Car seats, pushchairs and travel cots combined with long-haul!!

[Spaghetto]

We're experienced travellers but rather intimidated by prospect of flying to US with 6mth old.... Any advice on below would be appreciated!!
(a) Should we buy another pushchair (like the BJCM?) for the aiport/ other end? Worried about damage/ hassle of cameleon!!
(b) Do rental cars in US have child seats or must we take our own? if so why would we take one with us? Anyone have any experience of that?
(c) We're staying with family but they don't have a cot so should we buy a travel cot? If so any tips?
Thanks for any advice!!

You can take your bugaboo but I would recommend a travel bag if you do
We take a maclaren when we travel but always in a bag

We always take our own car seats although you can rent them
As rental places sometimes don't have them despite you booking them
Or can't tell you how to fit them
Or they are cheap and crappy
Or the rental cost is high

Yes buy a travel cot or get them to buy one there for you or order one online in the US - they are usually cheaper there

Thanks for the thoughts! Very helpful! If you take your own car seat do you also take the base? I suppose you have to... We have a maxi-cosi with base unit! Which Maclaren do you recommend for travelling?

Ours doesn't have a base - can you not use yours without? with just the seatbelt iykwim?

We usually take a Maclaren Quest but the BJCM would also be a good choice

Please check that if you do take your uk car seat that it is legal in the US. Could invalidate your insurance if not.

Buy or rent a travel cot.

We travelled to Las Vegas with a 5 mth old with a micralite which takes a carry cot and a maxi-cosi car seat. (Similiar to a bugaboo) The carrycot fitted into a large suitcase, the car seat was checked baggage, except on the way home I think we left it at the gate. Our hotel supplied a cot (crib) which DD hated and she ended up sleeping most nights in the carrycot, on the buggy. This had the added advantage of us being able to push her to sleep when needed.

We had a travel bag for the micralite. If you baby still fits into a carrycot then i'd take and use that, or get a small travel one, like the samsonite one. We used our car seat in the cabs we took.

Having travelled extensivly with my two little ones (2 and 9m) I swear by the BJCM as it is fully lay flat and I can alternate the two little ones in as both are as comfy in it and can sleep. You fold it with one hand, its light and will not break!

I fully truly and whole heartedly recommend the NEW BABY BJORN COMFORT, as I am carrying the 9m old with ease in it and he weighs a tonne! Get one!!!

For a TRAVELCOT get the PHIL AND TEDS one, I have checked mine in on its own or it will fit in a normal suitcase, its easy peasy to set up and is not just a travelcot as you can take the side of it completly and turn it into a toddler bed. Fab Fab Fab!

Happy Flying!

forgot to say you can get a very light and easy to use car seat adapter for the BJCM (approx 15pounds on ebay or 40 from retailers) that will take most carseats, and will turn the BJCM into a travelsystem. You can fold the pram with it attatched so its not complicated!

hi im flying to toronto in a couple of weeks with my 21mth old and want to use her britax car seat its a f / class plus bennno zna not sure if its ok to use on a flight

Check your airlines policy re baby equipment. I flew Easyjet last week and we were allowed two pieces for baby for free. We took our maxicosi and a maclaren in a bag. We do a lot of travel so I've bought the fab (but expensive IMO) Phil and Teds cot. It weighs only 2.5kg and fits in our suitcase! And it will last for ages, those bubble cots only last til baby is a certain age I think. I'd strongly recommend a pushchair bag as my Dad used to be a baggage handler and he saw too many munched pushchairs! Have fun!