In my ‘20s I traveled for 6 weeks through Europe with one backpack that I carried myself. For our week-long honeymoon, my husband and I took one large suitcase between us. Just over 2 years later, my husband, 11-month-old daughter, and I had an overflowing luggage cart that held 2 large suitcases (overweight), 2 stuffed-to-the-brim carry-ons, and a car seat. In hindsight, we should have added our playpen to the pile, since the hotel-issued crib for that trip was pretty wobbly.
A big concern many parents have about traveling is how time changes and jet lag will affect their child’s routine and sleeping patterns. It’s a valid concern; we all know how jet lag makes us feel (zonked and cranky), and who wants to cope with a toddler in that same state? According to pretty much any book or article you read, children cope with time changes and jet lag much better than adults do, acclimatizing much faster.