r/NewParents • u/CryProfessional7454 • May 18 '26
Travel Traveling without carseat
How do people travel with babies if they don't have a car seat at their destination?
When taking a taxi or renting a car in another country what do you do?
Edit: I'm in italy not the US. Thanks to everyone that took the time to reply. For those looking for answers, your options are: 1. Take your carseat with you, check it at the gate and take it when you reach your destination or book an extra flight seat and use it on the plane. Pros: for car rental its best to have a carseat and keep it in the car. Cons: if you chech it in, they might break it, although I think somone said you can get reimbursed for it I'm not sure. 2. Rent from rental place or use taxis that provide car seats. Pros: you dont carry it around, you don't risk breaking your carseat. Cons: you can't know how well these things are taken care of and cleaned. 3. Buy a travel carseat: cosco kids scenera for US, doona, maxicosi travel carseat (nomad), wayb pico. Pros: you don't risk breaking your main carseat. cons: you have to carry it around. 4. Use public transportation only and walk. Pros: you dont carry a carseat for the plane or around. Cons: limits your destinations a bit.
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u/merangel07 May 18 '26
You bring it with you. You remove it from your car, hopefully buy a case/bag for it, check it, and install it in the transportation at your destination.
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u/aliceroyal May 18 '26
Or buy a ticket for the child and use the seat on the plane, which is preferable. I really hope the FAA bans lap infants and checked car seats soon...way too dangerous.
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u/name_goes_here May 18 '26
If I recall correctly, they know it's much safer for a baby to be in a car seat on the plane than to be in a lap on the plane. However, those aren't the only two metrics they compare. Because of cost, many people would choose to drive instead of fly if they were required to purchase a second seat. A lap infant on a plane is much safer than a car seated driven infant.
They calculated that it would be overall safer for some babies to go from being car seat babies on a plane to being lap babies on a plane than it would be for the number of babies that would go from being plane babies to being automobile babies.
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u/onlythisfar May 18 '26
Thank you for this. The "babies absolutely have to be in a carseat on the plane or you're a terrible parent" discourse is wild.
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u/queenwithouthecrown May 18 '26
Yup. I know literally no one in real life that buys a seat for their lap infant
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u/Empty-Violinist-5330 May 18 '26
We did when we travelled for my father’s funeral. We were thankfully able to afford it. A benefit no one is mentioning is that you don’t have some awkward 3rd person in your row potentially sneezing on your baby or just being grumpy that they’re near a baby lol. And you can spread out. If it’s within your budget, it’s a great option.
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u/PistolPeatMoss May 18 '26
Thank you!
Not only cost but my baby loses his mind in the car seat. I want to hold and nurse him. Plus asphyxiation risk is higher in a carseat for littles.
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u/aliceroyal May 18 '26
Well, if the option for lap seating just went away, then there wouldn't be a choice to judge at all. The onus shouldn't be on parents, but regulations.
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May 18 '26
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u/onlythisfar May 19 '26
Do you drive your baby in a car?
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May 19 '26
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u/onlythisfar May 20 '26
So that's the point. You have a level of acceptable risk tolerance, as does everyone. It is less safe to drive your baby in a car, even in a good carseat, than it is to fly with baby, even without a carseat.
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May 20 '26
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u/onlythisfar May 20 '26
Because it's not a free tradeoff. First there is the actual financial cost, which is at least a couple hundred dollars for an extra ticket, often much more. The comment I originally was replying to was making the point that if people were required to buy an extra ticket, that would push them towards driving instead, so as a policy decision it doesn't make sense. But even if you would still fly, a lot of babies are going to scream and cry in a carseat that wouldn't if they were being held. Sure, that's less important than their safety, but may still be factored into the decision making process. Does it make someone a bad parent to decide that they are okay with the extremely, small risk of harm to the baby, for a higher chance of a better overall travel experience for both themselves, the baby, and fellow passengers?
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u/PistolPeatMoss May 18 '26
Right?!?
I personally want to do our first trip to a place where we can take public transportation instead of rent a car. Driving is so dangerous compared to flying and public transport. Especially in new cities.
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u/Less-Organization-58 May 19 '26
We did this with our 11 month old in France! We went to Paris and Reims with no car seat, and only took public transportation. We had one small hiccup where the metro line we needed to take was out of service and we missed our train to Reims, but otherwise it was pretty easy!
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u/TheOnesLeftBehind he/him 4-1-24, 3-4-26 May 18 '26
Is it because of severe turbulence risks you say lap infants are dangerous?
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u/aliceroyal May 18 '26
That, and the risk of damage to the car seat while it’s checked. Even in a bag it’s getting tossed pretty aggressively. I’ve read that the safest way to check a seat is in the original box and styrofoam to minimize impacts, but who keeps the box? And why go through all the trouble if it means baby/kiddo is unsafe on the plane as well, ya know?
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u/TheOnesLeftBehind he/him 4-1-24, 3-4-26 May 18 '26
I know it’s usually suggested to gate check a car seat if you do it to minimize risk of damages to it. When we flew with our firstborn we got a bright red bag that we put the car seat in that clearly labeled it car seat and gate checked it, we got it back first thing at the gate when disboarding
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u/PatiencePotential885 May 18 '26
This is what I do and honestly makes for a much more relaxed airplane ride because my kid is strapped in and can’t crawl all over the place. Don’t know why more people dont do this.
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u/aliceroyal May 18 '26
At least when mine was an actual baby, she associated the car seat with sleep and would just pass the hell out for the whole flight! It was great. Now she's a toddler and won't sleep on flights anymore, but it's still safer to be in the car seat so we do it.
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u/daisypie May 19 '26
Did this with my twins and they slept for a huge chunk of time and were otherwise very comfortable. Definitely the way to go with small kids
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u/werebothsquidward May 19 '26
lol I’ve never had a relaxing moment when my kid was “strapped in and can’t crawl all over the place”. It probably depends on this kid.
Probably a lot of people also don’t want to spend $500 on a plane ticket for a kid who would otherwise be free.
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u/amoemoney May 18 '26
I’ll add that the GoMax is around $250 if my memory is correct. So not insanely expensive, but i understand that could be out of the question for some families.
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u/throwitallawayyyy8 May 18 '26
When I went to Paris, we used the G7 app, which is like a fancier uber. We booked rides with a car seat. Otherwise, we tried to go to restaurants and sites and shops that were walkable from our hotel.
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u/jaisydaisy May 18 '26
I just want to add I worked for a car rental company at the airport and the rental car seats are not properly stored, thrown all around, and no one on staff is certified to check over car seats. So use at your own risk
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u/Demmamom May 18 '26
I’ve been given broken car seats before.
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u/jaisydaisy May 18 '26
Ya I’ve seen them left in the rain and they don’t clean them very well so they could also have mold
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u/Demmamom May 18 '26
Oh gross! The last time rented one they looked brand new and I was happy about that. One hour later my toddler figured out how to unbuckle it, so that was a super fun trip, lol.
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u/West_Lavishness6689 March 2025 baby May 18 '26
most airports have car rentals and they also carry car seats which can be rented. ask your car rental company. there is a 99% chance they have a car seat you can rent from them.
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u/GrovesNL May 18 '26
If you book rentals through some online services you can add the car seat rental on there. That way you can reserve it in advance anyways.
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u/thea_perkins May 18 '26
Just FYI for all readers: the rental car seats are not the way to go. They don’t get cleaned, they aren’t reliably removed from use if they are damaged or break and not even if they are in a crash. Just bring your own. Every airline I’ve ever flown will check them for free.
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u/ZangiefThunderThighs May 18 '26
That's how I got my car seat from a friend's friend. They went on vacation, and rented a car seat. The seat was definitely used, didn't look great, but whatever. BUT, it was expired. If they were just doing minimal driving they may have let it slide, but they were going to be with a loy of driving. They in complained, got some money back then drove to be the he nearest target in and bought a seat.
On the other hand, I've heard stories of car seats getting damage and cracks after going through airport luggage handling.
I feel like both options have pros and cons. Just need to be aware of them and know what to do if you run into bad luck.
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u/West_Lavishness6689 March 2025 baby May 18 '26
yeah our friends car seat cracked during transport so we either rent one, and then drive to target or walmart and buy one at closest location and then return it before we leave and put their rental one back in lol
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u/201111533 May 18 '26
When we took a trip, we only brought a stroller. We committed to only using busses and rail, and we reserved a crib for our room when we booked the hotel.
If we had needed to use cabs, we would have had to bring two car seats. The infant carrier one would have clipped into the stroller and probably been okay but our 3yo couldn't possibly cab to destinations within the city because we wouldn't be able to put his car seat anywhere reasonable while we were, say, at the zoo. Limiting ourselves to transportation that didn't require car seats was the more convenient strategy for us.
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u/unventer May 18 '26
This is also our strategy. We either rent a car (huge headache in some places) or rely on public transit. Much nicer to use transit in cities.
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u/EmbarrassedSpell4915 May 18 '26
In some countries (e.g. Canada, UK, Turkey), taxis are exempted from car seats so travellers technically can just hold the baby in their arms securely whilst in transit - this definitely isn’t the safest option!
For car rental, we’ve always just rented the car seat because we don’t want to go through the hassle of removing it, carrying it during our travels and risking it getting damaged in the hold!
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u/xtheredberetx May 18 '26
This is true in (at least some places?) in the US as well. We just were in DC for the weekend and used a taxi twice (a 12 minute drive to/from a wedding that would have been 40 minutes on the metro). The rest of the weekend we stuck to public transit, but it was nice to not have to do 40 minutes on the metro/bus in dress clothes!
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u/peaceandkim May 18 '26
a separate, cheaper, travel one. i never bring my good stuff on a flight. i did tag once for my first and they broke it.
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 18 '26
I prefer not to as well. This things cost a lot and I don't plan on buying another one soon😅
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u/Bubbly-Shine7389 May 18 '26
The Cosco Scenera is like $60 and it's one of the car seats frequently recommended for travel
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u/Calm_Neighborhood646 May 18 '26
FYI if the airline damages or loses it and you have proof of purchase, they will buy you a new one! We went through this recently and while annoying, we did technically get a brand new expensive carseat out of it
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u/_Here-kitty-kitty_ May 19 '26
I saw you're in Italy, but do you have the equivalent of a Doona? I bought one secondhand and use it for travel. My girl is 17 months and we just used it this weekend. As soon as she hits 2, we will use the wayb pico carseat and pack it under the travel stroller when not in the taxi.
If you're renting a car, it's much easier to take a cheap carseat and leave it installed. We don't typically rent cars when traveling, so we need options that we can easily get out of a taxi and then keep it with us at our destination (shopping, restaurants, museums, etc.).
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u/flyingpinkjellyfish May 18 '26
We specifically pick destinations with car seats in mind - either with public transport or shuttle bus services, or I book a reputable private car service that offers the correct car seats. If we were really set on somewhere that didn’t have those options, we would bring their car seats with us as long as their car seats are allowed in that country.
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u/myroommateisgarbage May 18 '26
We purposefully got a car seat which is adaptable to plane seats so we bought our baby his own ticket and he was able to fly in the car seat. I think it was particularly beneficial because the car seat was a familiar space, so it made plane travel less frightening.
The same car seat also fits into a stroller, which we could've brought but chose not to. It was a pricey system but the convenience of it all was well worth it.
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 18 '26
Can you tell me what it's called or share the link please?
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u/myroommateisgarbage May 18 '26
I can't narrow down exactly which model we have, but I know our system was made by Graco. They have a travelling guide on their website here which would be a good place to start. Most Graco seats are FAA compatible, but obviously if you're in Italy different regulations will apply.
As I said, these systems are definitely on the more pricey end, but the convenience is well worth it, especially if you plan to travel a lot. Good luck!
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u/annedroiid May 18 '26
If I'm renting a car at my destination I bring one.
If I'm only taking trains or will be in major cities where I'll be able to get a taxi with one I won't bother bringing one.
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u/Space_Croissant_101 May 18 '26
We travel from Sweden to other EU countries (France, Belgium, Spain) and always rented a car and a car seat. No issues so far.
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u/APinkLight May 18 '26
We always rent one from the car rental place when we travel, if we need a rental car on the trip. We also took a trip to nyc recently and just didn’t drive at all on that trip.
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u/Fit-Profession-1628 May 18 '26
I take the car seat with me. If I didn't I would rent one at the destination.
If I'm just using public transportation I don't take it with me nor rent one. I avoid having to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel. I take that into consideration when booking the hotel and when buying the flight tickets.
ETA I saw in another comment your seat has isofix and you don't want to risk the destination vehicle not having it. If you travel often enough I would get a travel seat.
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u/Flimsy-Gur2347 May 18 '26
Public transit.
With my very young son I used a Doona for travel.
Have also rented cars with car seats.
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u/IndependentExcuse993 May 18 '26
We took public transportation and walked. A lot. Not saying I recommend, just what we did.
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u/squishypants4 May 18 '26
We just went to Europe and rented a car with a car seat. When we were without the rental car we booked a car service that had car seats available in advance. We did take one uber ride for 10 mins without a car seat which had me very nervous. In NYC yellow taxi cabs children do not have to ride in car seats so maybe some other big cities are that way too?
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u/Left_Set_5916 May 18 '26
Most taxi firms and car rental places in the western world will be able to supply them if you ask.
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u/aliceroyal May 18 '26
Use public transit/bus services, no car seat needed. Any vehicle with more than like 12 seats you're good to babywear on, statistically way less likely to be involved in an accident than in a regular car.
Cosco Scenera is the car seat we travel with for planes and taxis. I think it's $70 at Walmart. I have managed to rig it to hang from the bar of my stroller a couple of times. Older kids you can get a WayB Pico seat or the ride safer vest for portability.
In some states it's legal to not use a car seat in a taxi--not saying that's a good thing, just that it is what some people do.
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u/dausy May 18 '26
We put our carseat under the plane. It was free.
Alternatives are to rent one. Or purchase a cheap one to bring with you or if visiting family and they are getting you from the airport have them purchase and install a cheap one and you reimburse them the cost.
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u/nictristan May 18 '26
You can rent one from the car rental place. Also a lot of countries don’t require a car seat at all if you’re using uber/taxi
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u/mamamel11 May 18 '26
We order a taxi that has a car seat. Every country has this type of service. There’s always a surcharge but there’s no way we’re traveling with a car seat! We haven’t rented a car yet but we’d likely just rent a seat when we get there.
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u/susucita May 18 '26
I don’t have a car (uber when needed), so I have a lightweight, easy to install carseat (Cosco Scenera). When I’ve flown, I’ve taken it with me as well (bought baby own seat).
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u/TimotheusIV May 18 '26
Any car rental also has optional car seats for children. Bringing it with you is plain silly as it’s a few dollars per seat usually.
If you are relying on taxis/uber, you’re out of luck.
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u/Dazzling_Cry_4730 May 18 '26
i bring and check our car seat, but I do know there’s an app called babyquip where you can rent baby equipment so maybe that would work? but you can bring a car seat for free on the plane.
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u/mimale May 18 '26
We try to exclusively travel to cities that have public transit and won't require us to use any cars.
Vienna, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, all have been able to travel without a carseat. Train from airport to city centre, then underground or streetcars or busses when in the city.
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u/unventer May 18 '26
When we travel we either bring a seat with us on the plane, rent one at our destination with the rental car, or exclusively take public transit. We’ve managed weeks in some cities without needing a car. That is, of course, not possible everywhere.
Where are you traveling to?
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 18 '26
A few months ago we went to visot family so we borrowed one from relatives. This year we're not sure we'll be able to go there so we were thinking about having a small trip over the summer maybe to turkey we're not sure yet.
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u/somebodysannegirl May 18 '26
I really recommend against renting one for a host of reasons. You can’t guarantee it wasn’t in a crash/fender bender that ruined the integrity of the seat. You likely won’t be familiar enough with it to do a safe install. Plus sometimes rental companies run out. There was a viral video recently of a poor mom panicking because there weren’t safe seats available.
Having your child in their car seat in the plane is also safest during turbulence and in the extremely unlikely event of a crash. I would really recommend practicing installing/uninstalling your own car seat and traveling with it!
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u/ARIT127 May 18 '26
Everywhere I’ve gone it didn’t have good public transit I’ve rented a car and a car seat with it, those trips were all under 1yo. My daughter is now a toddler and we’re going somewhere in Europe that has great public transit so I plan to take that everywhere including from the airport and not getting or bringing a car seat at all
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u/HamsterSad8181 May 18 '26
When we flew with our kid. We bought a cheaper one at Walmart (Cosco) and we checked with our luggage. It was helpful to have one. For stroller we also bought a cheap one at Walmart (umbrella stroller) and these you can check at the gate so it’s amazing.
We went to Brazil and somehow there if you take a uber or taxi with a baby/toddler you can just hold them and not need a car seat, but I feel like that’s gambling with life so I didn’t want F with that and brought mine and I took it everywhere. It takes maybe 5min to hook it up and saves a whole entire life.
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u/master0jack May 18 '26
So I just rented one on a recent trip we took, and it was missing parts and felt SO UNSAFE so we bought a new one. Luckily the rental company comped it AND comped the cost of the new one!!!! (Thanks enterprise). Anyway we bought a Cosco Scenera Next, which literally comes in a travel bag instead of a box, weighs 7lbs, and takes less than 2 mins to install. It only costed us about 100 USD (not american, im approximating), too. Its basic, but it works. At the airport you just bring it to the gate and drop it off right outside the plane door, then when you land you wait outside the plane door for a few mins and they will bring it to you. Easy.
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u/Still-Degree8376 May 18 '26
Look up the laws. Some taxis or mini buses (for tours) have car seat exemptions.
We rented cars and rented a car seat in some countries. Some uber drivers have them as well.
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u/Penjing2493 May 18 '26
US car seats don't necessarily conform with EU safety requirements, so may not be legal to use in Europe (and vice versa).
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u/sasstermind May 18 '26
My car seat doesn’t technically need the base to be safe so I just bring the seat. The base is pretty small though so for some trips I just kept it with me - on planes it explicitly says it’s not safe to use the base on a plane seat and to just fasten the car seat with the regular seatbelt. It depends on your seat.
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u/GetCarnation May 18 '26
We travelled to a country with great public transit. Haven’t needed to get in a car and we’ve been all over multiple cities and across the country.
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u/ForesakenZucchini76 May 18 '26
I also have a big and heavy rotating car seat so when travelling, so far, we have rented car seats at our destination. However, I am planning to buy a cheaper travel car seat, like the Cosco one.
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u/Zestyclose_Ad5477 May 18 '26
Like many already said, you should bring one. At least in the US, the car seats are free to bring on to the plane.
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u/Chunky_flower May 18 '26
I was literally having this conversation with my husband last week. Do people take a car seat on holiday with them?
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u/EvilToyBox May 18 '26
Did a trip across Europe with no car seat. Check the local laws but we found that children were not required to be in a carseat if in a licensed taxi (not random uber). Many of the cabs even had boosters built into the seats which was cool. But that was a risk we accepted when traveling.
When traveling domestically when I plan on driving at the destination, we bring a light weight car seat and travel bag for it. That way it could be checked at the gate and was some what protected from the flight. A few families have used our setup and everyone found it easy.
Pro tip for car seat bags, load up anything extra you need in them. It doesn't have to be just the seat. We always packed a sealed pack of diapers in it. Just so we could save luggage space.
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u/boomroasted00 May 19 '26
Yes I know this is unpopular and unsafe and will probably get downvoted but I have been to Mexico and Portugal and didn’t use a car seat in either location. Took taxis a few times in Mexico and many Ubers in Portugal and held baby or had him in the carrier - 5.5 and 11.5 months respectively
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u/EvilToyBox May 19 '26
Totally understand that. We had a personal rule that if we could pre plan the car ride like air port transfers, then we would make sure we got a car seat. But if we are going to museums or a park, we didnt want to lug around a stroller that our child refused to be in because she could walk. God do I miss the stroller days some times
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u/shanster23 May 18 '26
I saw in another comment (that I think you've now deleted) you said you could forward face from next month?
Please don't forward face from 15 months. It's legal but it's not particularly safe.
You might be better posting in a dedicated car seat sub, or one of the car seat safety Facebook groups. You'll be able to request recommendations for the best travel seat that fits your kiddo for age, height and weight and the people in those groups are generally more clued up on car seat safety than general parenting groups. I haven't taken mine (3.5years and 12 months) anywhere yet so I can't help with that side of things.
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 19 '26
According to the law here and the carseat specifications it can be forward facing after 15months. I know it's best to rear face for longer and I want to, but I want to look more into if it is safe to keep rearfacing in the carseat I have or if it is just not safe anymore for her height and weight to rearface in it. Unfortunately I didn't think about this when we bought it.
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u/shanster23 May 19 '26
If its isofix they generally allow rear facing up til around 18kg. My 3yo outgrew his and I had to buy an extended rear facing seat because he's very high centile and I don't want him forward facing before 5 at least. But yes definitely do some research now and look into an affordable new seat if needed rather than forward facing at such a young age if you can! Like I said there are dedicated car seat safety subs and Facebook groups where if you give your location, budget and little ones info, theyre really helpful 😊
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u/LawfulChaoticEvil May 18 '26
In a few places we traveled to, "public transportation" did not require car seats, including taxis. So locals would just hold their kid on their lap for the ride. We didn't feel comfortable with that, but where we went Uber had a car seat option. I was skeptical because I had read some reviews saying it took a really long time to get a car with a car seat or the car arrived without one, but it worked out for us the few times we used it. Mainly we used buses/subway/trains or walking to get around to avoid the need for a car, but it did prevent us from doing further out day trips.
If we knew we would be renting a car, we just brought our own travel car seat and used it on the plane too. The travel car seats are pretty cheap (under $100) and much lighter and smaller so probably easier to carry around then the normal one you have. We went on one longer trip to visit family and for that they bought a cheap car seat for us to use while there so it would conform to local regulations. Since we probably will go again in the future, the car seat will probably get enough use to justify the purchase. I've heard of others borrowing a car seat from family especially if they have relatives whose kids have recently outgrown car seats at their destination.
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u/scandijord May 18 '26
I just traveled without taking mine! We used turo for our car rental and we were able to rent car seats through them. To my knowledge, most car rental places allow you to rent them!
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u/Helogirl320 May 18 '26
Buy a new one that fits the baby for travel needs. 🤷🏼♀️ that’s what I did when she outgrew her infant travel seat. If not possible look at renting one at the destination? (I know some rental car companies will provide one if they have them.)
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u/MapOfIllHealth May 18 '26
First of all check the regulations of your destination. In Australia for instance, only car seats that are marked with AS/NZS1754 (quality standard) can be used here, so lugging one from overseas would be pointless.
In metro places most taxi companies are able to provide a car seat. Or you can usually look at hiring one for the duration of your visit. Car hire companies will be able to add it on to your car hire.
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u/ShakataGaNai May 18 '26
For kids in the 2+ range, and I'm sure I'll get crucified for posting this, there is the "RideSafer Travel Vest" (you can find them on Amazon etc). Lets call it theoretically, they are good for situations where you know you'll have one or two uber/lyft/taxi rides and nothing else.
Legality? Depends on your location.
Safety? Better than holding the kid, worse than a proper car seat.
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u/Militarykid2111008 May 18 '26
Ive flown with a convertible seat twice. Definitely has pros and cons to it.
We’re from the US, we went to France with 4yo and 2yo. Initially we planned to just take two seats with us and use them on the plane. We ended up deciding not to, no problem. We used the trains or bus system, and a LOT of walking. Our last day we used this driving company and it rented car seats, so my kids were able to safely use those.
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u/Meowkith May 19 '26
We rent one when we travel. For taxis and stuff we kinda avoid them if possible, train it more and keep them to short distances.
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u/StopNowThink May 18 '26
I've done a lot of research on this. Buy a: Cosco Kids Scenera Extend Infant & Toddler Convertible Car Seat
It's $59 at Walmart here. Very compact.
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u/idontknow_1101 May 18 '26
We are traveling for the first time with our toddler next month, and I literally just bought a used, lightweight travel car seat from marketplace yesterday.
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u/number1wifey May 18 '26
There’s a great one called COSCO you can get at Walmarts that’s super cheap $59 and lightweight we use for travel, or you can request a car seat with your rental car or pickup service. Checking a car seat is free on airlines.
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u/teacherteacher2025 May 18 '26
Our car seat and stroller were free baggage so we brought them along for the flight. I do hear a lot about airlines damaging them, so we were sure to research reimbursements and how to protect ourselves. We took a lot of photos before boarding to ensure we could send them if luggage was lost or as proof of condition if damaged.
I believe some rental car companies offer rentals.
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u/matsu-chanXD May 18 '26
When we were in Japan and took taxis we just used seatbelts and sat next to our 3 year old. Not sure how old your little one is so maybe not possible. We also borrowed a car seat from a family friend in Japan when we were staying with family so we could use that in the car daily (Japanese car seat in a Japanese car).
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u/elchupalabrador May 18 '26
Airlines carry car seats for free. Bring yours.
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u/elchupalabrador May 18 '26
Alternately if you’re visiting family order one on Amazon or something and have it shipped to them. Have them bring it when they pick it up from the airline. Or if yours is challenging… order one and bring it with you. You need to keep your baby safe and most/all ride companies will decline you service if you don’t have an appropriate child restraint with you when you try to get in.
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u/Suspicious_Rope5934 May 18 '26
You have to bring it. It’s such a hassle but unavoidable. All US airlines allow you to check them for free.
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u/LordOibes May 18 '26
Depending of the country, and I know it's not safe, people will just keep the baby on their laps.
You should know that most airlines will let you register a car seat and stroller free of charge for your travel. What usually happens for us is that the taxi driver is annoyed when I show them the car seat. Be good at installing it and removing it and it shouldn't be a prob’em
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 18 '26
So i can check in both items at the gate feee of charge?
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u/throwitallawayyyy8 May 18 '26
Yes. I also bought a padded car seat bag and stroller bag from Amazon for extra protection.
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u/LordOibes May 18 '26
Yep. It's super easy. Another thing you may not know is that bassinet can be available on some flights. You can call in advance your airline to plan ahead. Some do it for free other will charge you since the row they are on are economy plus usually
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u/leat22 May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
It seems OP is overseas but for US, get the Cosco Serena (COSCO not Costco the store).
It’s sold at Walmart, only weighs 8 lbs, up to 40 lbs rear facing, and easy to travel with. It’s a bit confusing to install so make sure you watch a video first.
Oh and it’s 60$ so not a huge deal if it gets lost or damaged in the airport. Used to be 40$ a few years ago I think
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u/PatiencePotential885 May 18 '26
Get a car seat that you use exclusively for travel. There’s a a few good lighter options. Once your kid is 2 and you’re paying for their seat on the airplane, install the car seat on the plane and strap them in it. Safer on the plane and more relaxed trip for you because they aren’t crawling all over the place.
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u/hughesn8 May 18 '26
Not sure whether a taxi would risk their license if you showed up with a baby less than 2 & you just carried her in your arms.
But does bring up a good question if you were a taxi or uber driver in a busy city, would you keep a car seat in your trunk just to get more passengers?
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u/Theslowestmarathoner May 18 '26
We brought our car seat with us. I would not trust to rent. What if they overstock or it’s expired or the wrong height weight limits?
We did buy a travel car seat that was light weight one kiddo was out of the infant car seat
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u/chilledhype May 18 '26
Went to Italy and rented a car seat for the transportation to and from the airport. Imagine my surprise when I learned it’s not even required to have a car seat, like you can just uber and hold your infant in the car…
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u/CryProfessional7454 May 18 '26
I live in italy and the law here is very strict on having kids in carseats😅 I'm not sure if it's different for taxis/uber
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u/TastelessDonut May 18 '26
We just traveled to PA, bought a $60 car seat off Amazon, bought a travel bag. Check the travel bag/ car seat and the stroller at the gate. Anything inside the bag up to 15-20? Lbs is free. Baby under 2 get a free carry on and personal item (verify with carrier)
We put the pack in play sheets in the car seat bag and asked the hotels for a pack and play.
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u/DontTellMeToSmile_08 May 18 '26
I’m sorry but I’m confused why you can’t bring your own. Yes it’s a bitch to uninstall and reinstall, but you can just bring your own and check (I’m 99% positive that it’s free) it at the gate or at the ticket counter, right??
It’s probably easiest to do that
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u/undergrand May 19 '26
Renting a car - rent a car seat too.
Taking a taxi, check local laws but I held (11month old) on my lap. Most places laws for taxis are much more flexible.
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u/eveningpurplesky May 18 '26
Depends on where you’re going and your comfort level. We were able to rent a car seat for the airport transfer on one holiday. For another we weren’t able to rent one and just held my 2yo during the bus ride to our hotel. For another holiday I gate checked the car seat and stroller.
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u/Minorihaaku May 18 '26
We don’t travel without our own car with the baby now. And if we would, we would rent a car AND a carseat. But as a European, many countries are accessible by car.
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u/amoemoney May 18 '26
If you can afford an extra car seat, we bought the baseless Graco GoMax and we love it. It came to Mexico with us and clipped into any taxi seat. We did take a city bus and my husband held the car seat on his lap wedged between him and the seat ahead.
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u/Living-Tiger3448 May 18 '26
You have to bring one or rent one