A couple who travels the world with their toddler shares the mistakes they've made along the way — and how to avoid them

When Granger and Boyd took Kynsley to Greece at age 2, they didn't want to lug their large, combination car seat stroller around, so they bought an inexpensive umbrella stroller that would be more manageable for days of walking.

Once they got to Athens, they realized that the lightweight umbrella stroller wasn't built for the terrain.

"In Greece, they have cobblestone roads," Boyd said. "It's a very old, beautiful place, but our cheap stroller could not stand up to the cobblestone."

Granger said the stroller's wheels broke, so they threw it in a dumpster and bought a mid-range stroller to handle the cobblestone better.

"When we got back home, we realized none of the options we had were ideal for travel," Granger told BI. "After doing a ton of research, we landed on purchasing the Guava Roam Stroller. This stroller changed everything for us."

Granger added that it conveniently folds down for easy packing and is sturdy enough to rely on in any terrain.

"I've made the mistake of not letting Kynsley sleep properly," Granger said. "She's gotten on the plane and been wide awake because she slept too early."

Granger has learned that if she wants Kynsley to sleep on a flight, she has to adjust her bedtime the night before.

"Let's say she went to bed at 7 p.m. and our flight is at 5 a.m. — she had her 8-hour rest already, so she's wide awake and ready for the day," Granger told BI. "But if she went to bed a bit later, waking her up around 5 a.m. would throw off her sleep, so she might go right back to sleep and give me a peaceful flight."

Granger said many parents don't know they can bring milk through TSA when traveling with an infant, but she used to do it all the time.

She said parents need to know that if they're bringing milk, they should prepare for it to take a while to get through security and plan accordingly.

"It's a process where they take it to the side and scan every bottle," Granger said. "So not giving yourself enough time could cause a lot of stress right at the top of the trip."

Granger told BI they'd missed flights over long security stops.

"Just make sure you're giving yourself way more time than you thought you need through security when you're bringing milk," she said, adding that you should arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

Granger and Boyd have often opted for Airbnbs over hotels for more space and conveniences like kitchen appliances. But they haven't always booked the right rental.

"A huge mistake we've made was booking Airbnbs that we liked aesthetically but that were not kid-friendly at all," Granger said. "One we rented in Houston had really high stairs, and we just couldn't relax."

Granger and Boyd recommend booking Airbnbs with one floor when traveling with young kids.

"Renting a car has always been by far the easiest, seamless experience because we don't have to rely on our portable car seat," Granger said. "You can rent a car seat with a car."

Looking back on their trip to Greece, Granger and Boyd said they should have rented a car.

"Greece was a hard trip to navigate because there are a lot of cultural things to experience that are not close by. We took ferries from island to island," Granger said. "We would have had a much more pleasant trip if we had rented a car."

On a recent trip to Abu Dhabi, Granger said renting a car was cheaper and more convenient than taking Ubers.

"We made little stops to go to malls and do small sightseeing we hadn't planned when we had downtime," she added.

"I like to plan from the time I open my eyes to the end of the day," Granger said. But with a small child, she said she's learned she needs to plan for downtime — especially after long-haul flights.

"Sometimes, I'm pushing too hard to try to complete all the activities I had on my mind, and she is just exhausted or jet-lagged," Granger said. "So, I think it's important to schedule breaks, or if you're traveling with somebody, allow her to hang back with another adult."

When Kynsley was 6 months old, Granger and Boyd regretted taking her to hot springs in St. Lucia.

"I really wanted to try those mud baths with the sulfur that's supposed to make your skin all clean," Granger said. "But it was way too hot."

So, Boyd sat in the shade the whole time.

"It wasn't something a kid would even do," Granger said. "There's no point of her sitting out there like a rotisserie chicken."

Another thing Granger has learned is to avoid standard sightseeing tours in cities — especially on a bus.

"I think kids are just too antsy to spend hours on a bus just hearing somebody speaking over the loudspeaker, explaining what's out the window," she said. "I think there have to be more options for engagement."

Instead, try kid-friendly water activities at any age.

"The beach and any ocean or boat activities have always worked," Boyd said. "She'll dip her feet in the ocean, or we'll go swimming. That's been a hit every time."

Granger recommends including a day in your itinerary that's all about your child.

"It's important to make sure that you're not just folding your kid into what you want to do," she said. "Do some stuff that's specifically for them."

For example, on a trip to Abu Dhabi, Granger and Boyd took Kynsley to SeaWorld, where she rode her first baby roller coaster.

"I think she felt really fulfilled," Granger said, "We could tell that at 3.5 years old, she thought it was a highlight."

Granger added that when Kynsley knows her day is coming, she's calmer when they take her on less exciting excursions like museums.

"It's like a handshake between us all," Granger said.