Holiday abroad with 6m old - car seats??

[LC84]

FTM due any day now... we have a holiday abroad (spain) booked for July 2023 so baby will be 6m.

Taking a fold down stroller, but just wondered what people recommend in terms of portable but safe car seats for transfers from our home to airport and then airport to hotel at other end?? (Will be taxis for both not coaches)...

Any advice or recommendations welcome!!

You’ll get a lot of different opinions here.

if it were me I’d ask around trusted friends and family for a second hand outgrown baby car seat (I have a maxi cosi pebble in the loft for example) and use it to get to the airport, then put in the hold and use in the taxi the other end. Yes it’ll get chucked around in the hols but for me a trusted seat chucked around a bit is better than a taxi-provided one or no car seat at all.

*hold not hols. I hate autocorrect

This is also what we did in same situation. Took a spare seat. Not their main every day seat from our car.

Can you not take the car seat onboard?

@hotelpink they won’t let you take a baby car seat on as hand luggage on European flights, it has to go in the hold.

You can take it in the cabin if you book a seat for the baby. Most infant carriers are plane approved so you can fit onto the plane seat.

Infant carriers are in general the easiest type of seat to travel with.

Well, until you get to the age they can just have a backless booster, but that's years off at 6mo :)

I didn't mean as hand luggage, I meant with the baby in the seat.

@hotelpink i didn’t know you were allowed! But seems you are right, every day is a school day.

Below from the TUI website FAQs

Will there be a seat on the plane for my baby?
According to policy for all UK-registered aircraft, infants under six months of age must sit on an adult’s lap and be secured with an infant lap-strap for the duration of the flight - this will be provided on the aircraft. Children aged between six months and two years must sit on an adult’s lap, unless a seat is purchased. In this case, a car seat may be used if necessary. Please note we have a one-infant-per-lap policy.

Most car seats can’t be used on a plane. Baby seats in particular need to be secured with a three point seat belt and planes only have a lap belt. There are very few car seats that are approved for use on planes.

We used our normal baby car seat until they grew out of them, we checked them in in a special carry bag, packed surrounded by beach towels.

once they outgrew those we bought some extra car seats just for travelling that are easy to get in and out.

Thanks everyone, sounds like taking a spare reliable one in the hold for transfers will be an option so will ask around / look at getting one, thanks again 👍🏽