Check out our international family travel must-haves below, including kid-friendly gear, packing organizers, portable strollers, travel accessories, and must-have family travel gear that has made traveling with our kids much smoother and less stressful.
Hanke Large Rolling Suitcase We really like the Hanke luggage brand. It’s not too expensive, holds up well, rolls smoothly, and I love the top opening design.
Monos Carry-on Suitcase (see pic below) If every luggage we own could be MONOS brand, what a dream! We got this as a gift, and here’s why we LOVE it:
Rolling Carry-on Suitcase (see pic below) Front access laptop compartment is great. Rolls smoothly. Good zipper. More roomy inside than the Monos, but shorter at 20″. This is a good size for those budget airlines in Asia and Europe. Overall, really happy with the price and functions of this suitcase.
Kids Rolling Backpack Before we got these, my kids were always complaining about their backpacks being too heavy to carry from gate to gate. Now, they can easily roll it on their own. Highly recommend for kids ages 4-12. On an international flight or even a road trip, they can have everything they need right at their feet.
Weekender Bag My under-the-seat bag. Love that it has a quick access laptop compartment, a shoe compartment on the bottom, and the luggage sleeve that slides over my rolling carry-on suitcase.
Laptop Tote for Women My go-to laptop tote — I particularly liked that it has a water bottle compartment inside the purse. The two deep magnetic pockets in the front and back are perfect for my phone and wallet.
Crossbody Shoulder Bag for Women(see ice cream pic below) To say I take this bag with me EVERYWHERE is an understatement — multiple flights, Disney, little French villages, island hopping in Thailand, even quick doctor visits. It literally fits everything I need for a day out-and-about (passport, wallet, phone, Power Bank, Portable fan, bandaids, chapstick, etc) — all in front of me at my fingertips!
Swiss Gear Backpack for Men Witt really likes this backpack. Not only does he take it to work everyday, he then uses it as his under-the-seat bag for flights. It really stores a lot, is very durable, and has lots of functional compartments.
Compression Packing Cubes – Get one color per family member! Don’t just get any packing cubes, make sure they are compression packing bags. They compress the air out of your clothes to give you more room in your luggage. Each person in my family has their own color packing cubes to keep us all organized while on trips. Plus, our kids can their own clothes (use my Free Packing List per family member) and keep up with them the entire trip. These are a game changer when packing for families!
Passport Wallet This helps me easily keep up with all our passports, tickets, credit cards, etc in one place! We never take a flight without bringing our passport wallet along!
Apple Tags – Easily track your luggage, keys, or kids! This is such a great product to ‘tag’ onto your luggage, purse, backpack, keys, even on our kids’ shoes at Disney! You can name each tag individually, and we can instantly see where that person or item is on our ‘Find My Phone” app. Really a great product. We’ve had our set for 3 years, and the battery is still going strong.
Leather Luggage Tags (pack of 4) Just a good quality, beautifully designed set of 4 luggage tags to put your name and phone number on (we choose not to put our address on them).
Power Bank (Portable Battery Charger) – This is a MUST MUST Keep your phone, iPads, computers, and other electronics all charged on the go. This is a must-have for any flight, international trip, road trip, camping trip, etc. My suggestion is to get one with at least 20,000 MaH (how much battery power it has to give) and 45-60W output (how strong the power it’s giving — phones need about 15-30W. Ipads need about 30-45W and computers need 45-60W).
Synology Your own private Cloud to keep your documents, photos, videos, etc on a private server at home, but that can be easily accessed online or at the tap of an app. We save a lot of money monthly not needing to pay Google or Apple for their Cloud services.
External Hard Drive 2TB to save all those photos and videos from your trips!
Kids Bluetooth Headphones Important to have for long international flights because the airlines provide headphones that are too big for little heads and also to protect little ears from loud decibels that could cause permanent damage
Portable White Noise Machine Having a portable noise machine is a game changer! No more having to tip toe around the hotel room while little ones are sleeping.
DJI Phone Stabilizer with Advanced Tracking A stabilizer is really helpful to get smooth, not bumpy videos. This one has advanced tracking, a built-in tripod, and can rotate 360′ degrees.
Electronics Organizer Bag I’m a sucker for some organized cords!
Universal Travel Adapter Because Thailand uses Types A, B, C, and O plugs, this travel adapter is helpful to have.
Bug Bite Thing – traveling or not, we use this everyday! Clinically proven to stop the itching and swelling caused by insect venom and saliva. We have one of these upstairs and downstairs, in our car, and an extra we take on trips to the park, mountains, etc. Works on: mosquitoes, bees, wasps, biting flies, chiggers, sea lice & more!
First Air Travel Kit We have one in our car and one for taking trips. I like that the bag is waterproof and red, so it’s easy to find. I usually add Kids Benadryl for unexpected allergic reactions and Melatonin vitamin gummies to help us get over jet lag.
Awola Water Bottle – once you try it, you can’t go back! We have one for every family member! We love that you can sip or gulp, and it keeps our water cold til like the next day!
Thermos Kids Water Bottles After trying 10-15 different no-spill water bottles, this one is the best and easy-to clean.
Yoyo Baby Stroller Forgo every bulky stroller and get THIS one! It is so lightweight, durable, and folds up to be the size of a carry-on for flights. No need to gate check! This means it doesn’t take up too much trunk space either.
Boda Baby Carrier Ergonomic Baby Carrier with a mesh exterior that is light and airy and not too hot. Babies can face in, face out, or on the parent’s back. Since strollers aren’t really practical for everyday life in Bangkok, I highly recommend you use a baby carrier when visiting Bangkok.
Bjorn Baby Bouncer This was a lifesaver with our newborn to 6 month old. He was happy sitting in it while I got ready in the morning, cooked meals, etc. It bounces slightly if you push it. It folds up to be completely flat, which is why we took it on EVERY trip with our baby. If mama can be hands-free for even 10 minutes every couple hours, that is the biggest blessing!
Portable Changing Pad This is a must-have for traveling with babies! We could literally change our babies anywhere with this pad — a chair, the floor, a table. Having the diapers, wipes, and diaper cream right there all in one was so handy on-the-go!
Diaper Backpack For your upcoming travels, a diaper ‘backpack’ is much easier to handle and manage through airport screening and long day trips. I personally love how stylish this one is. Plus the inside was spacious, well organized, and even had an ipad compartment. Do note: the leather means it can get quite heavy on those long travel days.
Snack Bento Boxes These are perfect for our kids on travel days — whether on the road, on a flight, or just to the doctor’s office. They get to pick their 5 favorite snacks to add — usually I try to say choose a fruit, veggie, protein, carb, and candy to add to each compartment. Basically a healthy meal-on-the-go. This is especially helpful with our picky eater who is so hard to find foods she’ll eat on the go.
Nose-frida SnotSucker and 3-in-1 Infrared Thermometer Seriously, if you have a baby or young kids, don’t leave home without these two products! Even if your child isn’t sick before leaving for a trip, you don’t want to be traveling without these just in case! We get these for all our friends for baby shower gifts because we use them so often in the first 2 years of our kid’s lives.
ECCO Brown Sandals for Women The most comfortable sandals for long walks. I wear these for every trip — especially exploring European cities and Disney.
ECCO Black Sandals for Women Black leather. Lightweight. Ergonomic. These are my go-to ‘dress-up shoes. Truthfully, I’ve not yet had a bad experience with the ECCO brand sandals. I have these in black, but they have multiple colors.
Addidas Cloud Shoes for Women Love these for long walks in parks or playing sports like pickleball.
Chacos Women’s Sandals These are my go-to hiking, camping, and caving shoes. Anything out in nature, these are the best. I’ve had these for 10+ years, and they are still just as strong and durable as the first day.
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The Best Things to Do in Bangkok with Kids from the most kid-friendly attractions, cultural activities, museums, family-friendly restaurants, indoor playgrounds, and what to do on a rainy day in Bangkok with kids.
*ACCOMODATION TIP: If you haven’t booked a place to stay yet, be sure to read these ‘Must Read Tips’ BEFORE booking any place to stay in Bangkok.
*TRANSPORTATION TIP: Also you can buy a BTS Sky Train Pre-filled Card that makes it easy to get on and off the BTS Sky Trains with an easy tap. No need to wait in the long queues to buy individual tickets.
*MONEY TIP: Take Thai baht with you because most vendors do not take credit card. Also, beware of pick-pocketers in all the tourist areas. Simply keep your phone, wallet, backpack or purse on your front side.
*BAG TIP: This is my Crossbody Shoulder Bag because it’s small and light, keeps my valuables up front, and can easily still hold a small travel umbrella, my sunglasses, my passport, chapstick, and mula. I have taken this sling bag with me to Thailand, USA, Japan, France, Italy — literally all around the world!
Disclaimer: All recommendations in this post are my own opinions. But as an Amazon Associate and Travel Payouts member, I get a small commission from qualifying purchases. This helps us keep sharing helpful travel content. Thank you for your support!
Looking to explore Thailand with your family — away from the crowds? This 10 Day Thailand Itinerary for Families includes hidden gems only us locals know about! Including kid-friendly Bangkok attractions, a mountain escape with a fun train ride and waterfalls, and that tropical island getaway you’ve been dreaming of!
Looking for the best things to do in Bangkok with kids? We’re a local family of 6 who want to share the fun family attractions and off-the-beaten path activities that we’ve found while living here in Bangkok. Enjoy!