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Original poster

Tui holiday - car seat dilemma

17 replies

CharlT08 · 27/04/2022 10:46

Hi,

I’m really hoping someone can help with this as its proving difficult for me to work out what to do for the best.

In June we’re going on our first family holiday to Majorca with Tui. We have private transfers included in the holiday.

We will have our 4 (nearly 5) and 14 month old with us.

My question is in relation to car seats. No matter how much I try I can’t seem to get through to Tui to book the car seats as part of the private transfers they offer (happy to pay extra) I can’t work out if it’s better to…

  1. Buy new car seats to take (extra expense as wouldn’t want to take our current car seats incase damaged) Have seen Urban Kanga for the 1 year old and Trunki Booster for 4 year old.

  2. Book our own transfers with a different company ensuring we have car seats

  3. Somehow get Tui to swap our transfer to the coach - I have no idea if this makes sense to anyone else but a baby on your knee on a coach feels safer than a car - making I’m thinking of this in the wrong way.

please help!!

OP posts:
MadameDragon · 27/04/2022 10:53

Contact Tui via social media to get a proper answer.

Original poster
CharlT08 · 27/04/2022 10:57

Thanks MadameDragon - hadn’t thought of that

OP posts:
Amey543 · 19/01/2023 17:49

Hi, I’m curious how the car seat situation ended up?
We’re going this June and I have the same concerns with private transfers and no option to book car seats.

Original poster
CharlT08 · 19/01/2023 20:56

Hi Amey - I ended up booking private transfers at our own expense. I emailed our hotel who sorted it out for us. It was only a 20 minute transfer so not too expensive although annoying that Tui weren’t keen to help at all. Hope that helps. I couldn’t believe how Tui acted as if it were something they had never come across before. I was actually glad we didn’t take our own car seat in the end as our buggy ended up being destroyed on the way home by Manchester airport baggage handlers!

OP posts:
Amey543 · 19/01/2023 21:14

That’s good to know, emailing the hotel is a good idea. I tweeted tui and I’m currently sending them info via dm but they said they can’t guarantee a car seat. I think it’s crazy they don’t have it as an option, I’m sure they must have families constantly coming across this issue. Especially if you can easily book a car seat with other private transfer companies.
It’s tempting to take a car seat but knowing how brutal that are in airports that really puts me off!
Thank you for replying

Candy8687 · 30/08/2023 22:11

Hiya can anyone shed light on flying with TUI? We’ve booked a package holiday with them and wondered if we were able to bring a car seat on the plane for our 2 year old??

first time flying with him so any and all advice really appreciated x

TravellinDad · 14/09/2023 10:33

We are about to have the same issue I think. We have a holiday booked in Majorca for this October, with our 11 month old twins. Our booking comes with a private taxi transfer and I'm now worried that it will be an issue. Our transfer is only around 20 minutes and I know that on coaches they can sit on your knee, but in cars etc the law is different. Already going to be packing so much, would prefer to avoid taking car seats too. Eager to hear anyone else's experiences. Going to reach out to TUI and site that this is a common theme (I've read similar answers to the OP's experience elsewhere). As a package holiday provider you would think they would have a way to help here. Will come back and keep folks posted with what TUI say.....

TravellinDad · 14/09/2023 10:34

@Candy8687 you can bring 2 baby items with you per child. Stroller and car seat should be fine. Have a look at the TUI 'flying with infants' guidance.

Candy8687 · 14/09/2023 11:16

@TravellinDad Not sure if this helps but in the UK in a public hire vehicle (taxis, cabs, coaches, ubers etc) you're allowed to travel without a car seat for infants and children.

they can be on your lap and you use the normal adult seat belt. hoping its the same in EU. for a short 20 min journey, i'd personally risk it for a toddler who is too big for a baby car seat/ one that attaches to a buggy. not sure what i would do if it was a long airport transfer. i've also tried to ask this question and they're yet to come back to me

Candy8687 · 14/09/2023 11:19

@TravellinDad ... re the plane issue. As our little one will be 2 and 2 weeks we've had to pay for his own seat. TUI said that they won't allow the car seat on the plane for him so we need to use the built in lap seat belt designed for all passengers during take off and landing. if we bring a car seat, they will put it in the hold for us with the pushchair for free / without taking up the baggage allowance.

we're going 17th Oct so will update this thread to help others

LauritaE · 03/01/2024 16:30

Just wondered what you ended up doing re car seats for private transfer?

thanks!

Candy8687 · 03/01/2024 20:37

Hiya our toddler sat on my lap for airport transfer. One was a coach and the other a taxi, the journey was about 10 mins so for me no issue. But I know some may not want to risk it at all for any length of time, your choice as a parent x

One thing to add, unrelated, I am SO glad we took the cybex libelle pushchair on holiday. It folds down into a small cube so fitted in the overhead compartment which meant the walk to/from security to the plane he was secure and we didn’t have to carry him or have him running around like a mad child. Big life saver

Amey543 · 03/01/2024 20:40

We took a car seat with us. I spoke to so many people that said don’t worry about it and loads that said you’re crazy not to worry about it. I decided to not to take the risk.
It paid off because although the private transfer car did have a car seat available, the driver did not put it in very well, and it was super loose. so I refuse to use it and we used ours which we could fit via the seatbelt. The transfer vehicles were actually really decent Mercedes vans. And had isofix in them. We went to Majorca. We didn’t use our seat on the journey back to Palma Airport. The car that arrived already had it fitted securely and it was a good seat.
Having her in our seat on the way to the hotel was quite useful because she fell asleep and we were able to clip her out of the car and leave her in the car seat so she could have a good nap.
We padded the car seat with extra nappies and towels in a big bag. and it went through the extra large baggage handling.

Amey543 · 03/01/2024 20:43

Definitely keep hold of your pram, even if it doesn’t fold down as small to go on the plane. They will take it just as you walk onto the plane and it will be the first thing on the belt as you collect your luggage

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 03/01/2024 21:54

I took the coach transfer and had the baby on my lap/in a carrier on my front.

LauritaE · 04/01/2024 07:51

Thanks! Was this a private transfer that Tui arranged or you arranged separately?x

Amey543 · 04/01/2024 12:24

It was a tui private transfer

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