traveling with toddler twins...we're CLUELESS

sara1014

We're hoping to take the kids to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins while I'm off for Spring Break (in about 3 weeks) and we'll likely be staying in a hotel because my aunt's house is packed with her large dogs and my cousin moving back home.

My question is this:  where will the babies sleep while in a hotel?  Just in PnPs in the room?  They still go to bed relatively early, and we won't necessarily want to go right to bed when they do (so we could watch TV, read, etc.)

Please help with any information/advice/experience you have.  I've been thinking about doing this and I realize that I feel like a total dummy when it comes to the logistics!

 

Thanks! 

Wantastickybaby

We haven't traveled with our toddlers yet, but I'm starting to think about our summer vacation.  I was thinking we should get a suite that has one or two bedrooms.  It will be more expensive, but we'll need to have a room where the girls can sleep - even if DH and I sleep on a pull out couch.  We're also hoping for a kitchen or small kitchenette so that we have easy access to milk, etc.  

I'm assuming they'll sleep in their pack n plays, although they do have travel beds for toddlers.  

We might do a practice night of sleeping in pack n plays, just to make sure they aren't going to be awake all night!

 

GL!  Hope it goes well. 

sunnybrook.

Ditto pp. Definitely get a suite. You'll want a separate room and a small kitchen area. Our girls sleep in PNP when we travel. The hotels provide them, but bring your own PNP sheets. If you're driving, I would bring your PNPs along too. The ones we had at the hotel were super hard to sleep on.

Other moms had told me that it takes about 2 nights for LOs to get used to sleeping in the hotel. They were right. The first two nights of our stay were really rough with the girls crying and refusing to sleep. Just something to keep in mind when planning your days...they may be cranky for the first couple of days.  HTH.

Chickandtaco

Some hotels have roll away cribs and some have PnP.  I would call ahead and ask what they have and see if you could "reserve" them.  They have always been free when I've asked for them.  My son has NOT been a good sleeper when we have been in hotels.    Sometimes I just take him for a drive to knock him out and then carry him into our hotel room.  I found, in the long run he sleeps horribly in a PnP and did MUCH better when I let him sleep with me.  I NEVER do that at home but whatever works when you're away!  If your babies don't normally sleep in PnP's I'd try it out a few times at home before the trip and see how they do.  And bring some night lights so you (and they) can see without turning lights on since you will all be in an unfamiliar place.  I also travel with a white noise machine.  We use it at home, it's small and I figure it's a "comfort of home" and something familiar for him.

hunt2005

With our 2 year old in the past if we were in a single room we've had to either:

1) Pretend to be asleep until he is, and then once he is (an hour or so later because it takes FOREVER when we're in the same room), we watch a movie on the laptop, or

2)Sit outside the door on the floor until he's asleep for the same reason.

I'd see if they have either a suite or just even a room with a seperate sitting room area (with at least a partial wall in between) so they don't hear/see you while falling asleep.

keg

When we've driven, we've either taken our PnPs or somewhat recently we've gotten Phil and Ted's Travel Beds.  In fact, when we flew to CA in July we shipped the travel beds out there (we were visiting family but staying in a hotel).  What we wound up doing was getting hotel cribs (they were actually rather heavy duty rolling metal cribs that had their own sheets) and leaving the travel beds at our family's house for naps. 

The two times we've stayed in hotels, we've gotten suites which has worked well.  We put the girls' beds in the bedroom area and would just stay out in the sitting area after they went to bed.  One suite had a little kitchen area.  The other didn't but we requested a refrigerator which they brought with no issues, and didn't charge us for.  I think that's pretty standard.  

Oh, the other thing which has been a lifesaver, particularly if you are eating a lot in homes (not restaurants) are these FP booster seats, or something similar.  They are quite compact which makes them great for traveling and it's nice to have your kids contained if you're trying to have family meals. 

macchiatto

Our boys do still sleep in PnPs when we travel. If you can get a suite, that will definitely make your stay more enjoyable! We took a major trip when the boys were 16m and we all stayed in one hotel room b/c we didn't have the budget for suites. It was doable but not great. We positioned the PnPs in places where they couldn't see us as easily (e.g. one behind the desk, one in the little hallway right in front of the door). We found if we laid low with the lights off until they fell asleep we could then watch a movie on our laptop w/headphones, check email, etc. Not ideal but it worked.

s270453

Sometimes if you are staying in a cheaper hotel, you can get two different rooms that have a connecting doorway.....Then they can sleep in a seperate room, but you can keep the doorway open.  Maybe that is cheaper than a suite??