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Flying & traveling to the Caribbean with 2 year old, tips?

palma44palma44 member
in Toddlers: 24 Months+
DH and I just booked our first big trip with DD to the Caribbean in a couple of months. This will be our first time flying with DD and traveling with her, does anyone have tips on how to fly with a 2 year old? am I correct that if she sits on my lap she will fly for free? can I rent a car seat with our rental car? I have so many questions! We usually enjoy a lot of night life when we travel, I know this is one thing that will change with DD along, any tips on how to really enjoy this trip with her?
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Re: Flying & traveling to the Caribbean with 2 year old, tips?

  • MamaAllisonMamaAllison member
    Yes, unless she is under two you will have to buy her a ticket. I wouldn't feel safe renting a car seat, we always bring our own. You can buy travel bags for them and gate check them, although I know that makes people nervous too (you don't know if the car seat gets crushed under something that could compromise its integrity.) best bet is to buy her a ticket and put her in her car seat in the plane. And I would recommend an iPad to keep her entertained - traveling is a screen time exception in my books if it keeps them quiet and occupied!
    DD1 - Evelyn Riley - 9/30/11
    DD2 - Charlotte Avery - 1/27/14




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  • ashiscuteashiscute member
    Like PP posters said she needs her own ticket and would be safest in her car seat on the plane.  However, you can also gate check it.  I'm not sure what island you are going to but did you check what their car seat laws are like?  Did you book the trip with a travel agent or on your own?  They usually answer these types of questions for you.

    I would take plenty of snacks, a few new toys, and if you have a tablet her fave games and movies/tv shows.  As far as the actual trip the beach and the pool will probably be big hits.  Just don't expect too much from her because she might get overwhelmed easily in a new enviroment.
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  • FabulousMrs.PFabulousMrs.P member
    We flew with DD when she was a a little under 2. You do have to buy a seat for a two year old. For the plane, we brought plenty of snacks, milk, a few new small toys that we wrapped (kept her distracted even longer)  and a magnadoodle for her to draw on. She also enjoyed just looking out the window at the clouds. Make sure you give her something to drink or suck on (if your LO still uses a binky) for take off and landing. It helps to relieve the pressure in their ears.

    I was visiting my brother, so I just shipped the car seat down to him and gate checked our stroller, but if we were going someplace else, I probably would have just checked in the car seat with our luggage. It was useful to have the stroller in the airport...especially when our plane got delayed due to weather.

    For the actual trip, we just try to keep the same nap schedule, etc. We would do the pool or beach in the morning, nap in the afternoon, and then dinner. Just keep it simple.
    After 2 years of TTC, our daughter was born on Oct 31, 2011!
    7lbs 13oz  20 inches long
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  • mexicolombianamexicolombiana member
    We've been to PR a few times now.  Once when DD#1 was 15 months old and once w/both girls when DD#1 was 2 1/2 and DD#2 was 15 months old.  MUCH harder with both girls. Ha.  Obviously. 

    This is just my experience but here's what we do:

    1. We take either a double stroller or 2 umbrella strollers depending on how we feel and gate check the stroller so we can use it all the way until we have to board. 

    2. We usually take our own car seats and check them right away.  The airlines treat your items like shit so this is a big concern of mine.  We buy the carseat bags but they're cheap and are probably just keeping the car seat clean and NOT protecting it at all. 

    3. On our last trip to Dallas we actually decided to rent car seats from the car rental agency at $12.00 per seat per day, a little pricey w/2 kids but much easier to deal with.  The car seats you get are the cheapest possible car seats though.  You can rent car seats from outside places but this seems like too much work. 

    4. We always take electronic devices on the plane for kids to play with like a tablet and always a portable DVD player with a few movies.  Definitely recommend this for a 2 year old.  They might not watch it for a long time but it helps. 

    5. We always buy a few new small toys or trinkets for the girls to "discover" on the plane and we take lots of coloring books, although you're probably going to lose all the crayons on the plane. 

    6. Snacks for sure and bottled water. 

    7. Take a light jacket for the kids no matter where you're flying to. 

    Good luck! Flying with kids is quite the experience.  We do it all the time but man is it hard!




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