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.

Another buggy lover here don’t worry! Mine are just turned 5 and 3 and just took the double pram on holiday, absolutely god send in that heat and when also carrying buckets spades parasols etc. Wouldn’t even say we got any funny looks? Also use for big days out in England, makes us so much more free. Otherwise would be worried to go too far in case they started whinging about walking back.

car seat wise we’re also into ERF and very safety conscious but read up that coaches are much safer than cars, so we do coach transfers and just decide that the risk is worth it for the holiday

Buggies on holiday are a totally different beast than buggies at home too. DD2 hasn’t used one at home since she was 2, but when we did two days at Disneyland when she was 3.5, the buggy was a godsend. Even the adults were exhausted! She fell asleep in it, it stored all the bags, even my 6yo hitched a ride in it at and of the day

Ours only comes out for busy holidays. Like OP, we are a walking family and our kids are well used to walking a lot, more than most kids from what I see around us, but holidays are meant to be enjoyable so having the stroller means that if DD2 gets tired or hot and bothered, she can go in there while we carry on with where we are going rather than trying to cajole or carry a grumpy preschooler.

Make life easy for yourself where you can, that’s my motto!

Agree with this. Always pick the private transfer over coach
Op ignore all these ridiculous comments about the buggy. A holiday is absolutely the time and place for a buggy, little legs get tired in the heat and everyone gets a break whilst said child is strapped in!

Check what the holiday company says about seats on transfers. There is a fair chance a 3 year old will be on your knee on a coach transfer.

If your son is on the larger size for his age, you could try a travel booster - trunki and bubblegum are the ones that were around when we needed carseats in unusual places.

We are taking trunki boosterpac car seats for our (just turned) 4 year old twins when we go away. They can either carry them on their backs themselves or it will slide onto the suitcase handle to carry. We then check it in with the suitcase, so no need to carry it through the airport. But I would reconsider taking a buggy, do you really need it as it's another thing to manoeuvre. We haven't used a buggy with our girls for over an year.

I think mainly because most people wouldn't consider a 4 year old to be a toddler.
But if it is essential for you and you use it of course you should take it. It just makes taking luggage more difficult

Under what definition is an almost four year old a toddler?

I’m pedantic about car seat safety and also married into a culture where car seats are just not a thing. We have to travel long haul to visit family and practically speaking it would not be possible to bring a car seat.

I found this product which is legal in Singapore (which has a strong culture of public transport over personal cars) and seems to be a popular option for people on the go and using taxis. I’m comfortable enough with this being a primary car seat equivalent while travelling, for my primary age children. Depending on where you’re going, this might be an option?

(It’s also legal in the US, if that’s relevant to where you’re going…)

I can vouch for it being very easy to use and sturdy. It was so convenient to be able to take this with us on day trips and be able to take a taxi when needed.

https://shop.saferide4kids.com/products/ridesafer-travel-vest

Sensible to take the buggy when you are travelling alone. You can clip him into the seatbelt and keep him near and safe when you have to avert your eyes.

A coach will be great.

Ive had the exact same dilemma. Coach is definitely safer. We did travel with our own car seats once which was actually fine. There are good car seat bags available and we packed it out with spare clothes and towels etc for padding to protect it. We just put it straight onto the airport trolley and got rid of it asap at check in. You might also be able get it plastic wrapped at the airport for a small charge. The driver was speeding though at one point, I asked him to slow down and he did. Now we really enjoy holidays where we take our own car and car seat to avoid this or hire our own car with our car seats if day trips are needed. The hire car car seat options are better than the random taxis btw. I would certainly say, coach is safer though. We did this for a resort holiday as we knew we wouldnt be leaving to go anywhere - it took longer and was tiring but good for peace of mind. Also yes a buggy is essential at this age! Also great for storage of your bits for a day out!

People are so upright and judgy about the effing buggy 😂 what on earth. You don’t have to justify yourself.

I would be inclined to get your parents to buy a car seat and pick you up. But next best would probably be a coach as at least you can move around it to go to the toilet etc (I’m guessing it’s one with toilets?) and it’s probably more comfortable than a car, and safer than a bus.

My 5 year old still uses the buggy for big days out and holidys op!

we live in london and she can't walk all day on a bit 7 hour day out and about up and down steps for the tube etc - all that walking around - possibly needing a nap on the way home

on holidays we might be out super late and she might need a nap and she'll hop in and sleep ! or just to rest the tired legs

Total necessity in my eyes too! otherwise it just ruins the day / ruins my back trying to carry her

I used the trunki backpack booster seat for my small 5 year old and it worked really well

The buggy hate is sensational! Obviously toddlers can’t walk as much as adult. These people clearly drive a lot more, then you obviously don’t need a buggy

If you’re meeting your parents there, could they not pick you up a cheap second hand pushchair to take?

Sounds like you’ll have your hands full enough.

Me too. I once had to buy one when on holiday, for a 3.5 dd2. Made life so much easier!

Dd1, OTOH, never wanted to sit in the buggy after she started walking at 12 months. They couldn’t have been more different.

Take the coach, sit him on the seat with a lap belt (though some coaches have toddler seats, the last one I took did in Spain

Ignore the pushchair haters, I still used a double buggy at 5&3 for holidays, made life so much easier especially in the evenings

Jesus Christ please don’t use this! It looks like a recipe for internal decapitation.

Apparently it genuinely conforms to the US car seat safety standard 🤷‍♀️ I do not really understand the physics of this, but they are a real thing which has met a safety standard albeit not the European one, and they have been around long enough there are various cases of them having actually protected children in real accidents, and I've not come across any case where someone is complaining about it not having worked. They are not the same as the weird flimsy fabric "car seats" that pop up from time to time on amazon/ebay/temu etc (which should never be used under any circumstance).

However, moot for OP, as you can't buy in Europe including UK and they are not legal to use in any European country. OP mentioned Euros so sounds like they are travelling within EU.

Weirdly there was a loophole for a bit, where you could legally use them in the EU for a child over 15kg, in conjunction with any backless booster. Then they said no actually, you can only use it with our specific backless booster which they sold for $80 😂considering backless boosters have had no significant design changes since the early 80s, I really don't think it would make any difference at all which exact booster was used but the US CPSTs like to stick very carefully to that official line. Then whether the loophole was closed, or whether the company misunderstood the change in the R44 standard about new backless boosters only being from 125cm/22kg, I don't know but they no longer sell the overpriced booster cushion or advise they can be used together.

I’m completely on your side! What are people on about? If you’re doing a huge amount of walking of course your wee one won’t keep up (or be happy doing so). My 5 year old is a healthy fit and active child and there’s no way she could manage a full day walking in a hot country. She doesn’t fit a pram anymore 🤣 so we just have to limit our daily holiday activity now sadly!

i once went to Disney with a group of friends and I took a wee stroller for my then four year old because of so much walking. I could tell my friends thought I was being ridiculous but before long Al our kids were taking turns in it!

FWIW I’d take coach and inflatable booster. Had very bad experience with transfer driver (got out and caught a bus after ten hair raising mins 🫣)