Canada in February with 3yr old and 18month old tips/advice???

[Amybestwick95]

I'm looking at booking a trip to Canada (specifically Toronto and surrounding areas) to visit family out there. I've never been in winter and would love to go in the snow/cold but am I being silly thinking about taking them to such a cold place at such a young age? Also planes with two kids? My husband would be there but is basically a third child my main worries are

• car seat not the plane? No car seat but pay for a seat each? Three seats and baby on our knee?
• what clothing will be best? Snowsuits?ski trousers? Normal winter clothes from the UK? Wellies, walking boots, snow boots?

-do I take nappies or buy over there? Currently 3yr old wears them for naps and bed and 1yr old obviously wears them all the time

• and finally spending money? We will hopefully be staying with family so not much sight seeing or hotels so how much would you reccomend?

Sorry for such a long post just excited(first trip abroad as a family and can't wait to see my family) but confused xxx

If you have the money to pay for an extra seat for the 18mo, do it, and take your car seat with you. We didn't, as we had been told the EU safety standards not compliant, but at check-in they asked where our car seat was...

Normal winter clothes, with snowsuit, proper warm mittens (not gloves) and hat - also those buff neckwear are great and stop toddlers faces freezing off.

Take enough nap pies for a few days in case of flight delay etc, but email family you are staying with in advance and get them to lay in supplies of what you need.

Cash is entirely up to you, but the exchange rate is good that way at the moment, so you might want to start getting some in - unless you are a rate watcher and think it will get even better. Crap going the other way...

Have fun!

(I should have said we paid for a seat for a baby (over two they can't be lap-sat anyway) but they wouldn't let us use it for an under two year old without a car seat, (yes we had an empty seat and a lap sat crazy mobile baby who was awake the whole time and finally went to sleep as we fastened our seat belts for landing) so check with your airline.

Thank you :) does it matter what kind of car seat you have ? We currently have a cybex aton car seat that goes on the stroller but she HATES it with a passion and has never slept in it. We also have a pampero cherub (www.halfords.com/kids-zone/car-seats-bases/baby-car-seats/pampero-cherub-baby-car-seat-pink) which she is OK in but its big and bulky and I think it would be a massive pain to lug round the airport. We are hoping to get a night time flight there but can only find daytime flights back so not sure how that will be xx

I would seriously consider going later in the year; February of this year was their coldest February ever!.

February 2015: By the Numbers

Record-breaking average overall temperature: -12.6 C
Average daily high: -8.3 C
Average daily low: -16.9 C
Warmest point: -1.4 C (Feb. 4)
Coldest point: -25.5 C (Feb. 15)
Days in a row below freezing: 37 (as of March 1)

The lowest of the lows in February dropped to -25.5 C, with a wind chill that neared -40 C. Twenty-three days were labelled extremely cold by Toronto’s Public Health department. That total well exceeded February 2014’s 12 alerts, and the three in February 2013 and two in February 2012. Average temp in February is minus 4.5C. It will be miserable to actually walk around in it (the cold winter weather is also why Toronto has underground walkways downtown).

Most if not all flights to Toronto depart the UK during daylight hours; they usually leave from lunchtime until around 4.30 pm. The flights back to the UK will be overnight ones arriving into the UK early morning the next day.

I did get the flights the wrong way round oopps haha. We wouldn't be doing much walking around mainly just in and out the car and then in family members houses. I mainly just want the kids to see it more than be in it (we will be going back to do tourist things in a couple of years) I have also just heard that one of my aunts is really not well so would like to go asap. I've had a look and think we will go for the car seat option and find a smaller more manageable car seat. Our 3 year old is over 40lbs (the recommended weight for using a car seat on a plane) so he should be fine. Thanks for the warnings about the severe weather my relatives are sending lists and pics of their winter stuff so we know what to buy xx

Check about car seats with the specific airline you book with - some airlines will let you book a car seat for the flight (or they used to anyway...)

Oh yeah, it will be bloody freezing. I assumed you knew that. with a 3 yo and an 18mo if you are likely to be outside I would be looking to rent or borrow a double chariot - that way you can zip them in it with a duvet and at least the air around their faces will be slightly warmer. We used one with ours at that age. (And there are of course plenty of babies and toddlers that live in Toronto and cope lol. But it's an art...)

I knew it would be cold but hadn't realised it was record breaking last year. I've contacted a few airlines about carseats and just waiting to hear back. We will be taking our own single stroller and my son will walk or go on someone's shoulders as he's got that "I'm not going in a pushchair ever again attitude" out pushchair has a built in toddler platform as well so he can hitch a ride if he's desperate. We've been advised to dress them in thermal layer, long sleeved top/shirt, fleece layer, ski type coat, waterproof hat and mittens and one of those neck warmer tube things (top half). Thermal layer, trousers (joggers are better apparently) ski type trousers, normal socks, thermal socks and waterproof walking boots or snow boots. Then baby would have a footmuff as well in the puschair. Getting excited now found cheap (ish) flights on the right dates and checked we can get time off