Couple of Questions

[Wills Mom]

Ok so the villa rental agent charges $75 plus tax to rent a Pack N Play (same for a highchair!!) for DS to sleep in while we're away. I refuse to pay so much when I don't even know the condition of the thing so was thinking of buying one and a mattress when we get there. DS sleeps in a Grobag so I'd bring his 0.5 or 1 tog bag and a sheet for him to sleep on so I wouldn't need to buy bed linen for him. Do you guys think this is the right way to go? Any tips or advice appreciated!

Also I asked my TA about bringing a car seat for DS on the flight. She *thinks* we would be charged extra to bring it (DUB-LGW-MCO) but she wasn't sure. I don't really mind paying extra I suppose but said I'd ask here and see if anyone had any experience with this. We're flying with Virgin.

And one last thing. Do other parents use a stroller travel bag (and car seat travel bag) to keep your stroller/car seat in one piece while flying? I read about them on the Families section but had never heard of them before that.

TIA

 

[catherine]

If your taking a stroller on the plane, then you'll either have to use your DS's luggage allowance for the car seat or pay for it as an extra piece of luggage. The last time I travelled with a a baby was 15 years ago, so it's difficult for me to remember what we did back then, but we;ll be travelling with a 3 month old in Aug. We're planning on buying a travel bag for her car seat and checking it in. I don't know yet whether we'll purchase a bag for the stroller.

 

[irisheyes123]

I'm going to buy my own pack and play when we go in June as its cheaper than renting walmart and target sell them for $45-$55 and they look great had a look at them last month when I was over. I stayed in my aunts villa in January and she had 2 so got to use hers then but when I go in June we are staying in a condo. I got 2 mattress protectors in ikea here they are quite thick and use them as a mattress in the pack and play they worked out great. Can't help you with the carseat as the pram I use we had the carseats as the buggy parts and was classed as a just a pram so no extra charge for us . We fly with British airways in June and can bring the pram and carseats on and still get the luggage allowance for the twins. I used my own cot sheets from at home and their own grow bags also at least then they had some comfort from back home

 

[Laurafoster]

As your taking a pushchair then you will either need to pay extra for the car seat or include it in your baggage allowance as one bag.

I've always put DDs car seat in a bag just to keep it clean/dry etc. but I then shove a load of nappies etc in it as its counting as 1 piece of luggage.

Virgin will provide you with a clear polythene bag for the pushchair if you ask at check in. Then when you get to the plane just put the pushchair in and seal it up.

 

[catherine]

I'm going to buy my own pack and play when we go in June as its cheaper than renting walmart and target sell them for $45-$55 and they look great had a look at them last month when I was over. I stayed in my aunts villa in January and she had 2 so got to use hers then but when I go in June we are staying in a condo. I got 2 mattress protectors in ikea here they are quite thick and use them as a mattress in the pack and play they worked out great. Can't help you with the carseat as the pram I use we had the carseats as the buggy parts and was classed as a just a pram so no extra charge for us . We fly with British airways in June and can bring the pram and carseats on and still get the luggage allowance for the twins. I used my own cot sheets from at home and their own grow bags also at least then they had some comfort from back home

We have a car seat that detaches from the stroller, but we thought that it would be too big to take on the plane, so we've bought a smaller stroller to take on holiday with us. Did your airline not have a problem with the size of the stroller? I'm now wondering whether to just do the same, that way we can take an extra suitcase!

ETA I've just had another look on Virgin's website and it does say fully collapsible stroller, which the stroller with the car seat isn't, so I guess that we'll just have to check the car seat in.

 

[irisheyes123]

We have a car seat that detaches from the stroller, but we thought that it would be too big to take on the plane, so we've bought a smaller stroller to take on holiday with us. Did your airline not have a problem with the size of the stroller? I'm now wondering whether to just do the same, that way we can take an extra suitcase!

ETA I've just had another look on Virgin's website and it does say fully collapsible stroller, which the stroller with the car seat isn't, so I guess that we'll just have to check the car seat in.

My airline had no problem I rang them first and they told be if its attached to the stroller it's part of it. I flew aerlingus and their site also states fully collapsible stroller but they had no problems at all. Maybe ring virgin to find out. No problems bringing it had it with me to the gate my one is pretty big it's a twin stroller and with 2 carseats they just tagged all 3 so I would get them at the gate rather than the luggage hall

 

[orangetiggs]

We take a double stroller on virgin and two car seats but we had to lose a suitcase dor one car seat.

Ive seen mamas and papas travelsystems getting on the flight which are quite big so i wouldnt worry too much

 

[luke]

We just bought the carry bag for our Baby Jogger City Mini. Not cheap at about £45 but hopefully should keep it pretty safe

 

[Wills Mom]

Thanks a mill all for the feedback. Im thinking the best thing to do might be to ring the airline and check. I dont mind paying or using DSs baggage allowance to bring his car seat, it'd be nice to know though just to be sure so I'll call them tomorrow or Monday!
Walmart and Target seem to have great prices on the Pack N Plays IrishEyes - did that price include a mattress or are you just using the Ikea mattress protectors? After a stint in hospital I made the decision to cuddle DS in bed with me and kicked DH out into the spare room. It was like that for about 8/9 weeks before I tried to break DS of the habit. After months of training him to sleep on his own I really want him to be comfy so he won't look to get in with DS and I and start the bad habit all over again (yes I enjoy those cuddles but I dont get a proper sleep while hes in the bed - lesson learned lol!)
As for the travel bags I was looking at bags on eBay earlier and they seem cheaper but Im not sure. We are planning on buying him the City Mini in the next month so the bag seems to be fairly expensive for that! I guess I'll just have to see if my budget will stretch that far lol!

 

[luke]

City Mini is great, we've had it a while but still mostly use the iCandy.

Keep an eye out for the City Mini, a bit of smart shopping looking for offers and discounts and we got ours for about £130 ish

 

[irisheyes123]

Thanks a mill all for the feedback. Im thinking the best thing to do might be to ring the airline and check. I dont mind paying or using DSs baggage allowance to bring his car seat, it'd be nice to know though just to be sure so I'll call them tomorrow or Monday!
Walmart and Target seem to have great prices on the Pack N Plays IrishEyes - did that price include a mattress or are you just using the Ikea mattress protectors? After a stint in hospital I made the decision to cuddle DS in bed with me and kicked DH out into the spare room. It was like that for about 8/9 weeks before I tried to break DS of the habit. After months of training him to sleep on his own I really want him to be comfy so he won't look to get in with DS and I and start the bad habit all over again (yes I enjoy those cuddles but I dont get a proper sleep while hes in the bed - lesson learned lol!)
As for the travel bags I was looking at bags on eBay earlier and they seem cheaper but Im not sure. We are planning on buying him the City Mini in the next month so the bag seems to be fairly expensive for that! I guess I'll just have to see if my budget will stretch that far lol!

The ones I looked at come with the usual hard bottom type thing the mattress pad I got from ikea is thick like a duvet so worked well it was a little bit longer so tucked it under both ends. Mine slept their usual 10 to 12 hours in them I thought they would make strange with them but proved me wrong haha. Here's a link to the mattress pad I got http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/30152884/

 

[irisheyes123]

Here is a pic of my 2 asleep in the pack and play we had .

 

[BelleMaria]

Here is a pic of my 2 asleep in the pack and play we had .

Omg they are precious!

 

[catherine]

Irisheyes, your babies are so cute!!

 

[Wills Mom]

Here is a pic of my 2 asleep in the pack and play we had .

Thanks for that And your babies are SO cute!!

 

[Elise79]

Thanks a mill all for the feedback. Im thinking the best thing to do might be to ring the airline and check. I dont mind paying or using DSs baggage allowance to bring his car seat, it'd be nice to know though just to be sure so I'll call them tomorrow or Monday!
Walmart and Target seem to have great prices on the Pack N Plays IrishEyes - did that price include a mattress or are you just using the Ikea mattress protectors? After a stint in hospital I made the decision to cuddle DS in bed with me and kicked DH out into the spare room. It was like that for about 8/9 weeks before I tried to break DS of the habit. After months of training him to sleep on his own I really want him to be comfy so he won't look to get in with DS and I and start the bad habit all over again (yes I enjoy those cuddles but I dont get a proper sleep while hes in the bed - lesson learned lol!)
As for the travel bags I was looking at bags on eBay earlier and they seem cheaper but Im not sure. We are planning on buying him the City Mini in the next month so the bag seems to be fairly expensive for that! I guess I'll just have to see if my budget will stretch that far lol!

We have a City Mini too and love it however I would definatley get the travel bag for it - it folds so it is seat out so can dirty really easily. Never bother with our previous Silver Cross as it was a standard collaspable umbrella type but wouldn't fly the City Mini without.

We bought our City Mini in the US - ordered it and had delivered to the hotel saved quite a bit like that. I also wanted the purple which had only just come out