Advice on airport transfers with baby - car seat or no car seat??

[MrsC]

Hi,

We've booked a holiday to Majorca with our little boy who will be 6 months by the time we travel - we've booked hotel & flights separately so will need to arrange our transport from the airport to the resort (transfer time is about an hour).

I'm not sure what to do about taking the car seat - do people generally have baby on their knee in the taxi (doesn't seem very safe??) or take the car seat to fit into taxi/shuttle bus etc??

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

[Ruth_Baldock]

There was a post sort-of about this about a month ago, and I THINK if you have a sling/carrier, you can put the baby in that and then strap yourselves both in? Don't quote me though.

[Helen GV]

Hmm.. the car seat should be free to take on the flight, and an hour is a long time to have a baby in a car not strapped in. Are you taking a taxi to and from the airport this end as well? If so it might well be worth the hassle of lugging one with you. We recently went to Rome and then Switzerland and took a car seat with us, was good even just for peace of mind.

Have fun!

[The Nappy Lady]

Personally I would take the car seat. If you do the sling thing then make sure the car seat belt is around you but NOT around baby - because if around you and baby, in an accident the force of your body thrown forward could crush baby between you and the seatbelt....sorry, not meaning to be a scaremongerer, just would hate for anyone to risk this. If seat belt is between you and the sling I think it would then be relatively OK, though the key would be how supported the head was in the case of an accident I guess.

You can take the car seat on the plane for free remember, and if hiring at the other end (or using a taxi there) then I think it is well worth having the seat with you.

Otherwise, do you know anyone - friend, neighbour etc. who might run you to the airport, with car seat, and then keep it for you until end of holiday and also pick you up? You could offer taxi fare equivalent/petrol money. We have a neighbour who has done this for us in return for us doing the same for them and it has worked really well, and is so nice to see a friendly face in arrivals to whisk you home.

Happy holidays!

Molly

[apenn]

Perhaps you could contat the resort, and ask them if they could sort out a taxi for your that will brink a car seat?

-A

[The Nappy Lady]

Ah sorry, just read OP again and see it is only at the other end that you need the seat. Yes, worth seeing if they can sort it for you, if not I would take your own one.

[Fuschia]

We went to Egypt with two car seats, one booster seat and two buggies!!

[carrieon23]

Please please please take a car seat. I have travelled on my own and still taken one, it's a pain to lug it about but it is free to put on board. Personally I think 5 minutes is too long for a baby to sit on ur knee in a car let alone an hour. Just imagine if something were to happen, you would never forgive yourselves. I got a non isofix one which was much lighter from the forum, and that became grandparents one after the hols. X

[katgod]

Janerbus do airport transfers in Majorca, we used them and they were reliable and had car seats for our (older) childrten although they were quite old and battered. They had a web site and quote prices for all the different resorts.

http://www.janerbus.com/default.asp?idprod=78536&leaf=2&lang=en

edited to add link hope it works!

[MrsC]

thanks so much everyone, think we will take our car seat, i've called the airline and we can check it in and doesn't count as luggage allowance which is a bonus.

Fingers crossed for a cry free flight!! :))