Babies on Coaches

[Extremelybusymum]

My friend has booked to come on a ski trip to Switzerland with us and will be bringing along her 9-month-old. The family-friendly tour operator advises there is no provision for babies on coaches and that they must sit on the parent's lap (for 3 hours). I understand this is not legal in the UK? The baby would therefore have no restraint. They have offered an extra coach seat (at extra cost) but this has only a lap belt and therefore is not designed for UK car baby seats, making it unsafe. Does anyone know whether the only safe option for anyone faced with a similar dilemma is a private transfer?

Take the train - most resorts are accessible by train. In a car it would be illegal to have the baby on a lap in Switzerland just as here (in fact they've recently tightened their child seat laws) but a coach is probably less regulated. Having said that most coaches/minibuses in CH now have 3 point belts, including the public Postbus service. Whereabouts are you going to ?

Agree with LIZS totally. Trains are reliable and fast and, more importantly, safe.

Train is best.

This is why I never went on holidays needing a transfer when my DC were small.

I'd love to know the answer to this.

I'm bumping this thread because I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I have a seven week baby and my mum and husband think I'm being a bit extreme to avoid coaches altogether. They say people have always travelled on coaches, with or without babies.

I'm planning to go to Oxford in the next few weeks (I'm in London) and the train is way more expensive than the coach (it's a 2 hour trip, I reckon). Husband has also booked a coach trip in Scotland (don't know how many hours, hope it's not too long).

They say I can use the safety belt on myself and then the baby carrier, so neither of us would be loose if something happened.

I'd like some opinions about that, please. Am I being paranoid? Is it a reasonable plan? Or are coaches a bad idea after all?

Thanks!

I've taken my baby on a couple of short coach trips, which lasted up to 20 minutes (rail-replacements in the UK, when transiting from airport). It was unforeseen, and I wasn't happy about it, but did it anyway rather than pay £50 for a taxi.

However, I would avoid a coach journey with a baby (unless securely in a car seat), especially on those windy Alpine roads which do have a higher incidence of accidents. Actually, I'd avoid it on any road if I could. Just not worth the risk.

It isnt illegal on a coach, like it isnt illegal on a bus here

dont know swiss law at all

i have taken mine on green line coaches on my lap, dont know if i would for 3 hours though