Baby on airport coach - car seat?

[graceinc22]

Hi everyone,

I'm pregnant with our first child due in the summer. I'm half Italian and we travel back quite a lot to Italy to visit family etc. We tend to fly to the nearest airport to the city where they live, and then get the airport coach to the city - 1 hour direct (other public transport options require multiple changes are much more of a faff). We then get the bus onto the other place where I have family, and where we stay.

The airport coach only has a lap belt. Does anyone have any advice as to what to do? I've googled car seats that work with a lap belt and I can't see any still being produced? I don't feel confident driving in Europe and hiring a car is very expensive. Want to see if there's a way we can keep our simple public transport approach to holidays!

xx

The usual done thing is probably just to hold baby on your lap. Obviously that isn’t the safest option but individual choice whether you’re willing to risk it for convenience, buses are typically safer than cars so there’s that but obviously going down the motorway at 70mph is different to crawling at 20 through a city…
But in answer to your question, American car seats have a different belt routing and use just a lap belt, and are tested that way, but since their seatbelts work differently you’d probably need a locking clip. And not easy to get hold of outside the US. What about an airline approved seat? There are no toddler seats currently for sale in the UK but you can get still infant ones including the maxi cosi citi or cabriofix. There must be a way to install them with a lap belt only if they can go on a plane… It won’t be how they’re crash tested but it’s gotta be safer than a loose baby right??

Although it were me I’d just get a taxi…

They will likely be expected to be on your lap unless there's a spare seat.

Safest way is seatbelt between you and baby (not around baby!) And baby strapped to you in a sling/carrier.

We take a car seat. We've just been away and took two lightweight car seats for the transfer. It also means they are more likely to nap and means you can have your hand free. For a small baby there's no way I would travel without a car seat. You can check them in for free with most (all?) airlines.

Can the family you are visiting pick you up? Then you can bring your own car seat or keep one out there. Will you be driven around by family once out there? Will you be taking other bulky items like travel cots? If so I’d be looking to be picked up rather than faff around with public transport.

You will need a baby car seat. If they are slightly older the only travel car seat I could find with a high back was urban kangaroo seat.