Travelling by mini bus/taxi from airport would you take a car seat to Spain child age 3?

[Jzee]

Wherever we go on holiday we have allways taken our own carseat. This time we are not hiring a car and are trying to travel light. We will be taking a taxi or minibus to/from the airport in Spain and am not sure if it's the law for a child of 3 1/2 to be seated in a car seat or would it be ok to have him sitting on my lap strapped in? I don't like doing this though- Would you take your own carseat regardless of weight just to know that your child would be safe?

Do not strap him in on your lap! If there is a crash, your weight will crush him, essentially.

I would either a) belt the child on a normal seat. I think there are things you can use to lower a normal seatbelt? Or try to have him with just a lap belt? b) bring a booster seat, as that's lighter.

Also, the risk is lower in a minibus than in a taxi (just because a minibus is bigger, and hence less likely to stop suddenly, iyswim).

Oh, there's a third slightly wacky alternative, which is a flight vest. You can use one to strap a kid to your seatbelt, so they're on your lap, but not buckled in with you, but they won't go flying through the windscreen if you stop suddenly. Ours is a Baby B'air I think. Totally not a real replacement for a carseat, but better than nothing, and lighter and smaller than a car seat. I'd only use it this way for a one off.

Have you tried to prebook one for your transfer - we did successfully in Majorca a couple of years back. It probably is law (the recent UK change was based upon an EU directive) but whether the locals do .... Otherwise I'd take at least a basic one.

I've done this

I've strapped the child into the normal seat belt

Sometimes they don't HAVE seat belts though :-/

I've always taken car seats - its not worth the risk, plus cheaper than hiring one. Its impossible to travel light with kids!

Once you have more than one child you can't possibly take car seats?

We generally don't go in cars on holiday, beyond transfers. (We don't really go in cars at home, much, either, tbh.)

That being said, last trip home we brought a full stage 1 or whatever it is (second car seat) and a booster, as I knew I'd be doing two airport trips, plus another couple of hours in my dad's car.

We just put the car seats inside the luggage. That way we knew they wouldn't get damaged.