traveling with a baby... car seat?

[neonalee]

At the end of the month we are moving out of state.  DS and I are flying there and staying in a hotel for 3 nights.  My friend who is getting us to the airport has an extra car seat for getting us to the airport, but I don't know what to do when we get to the destination.  Do we bring the car seat and try to install it in the cab?  Have a car hired ahead of time so we don't feel rushed about installing the car seat (we generically call these services "limo" here in Chicago, I assume Vegas has similar)?  Do we take the airport shuttle, which in my experience often has limited seating and no way to use a car seat?  Something else I haven't thought of?

Hopefully DP will already have arrived (driving the truck, towing the car) and HE will pick us up with the car & car seat, but we need a plan for if he is delayed.  I definitely don't want him pushing himself to make a deadline!

[Amanda1]

Why dont you just bring your car seat with you? You can gate check it or if there is extra seats on the plane they may let you keep it for your ds to sit in during the flight!

Then if you need it when you arrive you have it. Thats what I would do

[new2this]

In your case I would just bring your seat with you and gate check.  

[neonalee]

Sorry, I think I didn't word my question well.  I'm not questioning so much at this moment whether or not to bring the carseat, but more the logistics of not having my own car (or a rental) at the destination.  Is it common practice to install it in a cab?  What about free shuttles from airport to hotel?  Avoid them?

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

In my experience, you can just hold/wear the baby on a shuttle (so no need for carseat) while you must install it if you take a taxi.  If I were you, I'd probably wear my child on a shuttle to the hotel rather than install a carseat in a taxi.  It takes me 15 minutes to properly install the carseat every time.  With the pressure of a driver staring at me, I'm sure it would be even longer.

[MamaPhD]

I second wearing baby in the shuttle as opposed to installing car seat in a cab.  Shuttles are fine.  They don't have seat belts for adults, either, so how would you install a car seat anyways?  When we flew, we parked at long term parking lot and took a shuttle into the airport.  I wore DD in Ergo (she was not quite 1yo) and it was a fine short ride.  I wouldn't have done that with a longer ride for sure but it was OK.  Then we flew without carseat, then rented a car with a seat at destination.  Everything worked out fine and we felt safe. 

[newsolarmomma2]

We travel a LOT. We have done 2 trips via plane, and 4,000 miles of driving is year!I usually wear DS on the plane and on shuttles. it depends on how much you think you will have to drive.

If you need to drive, rent a car. Most big car rental companies have car seats that are up to standards that you can rent for a few bucks a day. CALL AHEAD, they usually only have a few and you want to make sure you have one reserved, and what the cost will be.

Taxis suck with car seats. I have done this, and it's not fun. Avoid it if you can. car services are better, tell them you have a baby up front, they may also have car seats available.

Shuttles are by far the BEST option, but only if you aren't driving much. You can wear the babe or use a small, foldable stroller.

It's best to bring a car seat if you aren't renting one up front. Having one will ensure you aren't limited by this if you do something off plan.

HAVE FUN!

Also-. If you bed share, make sure you get the right sized bed at the hotel! If not, most hotels will have a pack and play to use. Bring lots of stuff to entertain the babe on the plane. Nurse/FF at take off if you can.

The MOST important part of traveling with babes and kids is to CALL AHEAD, and know what you are dealing with! don't assume anything- we found this out the hard way when the hotel we stopped at only had one full sized bed, which was miserable for the 3 of us, and their only pack and play was being used!