To wonder about car seats for holidays??

[snackarella]

Going abroad next week with 5 month old and 2.5 year old
Taking car seat for baby obviously but what do you do about the older one?
It's a thirty min transfer by coach other end. But I need a taxi to the airport this end and of course if I don't take a car seat she can sit on laps apparently in this county while in a taxi
.
Is this just the done thing not to take car seats?...

Anyone??

Take their seat too. Most airlines will allow it as an additional item.

Just check whether the coach has 3 point seat belts as no carseat can be fitted with just a lap belt so you would be better with a taxi transfer both ways.

Can the taxi company provide a car seat? When we come back to the UK all the local taxi companies near where my parents live have them.

Have a look at a Trunki Boostapak. It's a child's backpack that doubles as a booster seat. We've used ours abroad and it was our sons carry on luggage.

www.trunki.co.uk/collections/boostapak

I've used a Trunki Boostapack with slightly older DD. She was tall though and would sit nicely (no way could do this with DS as he needs a 5 point harness to hold him in!!!). Useful during a short taxi ride to the theatre and she also sat on it during the pantomime.

But we've also taken a high backed booster in the plane hold. It's usually free but leave enough time to wrap it in plastic at the airport (I took it all with me, including gaffer tape and a set in my case for the return journey!). You might need to check it in at the bulky luggage desk so leave some extra time for that.

We get on holiday transfer coaches without car seats. Like I would any bus here. Weirdly I wouldn't be happy in a taxi with no seat tho, is other public transport not an option? Or ask the taxi company.

2.5 is tiny really. Bring your hbb, it will be checked into the hold in the same way your buggy can be.
The Britax Eclipse always used to be usable with just a lap belt, I used to have one.

Some taxi companies will store your car seat for the return journey. I wouldn't take one for the coach. Coaches are safe. It's perfectly usual to travel on a bus or coach with no seat belt or car seat. And as above, if it doesn't have seat belts then the car seat will be useless anyway.

I always travel with our car seats. Airlines check hem for free and we need them each end to get to airport.

I bought a britax Prince for this reason. It can be secured with just a lap belt so good for coaches.

Thanks to all. Had seen trunki things but didn't seem to be any safer than without a car seat from what I could gather ?
I'll ring the taxi company .
That's a good point about seat belts
On busses I never thought of that!!!

There have been lots of coach crashes. Not sure that they are intrinsically “safe”. I’ve been looking at this:
www.johnlewis.com/mifold-grab-and-go-child-restraint/p3111572
Or this:
www.amazon.co.uk/Smart-Kid-Belt-Pocket-Booster/dp/B075ZBDWQK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ref=plSrch&keywords=pocket+car+booster&dpPl=1&dpID=6180O-AJnuL&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1529658581&sr=8-4
For my 6 year old, at 2 I would want a hbb or proper car seat. I suspect a seat secured with a lap belt would still be safer than no seat at all, but can’t prove that.

We've just got back from holiday and took our 4yr olds car seat! We got a taxi to and from airport and had hire car when there and so seemed sensible.
Id much prefer to take our own and take the risk of checking it in rather than using a borrowed one. No way would I want to risk travelling with child on my lap even it was legal knowing how dangerous it is.

Just a quick point, as infants travel free in the majority of cases, no seat is provided on the aircraft or the transfer coach. It shouldn’t be an issue if the coach isn’t full, however most of the ones I’ve been on have been.

Ignore me if you’ve paid extra for a seat though.

I must be a bad parent but only been abroad a couple of times with small child/ren. First time dd1 was 9 months old and we got a lift of my mum to airport so had her seat for the car. We hired a seat when we got on holiday though for the taxi to hotel and back. Second time we got a lift of parents one age 3 and one 6 moths. Visited oz but stayed with family who provided relevant seats whilst there. The same year we went to Majorca. I think we got a taxi from home and they just went in it without car seats. Transfer was a coach so baby in sling/on knee there and back and also for the odd taxi ride whilst there. Final trip abroad last year ages 4 and 7 and no seats taken for the taxi to airport or for the coach transfer once there. we hired a mini bust when we were there and the company did give us booster cushions for the kids.

I always travel with a car seat. If it can't be secured on a coach I hire a car. I'd rather spend a bit more money and ensure my 3 yr old is as safe as possible. I have a joie stages just for that reason. (Depending where you are going if a coach has a retractable seat belt or only lap belt then it won't be suitable for securing a car seat)

Most airlines won't charge any extra to carry it in the hold. Pack it securely in a box. Otherwise there's no point taking it as the amount it potentially gets knocked around is high.

I use the stages as it's able to rear face to 18kg and is easy to travel with. Ideally you should be rear facing your 2.5yr old. (If you're not a britax eclipse can be used on-board as well as forward facing when you get there.)

If you don't have boxes for your seats either use heavy duty bubble wrap and things like beach towels to protect it or try to get boxes for them.

Cake, what do you mean by a coach having a retractable seatbelt only? Don’t all three point seatbelts retract?