should I take carseat to California for the taxi only?

[sabinar]

hi there... I can't decide what to do. I'm traveling to San Diego with my 3 month old and don't know whether I should bring his car seat or not... the only reason that I think I would use it would be for the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and back again. I guess we'd use it a little if we had it with us. We're not taking a push chair and mostly use a sling for transporting him around.

it seems like a bulky hassle, but I don't want to be stuck for ages waiting for a taxi with a car seat, assuming that I'll need one for him in California.

what would you do?

Id take it

could you try and contact an airport car collection company and pre-order a pick up? Then you could probably specify that you need them to supply a carseat. I have organised pick ups on behalf of visiting friends before from companies that I know to have car seats available.

What kind of car seat is it Sabinar? If it's a 'rocky' carry-by-handle- type car seat it might be handy to have on the plane to sit the baby in, and handy in the hotel - if you're eating etc?

yeah, it's a 'rocky' carry by handle type (maxi cosi). Rear facing... I had heard that you could only have forward facing ones on the plane, but perhaps that's not right.

This is my first trip with LO... I think it's going to take me a while to get used to traveling with stuff after so many year of traveling v light.

good idea re: pre-ordering a pickup. I might look into that.

You need to find out if it is the law to use them where you will be staying.
You can pre-order a taxi with one.
If yours would come in handy as a general seat for him then take it anyway.
Can't someone out there lend you one?

You need to find out if it is the law to use them where you will be staying.
You can pre-order a taxi with one.
If yours would come in handy as a general seat for him then take it anyway.
Can't someone out there lend you one?

Not sure about the rear/forward facing thing on the plane but it would be worth checking out with airline as it's a long trip and you might well want a break!

Not all UK car seats are infact allowable for use in cars in countries outside the EU so it is likely not worth taking anyway.

I'd speak to the hotel and ask them to arrange transport with a suitable car seat.

I would take it - you will need something to put the baby down in occasionally.

I'd take it, it'll be useful to have
car seat info for CA

If you take a hotel transfer bus, then you generally don't need a car seat - they often don't have seatbelts, anyway. (Buses are big, and much less likely to stop suddenly, iyswim.) I'd talk to the hotel.

I don't think car seats are ever legally required in taxis, anyway - they aren't even required here in the UK.

laws vary from state to state

looks like CA has no exemptions