1. Be Prepared for Ufos Unidentifiable Filthy Objects Find Their Way Onto a Toddler Like

1. Be prepared for UFOs
Unidentifiable Filthy Objects find their way onto a toddler like aliens to Will Smith. Guard against probes and germs by always having sanitizing wipes within easy reach.

2. Don't vaccinate and fly
What do diaper blowouts, fevers, and rashes all have in common? They're all usual side effects of routine vaccinations that you do not want to deal with during a travel day. Book vaccinations no closer than one week to upcoming travel to avoid any issues.

3. Two words about extra outfits:pack them
Think extra outfits are only for infants and award show hosts? Wrong. Toddlers find new and creative ways to destroy their clothing every day, so never forget that extra outfit (or two).

4. Master the art of negotiation
While not paying for your under-2-year-old to fly is great, having to sit with her on your lap is not. Ask every gate agent and flight attendant you meet multiple times if the flight's full and if they can move people around so your family gets a coveted free open seat. Hell, I'd flirt with the clean-up crew if I thought they had any influence in the matter!

5. Be a Mobile Mama Medical Unit
No, it's not the next CSI spin-off, it's the travel first aid kit you pack regardless of destination that covers the whole family, from hangovers (ahem, I mean"adult headaches")to feverish children. I always carry two during travel: a small carry-on version with travel-sized essentials like Band-Aids, Neosporin, adult Tylenol, etc., and then a slightly larger version that goes in my check-in bag with non-travel sized bottles such as children's Tylenol, Benadryl, etc.

6. Snacks.Snacks, snacks, snacks...did I mention snacks?
Forget toys, snacks are how you keep a child busy and happy during travel. Fruit, veg, dry snacks, pouches, biscuits, there's really no end to the snack rainbow that I can pull out of my carry-on at any given moment. Food coma ahead? One can only hope!

7. Book a night flight and carry a big scarf
The combination of a lightweight scarf and an overnight flight is what toddler travel dreams are made of. Use that scarf to block daylight or plane light and book overnight flights whenever possible so they can be tired enough and it be dark enough to sleep.

8. Pack forpressure
Water, food, pacifiers, passionate conversations about your interests... use whatever it is that will get your tot's jaws moving during takeoff and landing to help with ear pressure discomfort.

· RELATED: If Babies Could Text: Texts From the Plane

9. Jump up, jump up, and get down
Have a mid-flight ants-in-your-toddler's-pants attack? Don't hesitate to get up and walk around with him. Sometimes a few minutes in the plane galley or a few trips up and down the aisleis enough to distract, refresh, and avoid an impending meltdown.

10. Divide and conquer
Grab that coveted overhead storage space and keep your kid off the plane for a few extra precious minutes. How? Send your partner with the carry-on luggage ahead of you and wait with your Tasmanian toddler in the gate area to burn off a bit more energy before having to sit down.

There you have it: Our short list of how to survive toddler travel. And just in caseyou were too busy trying to negotiate with your illogically passionate toddler to read all 10 tips, here's the Cliff Notes version: With enough diapers and snacks you can get anywhere in the world! So don't stress, pack some cookies, and enjoy your next family travel adventure.

Erica Levine Weber is a traveler, blogger, expat, and modern mom. Before her baby’s first birthday, she and her family explored over 30 countries across 4 continents, leaving only a trail of dirty diapers and duty-free catalogs behind. Her tips and tales have appeared in Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, BabyCenter,and other publications.

The best coach seats to have when flying with small children are the first row in economy class. There's a lot of legroom, and you'll be removed from most of the plane when the kids get cranky from the long flight. If the front row seats are not available, place children away from the aisle, preferably between responsible adults. Also, remember to get up, stretch and walk around with kids often during the flight, but do not allow children to walk around unsupervised.

Road Trips with Kids: Planning Guide & Packing Tips

Family vacations are wonderful experiences but preparing for a road trip with kids can be overwhelming. Our road trip planning guide has packing and other useful tips to help everyone enjoy family road trips.

What to Pack for Travel with Kids

Determining what to pack depends on your vacation of choice and the length of the trip. Regardless of the destination, there are some items that you'll want to have handy in the car when traveling with kids.

Stop and think - what is going to cause a crisis, upset you, or make you frustrated? While it is good to have several games and activities on hand for bored children (and adults), the best road trip activities for kids involve the journey itself. Observe what's outside the windows, where you are heading, and the conversation and joint activities inside the car.

Family Road Trip Packing List

· First Aid Supplies: A first aid kit, sunscreen, self-activating ice pack, insect repellent, thermometer, fever-reducing and pain-reducing medication with correct dosage chart based on child's weight and age.

· Extra clothes:Remember to include extra sets of clothes for each child on your travel packing list. Keep these clothes in the car. It's no fun digging through the luggage at the bottom of the trunk to find what you need. Have a sweater or sweatshirt handy, as children on the sunny side of the car get warm and the children in the shade are often cool from the air conditioner. It is much easier to travel with kids when they are comfortable.

· Comfort stuff: Pack blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. Try to limit one to a child or it can be hard to see out of the back window to drive.

· Food and snacks: Whether you allow food in the car or not, pack a cooler of goodies. Freeze a few of the juice boxes or water bottles to keep the other beverages cold and toward the end of the trip the frozen ones will be ready to drink, too. Snacks of choice should include crackers and fruits. A family road trip can be a time to loosen food restrictions and eat out, but it helps to try to limit junk food.

· Out-of-the-car toys: Pick up some bubbles, small balls, or a Frisbee to play with at rest areas or parks to create some fun and beneficial road trip activities involving nature. Children need to run around outside, and parents can benefit from a stretch, too.

· In-the-car activities for kids:It's important to have fun family activities ready and prepared to ensure that your road trip goes smoothly. Pack or have each child pack a small bag of handheld goodies: tape, calculators, pipe cleaners, small flashlights, crayons, and paper. Buy some new items such as markers, coloring books, crossword puzzles, etc. Make a list of songs to sing or games to play on the road. You can also get books on CD at most libraries.

· Clean-up supplies: Your road trip packing list should include paper towels, a box of heavy duty wipes, plastic grocery bags for dirty clothes and garbage, fragrance-free disinfectant spray, antibacterial lotion, toilet paper, and disinfectant wipes for yucky roadside bathrooms.

The above sounds like a lot of items to take along, but having them at your fingertips can make traveling with kids much more enjoyable.

Mother of four, Mia Cronan, gives her road trip tips and suggestions for age-appropriate car toys:

Packing list for traveling with an infant:

· Any object that's bright and new

· Rattles of all sorts

· Music-makers

· A few pieces of mega-blocks

· Magnetic stick-together blocks

· Toys of interesting shapes

· Pop-up toys

Packing list for traveling with a toddler:

· Nested containers

· Sets of things to put into containers

· Items that fit into other things

· Busy boxes or quiet books with levers, activities, or moving parts

· Board books

· Small wind-up toys

· A blanket or stuffed animal

Packing list for traveling with preschoolers:

· Picture books

· Stickers and activity books, crayons, or felt pens

· Lap-sized wipe-off easels

· Finger puppets

· Costume jewelry

· Pop-up books

· Inexpensive sets of plastic figures

· Magnetic letters and a metal tin

Packing list for traveling with young children:

· Activity books

· Tattoos that press on with a wet cloth

· Stick-on play sets

· Travel-size Magna-Doodle or Etch-a-Sketch

· Threading sets (pictures with yarn)

· Felt boards

· Travel desk sets

· Small magnetic puzzles

· Small wind-up toys

· Go-Fish cards

· Silly putty

· Yarn for simple knitting

· A "story bag." You can write phrases on scraps of paper and your child can pull one phrase out of the bag and start a story.

Packing list for traveling with older children:

· Books

· Blank paper for playing Hangman and Tic Tac Toe

· Deck of cards

· Travel-size Monopoly, Sorry, Snakes 'n' Ladders, Battleship

· Miniature chess

· Mastermind

· Small Lego sets (stored in Ziploc bags)

· Hand-held toys or electronic games with the sound turned off

· Small 3D puzzle sets

How to Deal with Car Sickness

For those of us who still experience car sickness as adults, we know what an uncomfortable feeling it can be. Here are a few tips on how to help alleviate the feelings of car sickness:

· Avoid reading

· Open a window

· Chew on peppermint candy

· Eat ginger snap cookies

· Use Seabands

· Focus on a spot far away

· Sit close to the front

· Breathe through your mouth

· Stop the car for a quick walk outside

· Drink cold water

· Eat saltine crackers

· Have a cool face cloth or ice pack

Most important, be realistic about your itinerary and allow for flexibility when planning a road trip with kids. Traveling with children takes much longer and requires much more patience than traveling alone. By taking it slow, there will be lots of time for relaxation and rest. Remember to take loads of pictures and have a great time!

More Summer Vacation & Travel Tips

· Find tips and activity ideas for camping with kids.

· For those going on an airplane, use these tips for flying with children.

· Here are some tips for a successful trip to the beach or lake with kids.

· Get these tips for preparing to go on vacation - both at home and at work.

· And here is some useful advice about vacationing with kids.

Mark your baggage as fragile. This is a tip I learned a while ago from a friend who found it to be a great way to ensure that your baggage is handled correctly. Your luggage is kept at the top because of this, which will make it one of the first bags to be released.

Prevent Falling Out of Bed
If your hotel or rental has pool noodles, grab a few to tuck inside the fitted bed sheet to prevent little ones from rolling out.

Scan Your Identification

Scan your passport, driver’s license, and personal identification before leaving on a trip, and email the information to yourself. This way, you’ll always have it on hand — worst case scenario.

Purchase TSA Luggage Locks

When checkingyour bags, it’s always recommended that you use a lock. If you use a regular lock, you are at risk of having that lock cut off during the security screening process and you won’t be reimbursed. TSA Accepted Locks are your best bet because they can be opened by TSA with a universal key. These TSA Locks from MasterCraft are great because you can set your own personal combination.

Stay Safe

The locks used on hotel doors are not the safest and most can be hacked open, which is why a portable door lock is an important thing to bring with you, as it ensures your safety and keeps your door locked from the inside out. Housekeeping and unruly guests won’t be able to enter the room, even with a key.

Phone charger

If you forget to pack your cell phone charger and you are staying in a hotel, look behind the television in the room. Most of the newer televisions have a USB port, which you can use to charge your phone.

Every car deserves a well placed trash bin, especially if you have kids in the vehicle. This cereal container turned car garbage bin is genius! Keep extra bags underneath and swap them out each time you hit a gas station. The plastic container ensures that if your bag leaks your vehicle will stay clean and dry!