Toddler + baby travel logistics questions

vszapp

We are taking our 2.5yo and baby (will be 4mo at time of travel) on a cross country trip for 10 days. We'll fly across, get a rental car for 5 days and stay with family, then go back to the airport and fly north for 2 hours, then probably taxi it to another family house for 5 more days. Then we have a return flight back across the country with one stop.

Even though I used to travel more than 100k miles per year for work, we have taken DD on very few trips and baby on none. So... a few questions.

Is it better to bring car seats (convertible for DD and bucket for DS) or rent there?

Do you use car seats for toddlers on the plane? I pretty sure no but haven't really paid attention

If you take a taxi while traveling and you don't have a car seat, how does that work (or does it)?

TIA!

letal316

Following. We have a similar trip in August (4 flights over 10 days). I was planning to bring our car seat + base for our car rentals. We're also bringing the stroller and a travel crib. Wondering if I should purchase travel bags for everything.... (travel crib comes with one).

vszapp

Cool. I found an inflatable toddler bed for DD on Amazon and will use a pack n play for DS. I don't ever recall seeing a car seat on the plane before, but maybe I just didn't notice. It makes sense to bring them. I'm terrified of things getting damaged, but at least we'll only be checking DS's. No way am I checking my double Bob though! We'll bring the snap n go for DS and DD will have to hoof it.

pistolpackinmomma

The 2.5 yo needs her own seat on the plane, they only allow lap children if they are under 2. You will need the baby's birth certificate and if flying southwest you have to call after you book to tell them you have a lap child. When I flew with DS1 (he was 11 months at the time) I wore him through TSA (I went through a metal detector instead of the body scanner and they checked my hands) and while waiting to board. You have to take them out of the carrier for take off/landing. Try to feed the baby on take off/landing and give the toddler a snack of some sort to encourage her to work her jaw and swallow to help with her ears. We rented a seat one time because we made it through TSA before realizing DH forgot to grab the seat because we were in a hurry. The seat wasn't bad but luckily he just barely fit in the bucket seat they had (he had right at 1" left) because the only other seat they had was a FF booster. Make sure your toddler's seat is FAA approved.

frugalwife

Both children should use their seats on the plane.
https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/mcgee/2008-07-29-lap-children_N.htm

spinsoffresonance

We're traveling to Europe in the fall. DD1 will be just under 2. We bought a $50 convertible carseat at Walmart. Cheaper than renting one. And since with a 2.5yo you have to buy him a seat on the plane anyways I would just bring his carseat and buckle him in. The infant seat and snap n go you can gate check. When I only had 1 kid I avoided traveling with strollers as much as possible and babywear instead. Now we'll have to bring an umbrella stroller for DD1 and wear DD2. I definitely wouldn't bring the BOB, every time I've gate checked a stroller it's been damaged, I just have a cheap umbrella stroller for travel.

NorthernGal248

I checked my Bugaboo stroller in the suitcase that you can buy for it. The suitcase had scuffss all over it. So glad I went with that!

siuRam

I've traveled with my kids quite a bit...domestically and internationally.  One thing I find very useful is to have an extra bag or two on the plane ride or on the trip in general...just in case you need some extra storage space and don't want to be carrying shopping bags or plastic bags.  I recently got this set of packable backpack, it also comes with a drawstring organizer bag too.  The backpack actually fits under the seats on the plane and it can be folded very small when not needed.  I always put one in my purse and suitcase just in case.  Carrying a backpack is much easier than carrying shopping bags, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/MyKazoe-Packable-Lightweight-Multipurpose-Drawstring/dp/B00LG7PSOO/ref=sr_1_14?m=A3BV95N22G3QQN&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1406569430&sr=1-14