Hi all, I had recently askd the question abt milk situation when out on vacation..Well I have one more question...we are planning to rent a car once in Orlando . I need to know that we need to take car seat with us .
Also anyone who has been to Orlando before can give any tiops they wd like to share...like which parks we shd spend more time(we have a 20 month old boy).
Thanks,
S.
Well we didnt take the careseat with us nor did we had to rent as the hotel we were staying had complimentary shuttle service to Universal and sea world and fro disney we took private shuttle service which had door to door pickup and drop.
While we were waiting to get our bags at baggage claim we diid see how badly they handle the carseats. They just throw it on the belt not being bothered if it will damage or fall on the floor.
Thanks everyone
If you belong to AAA, they will include a carseat at no additional charge. As for the airline--I'd call & ask.
You will need to car seat for the rental car, but not on the plane. I usually check mine because using them on board can be a pain
I don't think I would rent a car seat. As many posters have mentioned, you know the features and safety of your own seat. The thing that really scares me about rentals is that I had an accident when my son was a year old. After the accident we were told to replace his car seat because they aren't guaranteed to be fail-proof after an accident. His car seat kept him safe through our accident and it's job was done. You never know what the rental seats have been through. Just a thought.
Safe and happy travels!
Christi
For a rental car, yes.
If you were to take cabs, generally, the law does not require car seats (not that it means it's safe).
We never traveled with a car seat on the plane. It was much easier and much more comfortable to hold our children on our laps instead.
Although I have never used a car seat from a rental car company I can tell you I think I would choose that option over taking my own and checking it as baggage. Years ago I worked for a major airline in the cargo area....and HOLY COW you would not believe how rough and wild they are on your belongings. You would not check anything if you saw first hand how most (not all) workers are with your belongings. I would NEVER check a carseat if you have to take one, take it one the plane! To this day, I don't check bags unless it is completely, unavoidably necessary!
The first time I traveled with my daughter we just got the seat from the car rental (one of the major ones) and it was disgusting. From then on we always traveled with our own. Our daughter was more comfortable in her own seat and I felt better.
You are better off taking yours. We didn't have to have it in the airplane (southwest) so we bought car seat bags and checked them in as baggage. I do not recommend renting one. I was told you can reserve one but if they run out before you get there then you are out of luck and have to figure it out. That didn't work for me. We had to travel with 2, it was a pain but we knew they were safe in them because they were ours.
Most car rental places have carseats that you can rent for about $15/day. You need to call and reserve it ahead of time. We do this for both our kids just to save on having to lug carseats to the airport, check them, there's the possibility of it getting ruined in transport, etc. If you can afford to rent it, I would it is a lot easier and more convenient.
I'd take one anyway because it's safer. We always brought one on the plane too. if they were older, we'd put it below with our luggage... have fun!
We've done it both ways - if I hold my son on my lap on the plane, we just rent a car seat with the rental car. Otherwise, if we purchase him a seat on the plane we bring along his car seat for the plane and car. I assume that you are holding your son on your lap so I would just use the rental car company's car seat. It is going to be so much easier. The car seat we used form the rental company was just fine, not dirty or old, we were confident in using it but made sure that it was installed properly.
If you haven't purchased your son a seat on the plane, one advantage of bringing along your own car seat is if there is an empty seat, they will let you put your carseat and son in it! (or rather move your hubby to it and put your son next to you!)
I am not 100% sure. I know that it is not required or anything but it is a very good idea!!! I am also thinking that you can rent one at the airport too. give them a call.
Car rental companies do allow you to rent carseats, however, if possible I wouldn't do it. I have heard they are dirty and quite honestly, you really don't know how it has been treated and if it's been in an accident. It is illegal to keep a carseat in use after it's been in an accident, but sometimes you just don't know, especially when it comes from a giant company with lots of employees who might not be following all the rules.
You can take it on the plane or check it, either way it is free, regardless of how many bags you have. They cannot charge you to fly a carseat.
Bring your own car seat - it's a lot easier than you think when you have a younger child and will be more comfortable than the bare bones ones provided by rental companies.
Check that the car seat is FAA approved for flying (it will have a sticker on it). A good pick for travel and everyday use is the Britax Roundabout (best for babies usually 6 months - 2 1/2 years). For older children, the Britax Marathon, Britax Boulevard or the Radian.
Even though many parents bring babies on their laps, this is less safe than carrying a baby on your lap in a car. In case of turbulance or worse, your child will fly out of your arms - especially with planes flying at 200-500 mph.
This website is especially for papents who travel with kids and tons tons of tips and advice on gear, including a section on "Transporting Kids FAQ's: "
http://www.jetwithkids.com/product_car_seats#cares
The site not only recommends a car seat, but also a stroller and an Ergo carrier - these helped us big time at Disney as the parks are huge and you'll do a lot of walking, and in most attractions you have to leave the stroller outside. The ERGO is super compfortable, baby can nap in it or nurse, and there's even a pocket in front for your wallet and keys so you don't have to lug a lot of stuff.
Check out a complete listing of travel gear for toddlers at:
http://www.amazon.com/Have-toddler-will-travel/lm/RNBCH9W...
Worth mentioning as well when you travel with a baby or toddler:
* that you can usually put the car seat in the stroller (without baby) to carry it around the airport, and check the stroller at the gate
* There is a neat little contraption called "Traveling Toddler that attaches the car seat to the carry on and converts it to a stroller (we also brought a stroller and put the diaper bag and carry-on in it).
http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Seat-Travel-Acces...
* For travel it's also a good idea to bring a portable crib such as this one that is tiny (the size of a toaster, 9 lbs) and fits in your luggage. It's very easy to assemble using the instructions, practice at home and set it up when you check in. Hard to do late at night with a sleepy child.
http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Portable-Traveler-Black/d...
We had friends that rented car seats for their girls while on a trip and said NEVER again. They were dirty and not top notch seats. Take your own. If you aren't buying your son a seat you can check the seat. Sometimes if they have an open seat they will let you use it and put baby in his car seat so he is in the safest place while flying.
