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Travelling with a child is a normal trip plus twenty small things, each invisible until the moment it’s needed. The list above covers documents, the road, carry-on and the first days at the destination: tick things off as you pack — the checkmarks will still be there for the next trip. Put the first-aid kit together with your doctor — we deliberately give no medical advice.
A week before departure
Three things you cannot buy at the airport: the child’s own documents (check the ID card expiry — children’s are shorter), the European health insurance card (free, but comes by post) and the other parent’s consent if you travel abroad alone. Everything else can be solved with money on site — these three only in advance.
FAQ
Does a child need their own document within Europe?
Yes — every child needs their own: an ID card is enough for Schengen, a passport beyond it. Children are not written into parents’ documents.
Bring your own car seat or rent one?
Your own seat is a known history and most airlines fly it free as child luggage; a rental spares the carrying but its quality and age are a lottery. Short trips usually favour renting, long ones — your own.
What gets forgotten most often?
Chargers, hats and a spare outfit in the carry-on (turbulence + juice = a mid-flight change). That’s why the list has a dedicated carry-on group — walk through it on the last evening.