Toddler holiday transfer conundrum

[wildflower93]

We have had a truly horrid year as a family. We have spent thousands on a house sale that fell through, my partner nearly died of a burst appendix (and has been unwell constantly since), and we are having to move out of our home for the sale of our house to continue.

My mother in law has said she’ll pay for me and my son to go on holiday. I’m a teacher so have a lot of time off- my partner doesn’t have the holidays and isn’t well enough to travel- so we are doing it solo!

We will be taking one large case, a buggy and hand luggage. Practically it is impossible to carry a car seat in there for private transfer leaving me with the options of

1. Book a private transfer and use one of their car seats (Honey Baby).

2. Coach transfer

Is there anything I can take on the coach to make it safer?

I am ready to not book the holiday just over the stress of the transfer. I’m hyper vigilant all the time about his safety but recognise that there will be times I have to compromise and weigh up the risk, for example school trips. I cannot For reference, my son is 4 in August.

Can you not get taxi/lift to the airport? You then pile everything inc buggy on the baggage trolley. Car seat goes in hold with suitcase, bye bye, hands free. Repeat at other end, met by taxi transfer driver holding a sign with your name. You're never going to have to carry it more than the 3m from taxi to airport trolley, and taxi to front door.

He’s four at the end of August. He’s definitely not a toddler!

Technically is for another few weeks by definition but also get a life if you have nothing productive to offer or say.

I'm completely with you for the buggy btw! We don't have a car. I hate trying to work out car seat plans. I remember riding in the pushchair up to 5, which instilled a love of walking and independence because my mum was less constrained by distance and not reliant on the car. We actually sent a car seat to my in-laws from Amazon to meet us once. We're planning to order a cheap decathlon balance bike to the hotel for our next holiday, then we'll just leave it there.

But that isn’t a toddler is it? I would say that unless he has additional needs you’re vastly underestimating how much he can walk.

He walks the majority of the time. I take the buggy to help me with shopping, buckets and spades, picnics etc. it’s also much easier than having to carry him when he’s eventually tired. Why are you so bothered 😆I’m so confused

3 & 4 year olds can walk miles, they're running around all day.

Give him a chance and he may surprise you.

Toddlers are 1-2 year olds who are only just walking.

I can’t believe the amount of hate the post is getting because he still uses a buggy. On a Friday alone we go to playgroup (we walk there and back), we come home and get his buggy and both WALK another 30 minutes to go to his music class. We then typically WALK to either soft play or the beach. Along the way, after about 7/8000 steps he gets tired and typically asks to go in his pram… which I think is very reasonable for a 3/4 year old @NerrSnerr would have other ideas 😆

Read my other posts. Just because he uses the buggy doesn’t mean he’s always in it.

A trunki booster on the coach. We bought ours for thus reason. Use as his bag on the plane. (I also researched and found a coach safer than a taxi).

I have one for sale near milton keynes if you are near here.

(Definitely take the buggy).

Don't worry, MN hates non-drivers. Drivers have no idea about the practicalities of going out and about with a nearly non-toddler. A buggy is excellent for restraining them on the bus or train, and even the best walker gets tired. I bet their kids have a nap in the car after their 10 minutes walking round the supermarket giant hike. I always notice it's the skinny kids who arrive at the playground in a buggy, and the buggy is full of bananas so they don't get an ice cream.

He’s starting school in September (if you’re in England) so he’s definitely not a toddler! Far from it! And whilst yes it would be weird for him to rock up the school gates in a buggy I totally get the appeal of taking one holiday for him to snooze in if you and your parents want to do late dinners. I feel like loads of people do this?? But as for the transfer though I’d go with the Trunki Boostapak. He can put his stuff for the plane in it.

I would book the private transfer with their car seat, just for the 2 journeys. I’ve worked in travel most of my life and I would never, ever, trust a baggage handler with our own car seat that we use for every journey all the time, it’s far more likely to get dropped / thrown and me not know about it than the vanishingly unlikely scenario that that you have a bad car accident while in the transfer AND their car seat is duff. We’ve travelled with 2 year old DS a few times and always get a transfer with car seat, or hire a car seat with a hire car.

Can people stop judging the buggy... I guess you don't have young kids. We have a just turned 5 year old. He doesn't use the buggy at home but in May (was still 4)we went on holiday and knew it will be hot so we took the buggy. He mostly walked but when it was hot and he needed a nap or just when he got tired it was a god send. We keep saying we will stop taking the buggy but for now the buggy is staying for these holidays. If your holidays are in an All incluaive and you don't walk anywhere it's fine not to have a buggy. We did over 30000 steps on one day in this last holiday. M the buggy was definitely needed. The Op was not asking about the buggy so just accept it

Can you get a trunki booster seat easy to carry

Ps... Answering the Op question I would use the coach unless the private transfer is much quicker eg 1hr vs 2 hrs

I do with my three year old. When it’s that or no holiday!

We did the same with my DS until he was 4, and what people didn’t realise was how much more he actually walked because of it. We could go on walks that’d be way too long with it but he’d hop in the buggy for a nap half way round and walk three out of six miles, for example. He’s now a really good walker at 6. Never really moans about it.

But we got disapproving looks!

I would go with the coach.

I completely get that. Holidays just don’t excite me as much as they do some people and I remember how hard work 3 year olds can be. Not sure it’s worth the effort, for me.

Same as us. Ideal for napping on the go/getting out of the sun/break for tired little legs/a shopping trolley.

Depending on your child's size could you take a travel booster seat, like a bumbo? They at least have a lap belt and should belt guide for the main seat belt. I would definitely take a pushchair if I was in your shoes and have done for my 4 year old when I've travelled with all three kids on trains for a holiday by myself.

I’d be more than happy to take my three year old on my own as well. I think some people don’t like their children 😆

Who are you flying with? Quite a few airlines allow you to check car seats in for free…

My 4.5 year old hasn’t used a buggy at home for well over a year, but we absolutely took it on holiday. It never left our room while we were there but it was a godsend getting through the airport both ways. She dozed in it when we arrived late and check in at the hotel took ages, and it helped on our late flight home getting through the airport quickly when she was shattered. It’s much easier to deal with a buggy plus luggage and confined tired child than luggage and free-roaming tired floppy child!

We just used the coach last time OP, she was belted in and it felt safe. We have taken a car seat before though, in a bag which could go on your back. I couldn’t have managed a long walk but from the airport coach to the check in desk I had the car seat on my back, pushed the buggy with my hand luggage on and managed to pull a case too. That was when we had a private taxi transfer though.

We did this once and booked a coach transfer. They sent a minibus, not a coach, with an equally erratic driver doing over 70 on the motorways with me just holding my baby! I cancelled the return and got a taxi with a hired seat. Sun Transfers give you the option of adding one on booking, if that helps. Seat looked fine, although I appreciate that may have been the luck of the draw and looking fine doesn't always mean it is.

As you said, there's has to be a compromise somewhere and this was what we decided was the best compromise for us.