First time away with DS1 and DS2 (6 and 4) to Canada. Car seat question.....

[Smithy]

Hopefully away at Easter to Canada with DS1 and DS2. Will need car seats and wondered:

• whether a booster cushion (i.e. no highback) would be acceptable to use in car whilst in Canada?
• are booster cushions OK to use on the flight?
• if not how does one transport a family of four with luggage for 10 days and 2 big car seats on an aircraft?

Sorry for dumb questions, never travelled abroad with the boys and stressing already!

TIA

Bump!

Bump.......

Hey, my sister lives in Toronto so have been over a few times but my DD only 1 and was still in a rear facing seat last time so can't help with booster seats etc. BUT...what I can tell you is they are not allowed to fit the car seat or in fact tell you how to fit it (apparently) because of Canadian law and being sued. That was with National.

I concur re Tim Hortons - yum! We have flown with BA and Canadian Affair - both good IME.

One thing I would say is if you are flying into Toronto (may be the same elsewhere) DO NOT book your car rental through National or Hertz they must be the cheapest and so the queue to get your hire car is ridiculous (3 hours for us last time - DD 8 months old - nightmare!) The Alamo desk is normally completely empty guess they must be a bit more expensive but next time we go will definately pay the extra not to have to wait sooooo long. Also lots of people were not getting the cars they reserved with National.

Where are you going? How exciting!

Oh and also you will have to have a high back booster seat Canadians are v.v.v.v strict with car seats my nephews are 10 and 8 and the youngest still has a high back booster

We travelled across Canada for 6 weeks last summer with kids aged 18m and 4 1/2. Lots of driving involved. Great trip only downside for me was the food. Got child seats with hire cars - they were more or less the same as the ones here. You need to give weight (in lbs) and age of kids to get most appropriate seats. I've never seen boosters used on planes - don't think you need them as the strap goes over lap not across body. Car seat better than booster if long car journey as child can more comfortably sleep with the head support.

I always hire car seats when I travel; is more money than it should be buts saves all the faffing with odd shaped items to carry.

Re packing find out where laundrettes are and travel light. We take less and less each time we travel but we always take too much. For 10 days we'd be able to do 2 big holdhalls (on wheels), buggy and maybe a child carrier/rucksack. But we've travelled with loads more than this on some trips skis, ski boots, 2 bikes - you can load so much onto baggage trolleys only problem is steering when you cant see over the top. I just did a trip with 2 kids where Swiss Air wanted to charge me £500 XS baggage (I ended up paying not a penny by arguing a lot and repacking in the check in queue) and I was on my own with the 2 kids. I managed as you don't really have to carry bags anywhere, just makes sure what you take fits onto a single luggage trolley (or 2 at a push if 2 adults). Our 5 year old is a great help and often pushs the buggy when we've got loads of luggage.

Have a great trip.

Thanks very much for replies. Have just booked flights to Toronto. Am staying with bestest buddy from UK who emigrated last year. Lives about 90 mins outside Toronto. First time boys have been abroad and I've not flown since 2000! Very useful info about car seats. Will chat to friend and see what the best thing to do is. I guess we'll need them to get to the airport anyway at this end. Never straightforward is it!

Oh well, lots of lists need to be made now! Must find out what the weather will be like in early April!

Forgot to say, flying BA. Got a better deal than with Canadian Affair and a free nights hotel too as part of deal.

Just been speaking to my sister - early April likely to be much the same as here (prob a bit warmer) Whereabouts does your friend live? My sis lives in Waterloo (just over an hour from Toronto) If Canadian Wonderland is open in April you must go there - its fab! Also if you are near there is a lovely town called St Jacobs which is populated my the menonites (sp?) who are a division of the Amish and the town is fascinating!

If you are renting a car, check out the cost of renting a car seat. I've found it's usually about $7-10 a day. You can buy a car seat in Canada (from Canadian Tire for example) for about $35-40 so if you are going for two weeks, you might as well buy one. We bought one last year and brought it home with us (our daughter was about to move up a size anyway). It was no problem bringing it home on BA, we checked it in as special luggage. Good luck.

Here are the Ontario regulations:

www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/carseat/choose.htm

If you are renting a car, check out the cost of renting a car seat. I've found it's usually about $7-10 a day. You can buy a car seat in Canada (from Canadian Tire for example) for about $35-40 so if you are going for two weeks, you might as well buy one. We bought one last year and brought it home with us (our daughter was about to move up a size anyway). It was no problem bringing it home on BA, we checked it in as special luggage. Good luck.

when we went yo australia took my DS car seat (22 months) on the palne, big help when he slept as was supported and safe (I couold sleep too!)