Safely transporting baby without car seat on LA stopover?

[EmilySian]

We're flying to New Zealand with our 4 month old in Dec and breaking the LONG journey with a night in LA (we used to find this helpful for jetlag in pre-baby days... wondering if its such a good idea now). What I can't work out is if we don't lug his car seat with us (The In Laws are hiring one for us in NZ)how do we safely/ legally get from the airport to a nearby hotel and back. It seems mad to hire a car (plus car seat) just for this - we don't plan to explore LA, just stretch our legs and get a good(?!) nights sleep. Anybody know if we take him on a hotel shuttle bus just on our laps? Are there taxi firms that will provide car seats?

If anyone can recommend a nice hotel or guesthouse, convenient for LAX, not too flashy and one that will welcome our little one I'd love to hear from you too.

When you decide on a hotel in LA, ask them what they advise. They should know what the laws in Calif. are that are relevant.

If possible (legal), (NO ONE else on MN will condone this), I would be inclined put the baby in a front carrier (like Baby Bjorn) and the seatbelt between me and the baby (not over the baby, whatever you do). And ride in the shuttle bus that way.

We stopped off for one night in LA on our way to Hawaii but can't remember the hotel

Last time when we were there to stay we were at Hyatt Regency {near Disney} and at Regent Beverley Wilshire in Beverley Hills

When we went to Australia and New Zealand and Cook Islands, in August, we went via LA but went straight through just in the holding bay room in LA

I am sorry don't know about taxi or shuttle bus but if I was you I would deffo go for the shuttle bus, much safer then driving, not with reguards to baby but just cos of getting conned by taxi driver iyswim

Went to LAX this past August and have used the airport transportation before then as well.

A firm called Supershuttle operate out of LAX (these are blue minivans with yellow writing on them) but would not suggest you use these at all with a four month old in tow. Apart from having no child seats of any sort on board they're not very child friendly either. These vans have to go around the airport three times before leaving. Taxis there are plentiful but again they are likely to carry no child seats of any sort.

I would ask the hotel you will be staying at to arrange pick up for your family on arrival or for them to suggest a company to collect you as a family as they should have a suitable car seat. You need to specify with them re the a car seat and to get written confirmation that they will provide same.

This point is important - you must be able to give the Immigration people in LA the address (of the hotel) for the first night of arrival. You will both be fingerprinted and photographed as well (not your child).

Dependent on what time of day you arrive into LAX (my guess is mid afternoon) I would look into staying somewhere like Marina Del Ray or Long Beach for staying overnight. Both are within 45 minutes (dependent on traffic) from the airport at LAX.

HTH

My experience of airport/ hotel shuttle buses (in 4 states but not California) is that they will NOT transport a baby without a car seat. Bear in mind that California has some of the strictest safety laws in the US. Apparently European and American carseat laws are different and you cannot legally use a European one in the US and vice versa. So even if you did take your own, that may not be legal. This info came from Britax and I do wonder if it is just a ploy to get me to buy a new one.. I did use an American infant seat in the UK, and it seemed fine.

You may well find a taxi driver who will take you, illegally, if you are comfortable with that. I had the same trouble on a recent trip to Texas and ended up taking our carseat (carried on my back like a back pack). Worked out well as I got a spare seat on the plane so could strap ds in and had a quiet flight!

Maybe a limo company or pre-bookable taxi might provide a carseat. Maybe your hotel can advise... good luck!

mamamaaargh I use my UK car seats here, but they're ISOfix/LATCH as it is here so are fixed to car chassis. It's 40 lbs for booster seat here or four years. So I've one in a booster and one in a Latch seat. From what I can as long as your child is in a rear-facing / reclining babycarrier he's safe and mamamaaargh is right it's law in California for all children to be transported safely. If you do a search on the web you might be able to find a taxi firm you can have a seat there for you.