Travelling by campervan with small children is a very different experience from travelling as a couple. You carry more, daily routines matter more and small practical details can make the difference between a relaxed road trip and a very tiring one.
After travelling by campervan with our children from baby age onwards, we have gradually worked out which things are genuinely useful and which ones simply take up precious space. This guide brings together the best campervan equipment when travelling with kids, especially babies and toddlers, based on what we actually use ourselves.
If you are planning your first family campervan trip, you may also want to read our guide to campervan travel with a baby. For the rest of our general road-trip setup, have a look at our complete campervan equipment guide.
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What campervan equipment do you really need with small kids?
When space is limited, the best family campervan equipment is usually the gear that solves an everyday problem. We prioritise items that fold down small, can be used in several places and make meals, sleep, washing or exploring easier. We do not try to recreate our home inside the campervan. The aim is simply to make the routines that happen several times a day as easy as possible.
A portable milk warmer for easier feeds on the road
A portable milk warmer was one of the most useful items for us when travelling with a baby. It gives you much more flexibility because you are not dependent on campsite kitchens, cafés or having the campervan fully set up whenever your baby needs a feed.
We use a compact Tommee Tippee model that can be charged by USB. That makes it practical during long drives, ferry crossings, day trips or overnight stops. It is exactly the kind of small item that reduces stress because feeding does not have to dictate where you stop.
You can find the milk warmer we use on Amazon here.
A foldable camping high chair
Once your child is sitting and eating with you, a foldable camping high chair makes family campervan life much easier. It gives your baby or toddler a familiar place to eat whether you are inside the van, outside at a campsite or stopping for lunch somewhere scenic.
We prefer a lightweight model that folds down small rather than a large traditional high chair. In a campervan, anything that can disappear into a storage compartment when you are finished with it is a big advantage.
You can find a compact camping high chair on Amazon here.
A foldable baby bath
A foldable baby bath may sound like an unnecessary luxury until you travel with a baby for several weeks. We discovered with our first child that even good campsites are not always particularly well equipped for babies. With our second, we brought our own foldable bath.
Because it folds almost flat, it does not take up much room. It also gives you a predictable way to manage bath time when campsite facilities are basic or when you are staying somewhere more remote.
You can find a foldable baby bath on Amazon here.
A compact travel stroller
A compact stroller is invaluable when travelling with toddlers. We use the Cybex Libelle because it folds extremely small and can therefore be stored much more easily than a standard pushchair.
It is especially useful for towns, promenades and attractions where a child carrier would become tiring. We have used ours on all kinds of holidays, not only campervan trips, and its hand-luggage-size fold is one of the reasons we like it so much.
You can find the Cybex Libelle on Amazon here.
When travelling with a baby, you can add these adapters to easily take your maxi-cosy car seat with you. Some other accessoires such as the raincover or the bag might also be useful. The bag has the size of a hand luggage bag for planes which makes this stroller perfect for travel lovers and a cheaper alternative to the yoyo strollers.
A child carrier backpack for hikes and uneven paths
For us, a stroller and a child carrier are not interchangeable. They solve different problems. A child carrier backpack lets you continue exploring mountain trails, forest paths and viewpoints where wheels simply do not work.
We have used our Deuter carrier on numerous walks in the Picos de Europa and in the Belgian Ardennes. It is one of the pieces of equipment that allows us to keep doing the outdoor activities we enjoyed before having children.
You can find the Deuter child carrier on Amazon here.
When travelling with a baby, a soft baby carrier is also very useful. We also find it practical for quick stops, sightseeing and places where taking the stroller out feels like more trouble than it is worth. It folds down very small, keeps your baby close and is easy to keep within reach in the campervan.
We used this kind of setup a lot during our French Alps campervan trip with kids, where a stroller was useful around towns and lakes but a carrier was much better for mountain walks.
A bike trailer if cycling is part of your trip
If you take bikes with you, a bike trailer can transform how much of a destination you can explore with young children. We have used our Hamax trailer since our daughter’s birth and now use it for both children.
It is particularly useful on family-friendly cycle paths, around lakes and when you want to leave the campervan parked for the day. It is bulkier than most items on this list, so it makes most sense if cycling is genuinely part of your travel style.
You can find the Hamax trailer at Decathlon here.
A ground sheet creates an instant outdoor play area
A camping ground sheet became much more useful once we started travelling with children. It creates a clean, defined area directly outside the van where the kids can sit, play and eat.
On wet grass, sandy pitches or dusty campsites, this makes a surprisingly big difference. It also helps stop quite so much dirt being carried straight back into the van.
You can find a suitable camping ground sheet on Amazon here.
A picnic blanket for quick stops
A picnic blanket serves a similar purpose on a smaller scale. We use ours for lunch stops, beaches, parks and as an instant play mat whenever we do not want to set up the whole outdoor area.
With small children, having somewhere clean to put them down is useful far more often than you might expect.
You can find a compact picnic blanket on Amazon here.
A rechargeable fan for warmer nights
A small rechargeable fan is useful for any campervan trip, but we appreciate it even more when travelling with children. Vans can stay warm well into the evening in summer, particularly in southern Europe, and a little extra airflow can make bedtime much more comfortable.
Because it is rechargeable, it can be positioned where you need it without having to run cables around the sleeping area. We actually keep two in our campervan during summer trips.
You can find a rechargeable fan on Amazon here.
A warm blanket for evenings and naps
A warm blanket is simple, but it gets used constantly. It works for cooler evenings outside, extra warmth at night, naps and impromptu picnics. Even in summer, evenings can be cold in places such as Sweden, the Alps or northern Spain.
You can find a cosy option on Amazon here.
A foldable broom is even more useful with children
Sand, crumbs, stones and bits of grass appear inside a campervan remarkably quickly when children are constantly moving in and out. A foldable broom takes almost no room but makes it easy to reset the van at the end of the day.
This is one of those unglamorous items we would not travel without.
You can find a compact foldable broom on Amazon here.
A laundry line for wet clothes, towels and swimwear
Family travel creates a lot of wet things: towels, swimsuits, small clothes, bibs and sometimes an entire outfit after an unexpected puddle. A simple laundry line gives you somewhere to dry everything without turning the inside of the campervan into a washing rack.
It is tiny when packed away and useful almost every day on longer family trips.
You can find a compact laundry line on Amazon here.
A good USB car charger
Phones, a milk warmer, rechargeable fans and other small devices quickly add up. A USB car charger for the cigarette lighter is therefore one of the most useful small accessories in our setup, especially during driving days when several devices need charging at once.
You can find a useful multi-port option on Amazon here.
Stroller or child carrier: which is better for a campervan trip?
For us, the answer is both if you have enough storage space. A compact stroller is much easier in towns, restaurants and around attractions. A child carrier opens up hiking trails and places with steps or uneven ground. If space is very limited, choose according to your itinerary rather than your child’s age alone.
For a trip focused on cities and beaches, we would prioritise the stroller. For the Alps, Picos de Europa or other hiking destinations, the carrier becomes much more valuable. Our family campervan routes in France show how different the setup can be depending on the kind of trip you choose.
What we would not overpack for a campervan trip with kids
The temptation with small children is to prepare for every possible situation. In a campervan, that quickly becomes counterproductive. We try not to bring large quantities of toys, bulky feeding equipment or too many clothes. Children usually spend most of the trip outside, and simple toys, books and a few familiar favourites are enough.
We also try to choose items that can do more than one job. A picnic blanket becomes a play mat, a warm blanket is useful inside and outside, and a child carrier means we do not need a separate solution for every type of walk.
FAQ: campervan equipment with babies and toddlers
Do you need a special high chair in a campervan?
You do not need a campervan-specific model, but a compact folding high chair is much easier to store than a full-size one. We like being able to use ours both inside and outside.
Is a baby bath really worth taking?
For very small children and longer trips, we found it worthwhile. Campsite baby facilities vary a lot, and a foldable bath takes up relatively little storage space.
What is the most useful campervan equipment with toddlers?
For us, the most-used items are the compact stroller, child carrier, high chair, picnic blanket or ground sheet, and a foldable broom. These are the things that make ordinary days easier rather than simply adding comfort.
How do you keep a campervan organised with small kids?
We keep the number of bulky items low and give the children’s things fixed storage places. Equipment that folds down small is especially valuable. A quick sweep at the end of the day and keeping wet clothes outside on a laundry line also helps enormously.
Our final thoughts on family campervan equipment
You do not need to fill your campervan with special equipment just because you are travelling with children. In our experience, the best items are the ones that make everyday routines easier while taking up as little space as possible.
A compact stroller, carrier, folding high chair and a few practical accessories have allowed us to keep travelling much the same way we did before having children, simply with a little more organisation. If you are preparing your first family trip, start with the essentials and add things after you discover what your own family actually needs.
For more practical preparation, read our honest guide to campervan travel with a baby and our broader campervan equipment guide for Europe.