Travelling on coach with toddler - any tips

[okeydokeygirl]

I hate driving to London to visit family and can get really cheap coach tickets from Bristol. In fact i hate driving full stop and i would much rather go by public transport. But is it safe to take the coach with a toddler as she won't be in a car seat? Also, how will I keep her occupied for 2 - 3 hours as she is unlikely to sleep like she would in the car?

personally i would just take a car seat!

DD is 21 months. If I take a car seat, presumably I will have to pay for 2 tickets and then how do I get the car seat from the coach station on two buses to final destination? Also, do all coaches have safety belts that will fix a car sea. Lots of food is a good idea. Is it any easier by train?

ok you manage...

i have trvaleed on a train to london and through waterloo with a

14 month old baby (who couldnt walk or stand at the time)
a buggy
a travel cot
a changing bag
his holdall of clothes
my holdall of clothes
my hand bag
and a bag of stuff fromm mummy boss to grandma!
and a car seat (which he sat in through duration of train journey)

(we were both going to stay with his grnadma in london!)

I basically had child in buggy.... travel cot balanced on the hood of buggy... car seat hung on handles by straps.... as well as handbag, and bag from mummy.... change bag under the pushchair, and a holdall hung on each of my arms!

It can be done

i have done wa very long coach journey with a toddler many years ago - i would not do it again - but if you have too take lots of snacks drink a wam blanket and pillow to snuggle with yr toddler

don't use the on coach toilet

Most coaches only have a lap belt which is not gong to be useful for most car seats

several group 1 car setas can be fitted with a lap belt.

in any case if there is a crash a child in there seat strapped in with a lap belt is less likely to be killed than a child sitting on mummys knee.... and going down the isle hrough the coach window... or than the huge internal injuries for a lap belt alnoe (even more so when the child is SOOOO younge)

Thanks for all the advice. In the end the brother that i was going to visit didn't make it from the USA as he was ill so my trip was cancelled. I felt so relieved that i didn't have to go by coach, then really guilty that my brother was too ill to travel. I drove up after Christmas and it was Sooooo much easier. I have now found out how to get the best train fares so in future I think i will give the coach a miss and try the train. It seems a lot less hassle, and safer in the long run. If anyone else wants to get the best out of train fares see www.moneysavingexpert.com or megatrain.com. Thanks everyone.