Car seat questions re cabs/taxis?

[Bexybear]

help! we have to get a taxi to Heathrow and then taxi from Airport to hotel in Hamburg on thursday. DS is nine months but big so already in a fixed car seat..what are the rules re car seats for Taxi/cabs for taking under 1s? can he sit on my lap? And, real long shot this, has any one tried to get a cab in Germany with a baby?

any advice or experiences would be useful cheers

i think that if there is a baby seat fitted in the car, it has to be used by law. However, if there isnt a baby seat, you just have to carry them the safest way possible. You can fit the baby in the pushchair in a london black cab without having to fold it. In a normal cab I have just carried DS on my lap with a seat belt round us, hoping for the best!

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Haven't tried in Germany but in some countries have held dd on my knee (not perfect but had to do it ) and in others, particularly from airport, have got a cab which carried a car seat on board. Black cab - kept dd in pushchair and tied it in with wheelchair straps.
Have never had a driver refuse to take dd without a seat - she's been to Ireland, New York (limo), Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, Bahamas no probs

Take a car seat - even if you go and buy a cheap one that you don't care if it gets trashed.

Failing that go on the bus or train.

You would not be able to hold onto him in an accident - even one at a low speed.

NEVER EVER hold the baby on your lap with the seat belt round you both ... if there was an accident then your weight behind the baby and the seat belt in front of the baby would crush him ...
If you sit the baby on your lap with only the seat belt around you then you won't be able to hold on to the baby if there was a serious crash ... as much as you tried to.
TAKE YOUR CAR SEAT WITH YOU if you have to get taxis.

Sorry Mosschops that is wrong - the law in the UK is 'if available'.

Full rules here

Bexybear - if you look at the link there is a section for the rules in Germany which might be helpful for you.

For one-off journeys while travelling (taxi from airport to train station, that kind of thing), we've managed without a car seat. I would never go without a car seat under normal circumstances, but carrying a car seat for two 20-minute cab rides seemed excessive. (In my neighbourhood, I see kids riding around in the backs of cars without seatbelts, all the time, and babies on laps. They seem to be surviving.)

We have used a baby b'air vest for these sorts of things, it's a vest that goes around the baby, and you loop it into your seat belt. Not as good as a car seat (duh) but something. It's meant for use on a plane, really.

Oh, for the trip to Heathrow, your local minicab company may either have their own car seats, or let you use yours, and then keep it for you until you come back?

Otherwise, if you're in a black cab, I'd ride backwards, seatbelt around only me, and hold baby in my lap (or have him in a sling, if you still have one?).

Thanks everyone... really useful though still not quite sure what to do

Apparently Addison Lee do cabs with child car seats so that will solve the Heathrow end...

I will get our fixed car seat out and see if it looks manageable to take it with us since that is obvioulsy the safest BUT my memory from fitting it was that it was very heavy and unweildy - sp?!

OK if the airline dont try to charge us..

I'll let you know

Id recomend buying a cheap one like the others. having worked for taxis firms in the past I know that several have their own car seats but Id rather take my own as they are not always cared for when not in cars (i.e 'chucked' in a cupboard in a hurry).

You can get basic car seats from around £20. and IMO thats nothing to keep your child safe.

the britax cruiser can be used from 9 months. it uses a full adault belt, but is very good and lightweight.

The airline shouldn't charge you to take it - it just goes with oversized bagage. Have you looked at the website for Hamburg airport - we managed to prebook a taxi with car seats, both ways, in Majorca via a link on the Palma Airport website.

swedishmum not sure when you last travelled to Switzerland but the law changed in 2002 and seats are now obligatory up to the age of 8, although like UK law it may state "where available", and the airport taxis we've used insist upon it.

I've bought a m&p plastic one (suitable from 9 months) for about £50 for holidays and taxis. Am always worried about ones that dont belong to us. Have seen one come off the plane broken (a polystyrene one) which was pretty worrying though!

We went to Australia in Nov and had to get a taxi from home to the airport and a taxi from the airport in Oz to relatives house with a 7 month old and a 2 year old. For the UK part of the trip I hired a taxi, put our car seats in the cab and they kept them for us, when they picked us up for our return the car seats were fitted in the cab.

In Australia I hired a Limo, in which they could supply and fit car seats. A normal taxi didnt seem to offer this service but several Limo companies I found did, and to be honest it wasnt much more expensive.

I've asked a local taxi driver before what the law is regarding toddlers/babies in car seats and he didnt seem to know but said that he had carried lots of mum and babes on laps.

Just remember they didnt have car seats when we were small, they didnt even have seat belts in the backs of cars and we all survived.

Just a bit of advice....I would be vary wary of checking a car seat in, they manhandle it....and it is not then guaranteed to be safe in an accident. Maybe get Fragile tape to wind around it or put in a box with the tape all over the box if you have to check it in. Otherwise explain to airline and get them to let you take it on board...of course then you have to carry it. Hassles, I know, but personally I think it is worth it, otherwise what is the point of the carseat?

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Hi mums what a fraught issue that turned out to be... in case anyone is interested my sister translated the Taxi section of Hamburg Airport website and it appeared that all cabs had an infant car seat. BUT when we arrived it became clear it was simply a booster seat for the adult seatbelt and no good for a 9 month old - The female taxi driver was horrified when we asked if DS should use it. so after all that he sat in my lap for both 20 minute journeys...

One weird thing...ground staff at Heathrow refuse to take buggies out of the hold and bring them to the door of the aircraft when we landed so our Lufthanser pilot went and got our buggy himself...what a dude!

Oh, sorry Mosschops30. just making a point, dont think it was a stupid thing to say at all.

I think this is really tricky, bit like hiring car seats in hire cars which I think is really dangerous, especially when you see that state of them and the way they chuck them around.

Well!you know what I have been travelling all these years and never carried a Infant or Baby car seat. Always hired a Local Airport Taxi company in that area like in Toronto last week I called a company called GTAA Taxi they offer free, clean & by the book car seats I was there for a week on business & where ever i moved simply called them. So A tip from me is always call an Airport Taxi or Airport Limo company and look for free baby seat service. As said if in Toronto Canada, then check this Toronto Car Hire Limo or Taxi Service.

www.gtaataxi.com/child-seat.html

in france paris you have taxis it baby seat on board you can call georges +336 085 775 83
visit web site
www.taxireservation.fr
or contact us for email
[email protected]

Addison lee are a bit ridiculous. I booked a 13.50 journey in london and requested a car seat as their cars have integrated ones that just drop down from the seats. They wanted to charge me an additional 40 quid for using their car seat, plus a 4 quid 'booking fee' so 60 quid for a journey worth 13.50. Outrageous.

in france you can have a taxi it baby seat on board contact web site www.taxibabyseat.com or by mail [email protected] the phone number +33608577583 all cars equiped white credit cards and seat belt for babys

taxi it seat belt or baby seat in paris france www.taxibabyseat.com
is a very good company and serieux

taxis it baby seat in paris and suburbs www.taxibabyseat.com also in charles de gaulle airport and orly airport all credit cards wabe accepted mail [email protected]