How do you take a baby on vacation??

amother

Sat, Jan 09 2010, 8:14 pm

Hi Everyone - my husband and I can't figure this out, so maybe someone can help us. We are planning on going to Eretz Yisroel this coming summer iy"H, with our then 9 month old baby. We've never done this before, so please give us an idea of how we can
a) take a baby on the plane in the safest way. Baby carrier? Car Seat? How does this work? Any tips that you have that I might not be asking for and should be?
b) if we can't take the car seat on the plane how do we check it? How do we check a pack n' play? (can you tell we are total newbies?)
c) When we get to E"Y, how do we take transportation safely? I refuse to take my baby in a car without being properly strapped into her car seat. If we are taking cabs or intercity buses, are we supposed to lug the car seat with us everywhere we go? Has anyone done this and can let us know how they did?
When we take buses, what is the safest way to hold the baby?
d) this doesnt have to do with e"y, but just theoretically speaking, how would one take a baby safely on a train?

In short, I'm feeling kind of silly about asking all of this, but my baby's safety is tremendously important to me, and I want to make sure I am doing this the right way. If you have any other tips or tricks that worked for you, I.e vacation with a small baby either having to do with transportation, or not, please let me know! Thanks!!

Last edited by amother on Thu, Mar 12 2015, 9:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 12:17 am

here are some answers. we traveled to south africa from israel last summer with a little baby
a) take a baby on the plane in the safest way. Baby carrier? Car Seat? How does this work? Any tips that you have that I might not be asking for and should be? definitely take some seat for the baby. is your baby comfortable in a baby carrier? or do you think he will be more comfortable in a car seat. it is definitely more safe with some baby seat on a plane as opposed to nothing, at least I felt so.
b) if we can't take the car seat on the plane how do we check it? How do we check a pack n' play? (can you tell we are total newbies?)unless your seat is a very big one, they should allow you to take it on the plane and if for some reason they dont, they will allow you to check it as your things that will go under the plane.
c) When we get to E"Y, how do we take transportation safely? I refuse to take my baby in a car without being properly strapped into her car seat. If we are taking cabs or intercity buses, are we supposed to lug the car seat with us everywhere we go? Has anyone done this and can let us know how they did?
When we take buses, what is the safest way to hold the baby? for traveling at your destination, you can use the car seat that you will be traveling with. in terms of a bus, you can take your baby in a carriage and just keep him in the carriage on the bus or hold him on your lap. in terms of taxis everyone does different things. we have a car so the few times that I have taken taxis I took a baby carrier along so that I was able to put it on/in the carriage when we got to our destination.
d) this doesnt have to do with e"y, but just theoretically speaking, how would one take a baby safely on a train? I would think either in his carriage (ive done this) or if you feel more safe with holding a baby then that way, but I have seen many people with their babies in carriages while on a train.

LiLIsraeli

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 12:29 am

The simplest way to take a baby on a plane is by you holding her. Since it is an international flight, you can ask for seats by the bulkhead with a bassinet. This way you have a place to put her down when she needs a nap, or just to sit in and play.

We traveled with a 4-week-old, and then again when DS was 4 months. At 4 weeks, it was an international flight, so we were given a bassinet. At 4 months, we had to hold him the whole time since it was a domestic flights (6 hours, but still...). We used a baby carrier that straps onto the chest/back so DH and I switched off holding him. This way DH could nap with the baby and not worry about losing his grip and dropping him.

You can also pay for another seat and strap a car seat into it.

We brought DS in a 2-piece stroller - a Graco car seat with a snap-n-go. We checked both pieces, but you can pay for the seat and keep the car seat with you. Otherwise, you can't take the car seat on the plane.

You can probably check a pac'n'play as a piece of luggage.

On buses, a baby does not need to be strapped in - just held the whole time. Same goes for a train.

If you are traveling with a car seat, you can use it in taxis (though most israelis I know do not invest in a car seat as they do not own cars - they hold the baby in a taxi). Otherwise, you can rent a car with a car seat in it.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 12:33 am

LiLIsraeli wrote:

I just wanted to mentioned two things. first off, holding a baby for an international flight (could be 10 - 12 hours) is NOT the way to go. my sister did that and let me tell you, it was a nightmare. get that extra seat and put a car seat in. and secondly, if I remember correctly, it is either 6 months or 9 months that is the cut off for being able to get a bassinet for a baby. after that, you can be put anywear on the plane.

MiracleMama

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 12:36 am

LiLIsraeli wrote:

Don;t know what airline OP is taking, but El Al told us basinet is for 6 months and under only and would not assign us a seat by one for our 9 month old even though I kept telling them he's very small for his age.

And question for Shabbatiscoming... when you took carrier, did you have a ticket for your baby? Or did they let you keep the carrier in your lap on on the floor? My understanding has always been that baby stays in your lap unless you buy a ticket for a seat to put carseat or carrier into it.

Marion

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 1:24 am

1. You can only take a carseat/babyseat on the plane if you have a paid seat for the baby. Otherwise you have to check it. You can gate check it with your stroller, most of the time.

2. Pack 'n Play needs to be checked with your luggage, and counts as part of your luggage allowance. (Stroller & carseat usually do NOT count in you luggage allowance...check with your airline.)

3. Bassinettes are good for babies up until 15kg (as marked on the actual bassinette). But in my experience a 9 month old won't be confined to one for very long, and it's not available during take off and landing. Note that it's HIGHLY uncomfortable to sit in a seat that's NOT the bulkhead with an infant on your lap the entire flight. (When we flew last summer we had a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old, no bulkhead. On the way out we took 3yo's carseat in his seat...we skipped it on the way back because we discovered that we could fit both kids in the one seat for things like mealtimes if we lifted the arms...but it didn't work with the carseat there!)

4. In a taxi/sherut (shuttle) you can take the carseat. The sherut WILL charge you for the extra seat. You CANNOT take the carseat on the bus, as there's no way to secure it anyway. If you take an UNFOLDED stroller on a city bus you pay full adult fare for the baby; if you sit her on your lap and fold the stroller she'll be free. For the intercity bus the stroller & carseat go into the luggage compartment under the bus. For the train you can get on with your stroller and, unless it's crazy busy, just leave her in the stroller. (Tuck the stroller into the seating area as far as possible; there's no way to buckle or secure the stroller itself.)

5. I highly recommend a travel system, if your baby will still be small enough for an infant seat (which you obviously can't know yet). A convertible carseat is a much bigger hassle to shlep around.

6. Israeli law does NOT require a carseat in a taxi/sherut or public bus. Otherwise, as follows:
Rear-facing until one year AND 9kg (20lbs)
Forward facing from one year AND 9kg in a carseat until 18kg.
Booster from 3 years AND 14kg. (Yes, there's a weird overlap.)

TBW

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 1:33 am

We just came back from Israel after visiting with our 6 month old, a few pointers:
1) absolutely call the airline in advance to request a bulkhead seat with a bassinet, they will give it to you at no extra charge and you will be able to be 'hands free' for at least a portion of the flight
2) we brought a "snap and go" car seat/stroller with us, if you have the bigger car seat , you can usually use it up to 32lbs (if not it is well worth borrowing one) this way we had a car seat and a stroller with us wherever we went and did not have to lug around extra equipment
3) depending on what you are planning on doing and how big your baby is, it may be worth bringing along some sort of baby carrier as well. This works well for things like hikes, beaches or like the kotel tunnel tour.
Enjoy our trip!

cinnamon

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 1:35 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

if I remember correctly, it is either 6 months or 9 months that is the cut off for being able to get a bassinet for a baby. after that, you can be put anywear on the plane.

In el al it is 6 months but the bassinet is pretty big and if your baby is small and they have an extra bassinet (they ususally have a lot) they will let you have one for an older baby also (just ask nicly) - they gave me one when dd was 11 months old. you have to make sure to request a seat where you can connect the bassinet though.
In the british airlines the cut off is twelve month and they actually asked to see dd's passport! also they don't always have bassinets on board.

hadasa

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 1:39 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

LiLIsraeli wrote:

I wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars just to have my hands free. I've flown alone with a baby. It's hard, but usually manageable. If you have your husband along, you can take turns holding the baby.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 2:31 am

hadasa wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

LiLIsraeli wrote:

I wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars just to have my hands free. I've flown alone with a baby. It's hard, but usually manageable. If you have your husband along, you can take turns holding the baby.

and I 1000000000000000% disagree. flying with my husband or not, it was a nightmare when we did have to hold my daughter. in my opinion it is VERY worth it to pay the extra to have a seat for your little one. I do not want my flight to wherever I am going to have me be exhausted and ratty and on top of that to be hard, nope, not something I am going to do.
as we see, as in everything else in life, everyone has there own opinion Smile

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 2:33 am

TBW wrote:

the baby has to be under 6 months to get a bassinet (or was it 9 months, I dont remember), we asked and that is what we were told.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 2:35 am

MiracleMama wrote:

LiLIsraeli wrote:

we didnt have an actual ticket for our baby, BUT our travel agent had blocked a seat in between my husband and I and had told us that if it is empty when we arrive at the airport, it was ours, so when we got to the plane we were told to put the car seat under the plane and I argued (until I was blue in the face) that we had a seat for our daughter and that was why we had the car seat. that was to and from south africa. to america so that we would have no questions as to if we would have a seat or not, we did pay to have a seat for my our daughter and we had no problem.

Raspberry

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 2:45 am

I agree that it's not worth spending a significant amount of money to get your baby their own seat, when chances are (from my own experience) they won't be sitting in it for very long anyway. The best thing is for the travel agent to leave a space between you and your husband and hope it doesn't fill up.
Having a snap in attachement in your stroller for the carseat also makes the rest of travel a lot more streamlined, but as this is not always an option maybe when you can hire a cab with a carseat in advance to take you from the airport? Because after that trip if you're always taking public transportation it is a lot simpler to travel with just a basic carrier or stroller.
Lastly, I know it may not seem like it now, but travelling with a 9 month old is not the same as travelling with a little infant. With an infant they are a lot more fragile and you need to constantly worry about nursing and gas and comforting, while a 9 month old will hopefully be eating real food and will be more content to play and observe the world around him/herself!

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 2:52 am

Raspberry wrote:

each child is different and the parents have to know their child. I knew that my daughter was going to be in her seat most of the time, thats just how she is, so it was a bracha that we had a seat for her. I think both my husband and I would have gone crazy if she did not have a seat.

also, if you do not get a baby that can move around a seat, then where do they sit and play? on a parents lap? thats nuts, in my humble opinion. Smile

Marion

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 3:15 am

Also note, that a carseat interferes with the meal tray, so you have to feed your little one. (This was problematic for us with an almost two year old!)

Shabbat, a baby that moves around doesn't want to sit...doesn't matter on a lap or anywhere else. You spend a LOT of time in the aisle!

Lastly, you CANNOT count on having a spare seat. Especially not during "high season" (like the chagim or summer). Either pay for the extra seat or plan on though you won't have one. Since I CAN'T pay for an extra seat (I don't have the money), I plan accordingly.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 3:27 am

Marion wrote:

very true. ok, so can I ask, what does plan accordingly mean? and also, this question is for anyone, at what age do you feel a child NEEDS his/her own seat, that you can not have them on your lap?

Marion

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 3:38 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Marion wrote:

very true. ok, so can I ask, what does plan accordingly mean? and also, this question is for anyone, at what age do you feel a child NEEDS his/her own seat, that you can not have them on your lap?

I think age for their own seat depends on a few factors.

How big is the child? How calm is the child? How many adults are travelling? How many children are travelling?

DS#2 is tiny, a real lightweight. It was inconvenient, but not physically difficult, to have him on our laps on our trip this summer. He was barely 10kg (22lbs) at 21 months. Still rear-facing. (And, FWIW, you can't install a rear-facing seat with an airplane belt...)

Airlines require a separate seat for any child over age 2...and if the birthday falls during your travel schedule you need to book a seat for DC, even if it's a one-way ticket! (I looked into it when I flew with both kids myself...DS#1 was under two, but we were coming back around his birthday.)

Planning accordingly means:
1. Knowing how you're going to move through the terminal & board/deplane. Finding out whether there is assistance available, and how to make sure you get some.
2. Making sure everyone who's going with you knows what their job is. Who's in charge of carry on bags? Who's in charge of toileting (if you have older kids)? Is everyone on the same page? How are you going to eat your meal with a baby on your lap?
3. Is your food also baby friendly, or do you need a special meal?
4. What activities can you bring on board to keep your baby busy? If you're packing more than one carry on, which bag needs to be more accessible? Will it be easier for you to reach up to the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you (if you're not in the bulkhead) if you need to get something?

shabri

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 7:11 am

OK we have flown back and forth from Israel with our kids of all ages many times.

Here is what we have found out. There are no hard and fast rules at all. I have been given a bassinet with a 9 month old (and sitting next to someone who was given a bassinet for their 19 month old) and also refused a bassinet with my much younger child. They don't always have bassinets on the plane, and even if they are reserved, they are given out to the children in reverse age order (the younger children will get them 1st)

But here is some helpful info. Def reserve the bulhead and ask for a bassinet. even if you don't get he actual bassinet, the extra room by the bulkhead is very helpful. We have put kids to sleep on the floor there with a bunch of blankets and they have slept 8-9 hrs.

Get the airport very early and ask if they have an extra seat on the flight. If they do, they will usually give it to you. We have gotten extra seats 4 or 5 times. It is worth it.

I would travel with a snap n go thing. If you get the extra seat, then bring the carseat on the plane. Its a lot easier to get the kids to sit and sleep in it. The regular seat is just too big for a 9 month old. If not, you can just gate check the 2 pieces. It is fine.

In terms of getting around--the snap n go is the way to go. You have your car seat and stroller in 1. I live here and have never taken my baby in a cab without a car seat. I keep them in the infant car seats as long as possible since after that I will only walk places.

Pack n play should fit into a duffel type bag and you will have extra space to fill with clothes. But are you sure you will need one? Most hotels will provide you with a crib or can you borrow one here? Just seems like a shlep to me

Marion

Sun, Jan 10 2010, 7:34 am

Raisin wrote:

just so you know, when you travel with an infant they give you an baby seatbelt that loops onto your seatbelt, which I think you have to wear for takeoff and landing.

I've never seen such a contraption, so maybe it depends on the airline? Each time I've flown with an infant I've nursed during take-off and landing (though you're not "supposed" to)...anyway, the instructions I always get are to hold baby facing over my shoulder, tummy to tummy.