling solo with a kid, how do I bring the kid, their stuff AND my stuff?

I took my three year old - who had a broken leg - to Europe from IAD for a week by myself. 20L backpack with hip belt was the extent of our luggage (carried on), he carried on his Thomas the Tank Engine backpack. Checked front-facing car seat, which I installed in Ubers. Gate checked umbrella stroller. Carried him to gate checked stroller, hung the car seat and Thomas backpack on the back of the stroller. You can do this!

I don't think it is so easy tbh and especially with a child + stroller + a suitcase and one person (this is key here, bc if two adults one handles stuff and the other the kid(s). You only have two hands. If rich enough I 100% would want to travel with just a diaper bag and stroller like I'm going out for a stroll in my neighborhood, so freeing!