Things to consider when booking a unique stay with a toddler
Before becoming parents, my husband and I didn’t put much thought into where we stayed on vacations. We typically would look for places that were cost effective, available for our desired dates, and it was an added bonus if it was a unique stay. When we first got pregnant and had our daughter, we knew for sure that travelling had changed forever, and honestly we were scared we would not be able to enjoy travel as much anymore. We could not have been more wrong! We love travelling with our little girl. We have found places to See, Seek, and Sleep that we would never have discovered or even considered before traveling with a child! Now almost two years later, and many sleeps in places that left much to be desired in the child friendliness department, we have curated a list of what we which we had known to look for. Below you will find several tips about things to consider when looking for a get away with your toddler!
House VS Condo/Apartment – let’s dive into this one. While condo rentals or apartment rentals tend to be less expensive on apps like Airbnb and VRBO, they are not always the best idea when traveling with a child. If your child is young, no matter how good of a sleeper they are or how well behaved they are, condo/apartment stays are always going to be louder for all parties. The baby will hear everyone around them, and everyone around you will hear the baby! It adds an extra level of stress that we realized is just not worth it to save a few bucks while traveling! With a house rental, not only will you have more space, but you will have your own space. This has proved to make such a difference when we travel with our daughter. She has trouble sleeping in new places but add on the extra level of noise that comes with shared spaces and no one is sleeping. When we have booked house rentals she has done exceptionally better.
Loft beds – Tiny homes and treehouses on Airbnb are so cute right?? But they are not cute when its bedtime and you’re trying to get your toddler up into a loft bed. Not to mention the amount of sleep you won’t get worrying if at some point during the night your child will wake up, without you hearing, and try to climb down the stairs (even if you are co-sleeping). Maybe you brought a travel crib/cot and you are sleeping in the loft, GREAT, until your child wakes up in the middle of the night because they’re in a new space or hear a weird noise and you have to go up and down the stairs.
Stairs – Speaking of stairs, we do our best to book spaces that don’t have stairs in general. The issue with stairs, especially once your child starts to walk, is that they will inevitably try to climb them and it will be a constant battle. While some people may be able to travel with gates, and some hosts may supply them, they are a hassle to travel with – especially if you are flying. We either look for no staircase at all or a hidden one (ones that lead upstairs to the owner’s area). Times where we haven’t had a choice but to book a place with a staircase we have found if you bring enough suitcases (which is easy with a baby), they make a great gate!
4. Space – Something that is oftentimes overlooked when booking a place is what kind of space there is in the bedroom or living room – not necessarily the size but how the space is laid out. When our daughter was younger we would travel with her travel crib and it was so frustrating when we get to our Airbnb and there wasn’t a spot in the bedroom where the crib comfortably fit or could safely go. Now that she’s a little older we look for spaces where she can safely sleep by herself. Where if she got up in the middle of the night she wouldn’t have easy access to a fireplace, the kitchen, doors she can walk out of, etc.
5. Doors – The more the better! Not only for the noise aspect but also to be able to shut off unsafe spaces. We have stayed in plenty of open layout homes and while we LOVE them, we find ourselves drinking wine and playing cards on the bathroom floor as to not disturb our little one. Even in spaces where we are sharing a sleeping space with our daughter she typically goes to bed way before us, so having a place we can shut the door to is nice.
6. Balconies/Porches – If you want to go with an open layout and don’t mind the lack of doors in a space, try finding a place that has a porch or balcony. We have found this to be extremely nice when staying in some unique places that don’t offer much privacy. Being able to step out on the porch or balcony gives us the space to spend some time together while our daughter naps or sleeps for the night. Just make sure that the balcony door has toddler proof locks so you can sleep soundly knowing your toddler cannot sneak out in the middle of the night!
7. Décor – This one is HUGE. Kids love to get into things that they shouldn’t and I used to take for granted how safe my home was compared to other places. Its funny how becoming a parent you start to move things higher, take décor pieces off the floor, remove items that are easy to swallow, etc. without even realizing it. Then you get to a place that isn’t child proof and you realize just how child proof your house is! Of course places are going to have décor but something I look for now is if it’s easy to move up and put away or if it’s excessive and items that cannot be moved.
8. Bath tub – I love a beautiful, tiled, walk in shower but trying to get my toddler to get in one and actually take a shower is close to impossible. I used to never pay much attention to bathroom pictures, other than cleanliness, when booking – now it’s at the top of the list. We have found that staying in places with a bathtub, even if it’s just over night (you never know what your kid will get into) is just so much easier.
9. Expensive Items – Now that we are parents, nothing makes us click away from a rental faster than when we see guitars, pottery, designer items, etc. in the pictures. Those items are great for a getaway with friends or as a couple but with our toddler it just adds extra stress. Not that we aren’t careful and mindful of everyone’s place but I feel much better knowing I can afford to replace something if needed.
10. Hiding Places/Climbing Hazards/Sharp Edges – So sometimes these types of things are unavoidable but we tend to look for places that don’t have furniture that our daughter can crawl underneath (because she will) or fireplaces with ledges that she could crawl up on or fall into and hurt herself.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read through our list of helpful tips! This list may seem silly and extreme to some, but staying in a place where you don’t have to worry relieves so much vacation stress when traveling with your toddler. It does not have to be as scary as you think it might be! Don’t be afraid to get to setting those filters as well! We have also found that places who provide a crib or highchair typically are already more child friendly in general – some even go as far as providing outlet covers for all those exposed outlets! If you need help finding some of the best Airbnb filters you may have not thought of before, check out this helpful post on Airbnb filters you definitely shouldn’t miss!
Now that you have all the tips you need, all you have to do is find the perfect unique accommodations for you vacation with your toddler, why not check out some of the most unique sleeps we have seen? Follow us on Facebook where we share more travel content daily, and check out some more of our travel tips below!
