Tenerife Airport with Kids

TENERIFE AIRPORT WITH KIDS ✈️👶

A Helpful Family Guide from Travel 4 Baby

Travelling through Tenerife South Airport with children can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially during busy holiday periods, but once you know how everything works, it’s actually a very family-friendly airport.

This guide has been designed to help make both your arrival and departure smoother, less stressful and easier to navigate with little ones.

ARRIVALS ✈️

Arrivals & Passport Control

One of the biggest concerns families currently have when arriving in Tenerife is the new EU passport machines and immigration queues.

If you are travelling with babies or young children, don’t panic if you see large queues when entering arrivals.

Tenerife Airport normally has dedicated family lanes available during busy periods for passengers travelling with children. If staff initially guide you towards the standard queues, simply explain that you are travelling with little ones and politely ask if a family lane is available.

Airport staff are usually very helpful and understanding with families, particularly with babies, toddlers, pushchairs and younger children.

Children under 12 years old are currently exempt from fingerprint scanning under the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), although a facial image may still be taken during passport control.

The new passport machines can sometimes feel confusing at first, but staff are normally nearby assisting passengers if needed.

Collecting Your Luggage

Standard luggage will arrive on the normal conveyor belts shown on the airport screens.

However, bulky family items such as:

• Pushchairs
• Car seats
• Travel cots
• Oversized luggage

may not arrive on the standard luggage belt.

These items are normally collected separately from the Special Items collection area.

Special Items Collection – Arrivals Hall A

If you arrive into Arrivals Hall A, the Special Items collection point is located to the right-hand side of Baggage Belt A6.

You will need to head downstairs to collect larger items such as pushchairs and car seats.

There is:

• a staircase
• and a lift available

although the lift to the Special Baggage Hall A is famously slow 😅

So if it feels like it’s taking forever or seems broken — don’t panic — it normally does arrive eventually, it just needs a little patience!

We strongly recommend taking a luggage trolley with you before heading downstairs, as there are often no trolleys available in the Special Items area itself.

This can make things much easier if travelling with children, multiple suitcases or bulky baby equipment.

Special Items Collection – Arrivals Hall B

If you arrive into Arrivals Hall B, the process is slightly easier.

Simply head towards the final conveyor belt in the baggage hall and you will find the Special Items collection point located on the left-hand side.

 

Toilets & Baby Changing Facilities

Toilets and baby changing facilities are available throughout the arrivals areas at Tenerife South Airport.

In Arrivals Hall A, facilities are located near the A4 and A6 baggage carousels.

In Arrivals Hall B, toilets and changing facilities are located in the middle of the baggage carousel area.

Most facilities are modern and family-friendly, although during very busy arrival periods there can sometimes be short waits.

If travelling with babies or toddlers, we’d recommend making use of the facilities before collecting luggage or heading outside for transfers, especially after longer flights.

Collecting Your Travel 4 Baby Equipment

If you have booked airport delivery with Travel 4 Baby, your items will be waiting for you at arrivals.

Our team are usually located near the Bureau Exchange booth at Arrivals A.

If you arrive into Arrivals B:

• head up the escalator or lift
• walk out through the main doors
• turn left
• then turn left again back into the building

You will normally find our team located approximately 100 metres along on the left-hand side.

Your items will be prepared and ready to help make your arrival easier from the moment you land.

Finding Your Transfer Driver

If you have booked a transfer, most companies will provide you with a booth number rather than meeting you directly inside arrivals.

We highly recommend checking your transfer confirmation before travelling, as this makes locating your driver much quicker and less stressful after your flight.

Transfer booths are numbered from 1–70, although most family transfer companies are usually located within the first 16 booths directly outside arrivals.

Getting a Taxi

The taxi rank is very easy to locate at Tenerife South Airport.

Taxis are located directly outside Arrivals B.

Whether you arrive into Arrivals A or B, simply continue straight ahead following the overhead taxi signs and you will find the main taxi queue just outside the terminal.

During peak holiday arrival times there can sometimes be a short wait, particularly during evenings and weekends.

DEPARTURES 🛫

Check-In Desks

Most airlines at Tenerife South Airport normally open their check-in desks around:

• 2 to 3 hours before departure

although this can vary slightly depending on the airline and destination.

During school holidays and peak travel days, queues can become quite busy, especially for UK departures, so we’d always recommend arriving with plenty of time when travelling with children.

Security & Family Lanes

When going through airport security, remember:

• liquids need to come out of your bags
• electronics usually need to be removed separately

so it’s much easier to prepare these before reaching the scanners.

If travelling with:

• baby milk
• formula
• medication
• baby food

we’d also recommend having these easily accessible, as security staff may need to test these items once you reach the other side of the scanners.

There are family security lanes located on both sides of airport security, although during quieter periods one side may sometimes be closed.

According to airport guidance, family lanes are designed for families travelling with children under 5 years old, although unfortunately this is not always consistently enforced.

For example, we’ve personally experienced occasions where families with younger children were redirected to the normal queue because they did not have a pushchair with them.

If in doubt, politely explain you are travelling with little ones and ask if the family lane is available.

There is also a small children’s play area near security where little ones can safely wait while parents reorganise bags, liquids and documents after the scanners — which can honestly be a lifesaver during busy periods!

Toilets & Baby Changing Facilities

Baby changing and toilet facilities are available throughout the departures areas at Tenerife South Airport.

Most facilities are modern and family-friendly, with accessible toilets also available throughout the terminal.

Free Water Fountains

Free drinking water fountains are located near the entrances to many of the airport toilets.

These are very useful for:

• refilling children’s water bottles
• making formula
• staying hydrated before flights

especially after passing through security.

Food & Drinks

There are plenty of food and drink options available throughout the airport, including cafés, restaurants and snack shops.

However, families travelling with babies or toddlers should not expect large supermarkets or UK-style Boots stores offering a wide range of baby products, nappies or prepared baby meals.

We’d strongly recommend organising baby food, snacks and any essentials before arriving at the airport, especially for evening or delayed flights.

UK Departures – A & C Zones

If you are travelling back to the United Kingdom, your flight will normally depart from either:

• Departures A
• or Departures C

This is important to know because these are also the areas where the larger departure queues can sometimes build up.

Both Departures A and C also have family security lanes available, so if you are travelling with little ones, simply let the staff member know and they will normally guide you towards the family lane.

One helpful tip is downloading the Aena app before travelling.

Although it may not immediately show your exact gate number, it will often show your departure zone early, sometimes before you even arrive at the airport.

Knowing your departure zone in advance can help you:

• avoid unnecessary rushing
• plan food stops better
• and sometimes beat the busiest queues.

Food and drink options are fairly similar across all departure zones, although if you’re a Starbucks fan, we’d recommend grabbing it before heading through if possible!

Please note that Departures B is generally not used for UK departures.

Travelling through Tenerife Airport with children can sometimes feel stressful, but with a little preparation it’s actually a very family-friendly airport once you know how everything works.

At Travel 4 Baby, we’re always here to help make family travel easier, safer and more comfortable from the moment you arrive until the moment you fly home 💙