Questions for first trip with a toddler

[justcin711]

I have been to the world many times but my first time with a toddler..DGD 4!! What do you do about a carseat and stroller? We are flying from Chicago but will be renting a car while in the world. Rent or bring my own? We are flying Southwest so no baggage fees if that matters. Thanks

 

[bobtabin]

I have been to the world many times but my first time with a toddler..DGD 4!! What do you do about a carseat and stroller? We are flying from Chicago but will be renting a car while in the world. Rent or bring my own? We are flying Southwest so no baggage fees if that matters. Thanks

Bring the stroller and car seat with you! Southwest allows both for free: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/carryon-bags-pol.html

 

[justcin711]

Thank you so much!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Yep, bring them. Rental car seats are sketchy.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I always brought my own and if it helps they will allow u to keep your stroller/car seat until u board and then they will load them on the plane for u when u board. I always did it this way bc I could not even think about what would happen if the air line lost that piece of luggage lol.

 

[Love4Diz]

We bring our own car seat. One time we purchased one at Wal-mart because it was cheaper then renting one. We take the magical express so did not need the seat until the next day. Unless pricing has changed car rental places charge a lot to rent a car seat.

 

[puffkin]

We bring our own as we always get a rental. Its a Britax Marathon and I bought a car seat bag for it. I've checked it (and my older son's before this seat) 2-3 dozen times (we fly a lot) and have never had an issue with it. I know many people differ on their opinions, but there is no way I would want to deal with a carseat through the airport or on the plane. We always gate check our stroller. Just make sure they tag it before you get on the plane.
We just got back from our Thanksgiving trip on Saturday and I counted 15 carseats coming off the baggage carousel from our flight and at least 5 or 6 backless boosters.

 

[pachelbel9]

I am planning to buy inexpensive carseats when we fly down in May. It's possible for carseats to get damaged by baggage handlers, and I'm not risking my Recaros on luck of the draw. You can also get a car seat cart that essentially puts your car seat on wheels, which you can strap a kid into while at the airport.

Car seats for the littles has a good article on traveling with car seats.

http://csftl.org/on-the-road-again/

 

[justcin711]

Thanks to all that replied! I am definitely going to bring mine from home and check it in with my luggage.

 

[Bluegrrl]

One thing that I have done with my son is use the Go-Go kidz car seat trolley. It's a little hard to explain, but it's like a flat board with a retractable handle that you put on your car seat. DS rides in the car seat while I push it through the airport. Then you could rent a stroller here and not worry about bringing 2 expensive and bulky items.

There are stroller and car seat bags - I would HIGHLY advise getting them to protect your things.

Also - gate check!!! Think about how the luggage handlers treat your luggage. Now imagining them handling your expensive car seat and stroller. (sorry luggage handler people here. ) ESPECIALLY your car seat which means life or death, god forbid you get into an accident!! Bring your safe car seat, and don't buy a cheap one just 'cause. Also, if a car seat gets into any bumps are crashes around, you are supposed to not use it (a la bicycle helmets). Checked luggage has a better chance of being crashed around vs. gate checked. Err on the side of caution with these things.

 

[Crispity]

One thing that I have done with my son is use the Go-Go kidz car seat trolley. It's a little hard to explain, but it's like a flat board with a retractable handle that you put on your car seat. DS rides in the car seat while I push it through the airport. Then you could rent a stroller here and not worry about bringing 2 expensive and bulky items.

This! We love the Go Go Kidz - turns your car seat into a stroller for use in the airport. We always use a car seat on the plane. That way, DD is more comfortable on the plane, and we don't have to worry about the car seat being damaged in the cargo hold. We did get a lightweight, cheaper car seat for air travel, after an experience where we actually delayed those who were waiting to board the next flight because we could not get our properly installed, top-of-the-line convertible seat OUT of the plane, which we later learned was a common problem with that seat. ALL child car seats have to meet stringent safety standards, so I am not worried about using a cheaper one for occasional travel.

If you want a good stroller that could be used for in-park naps, I would highly recommend renting from one of the offsite companies. We used Kingdom Strollers last time, and it couldn't have been easier. They drop off and pick up at bell services at your resort, so the stroller will be waiting for you when you arrive. The City Mini strollers are great quality, and perfect for touring, and ours was very clean. I liked that we didn't have to worry about our expensive stroller being damaged at by gate checking, didn't have to deal with the stroller in the airport, and didn't have to worry about the stroller being taken (mistakenly or otherwise) in the parks, since we also got the reasonably-priced insurance.