Travel questions | Imamother

amother

Tue, May 30 2023, 7:40 pm

My husband and I are hoping to go to Israel in July. We will have a baby with us. I have a few questions about traveling and getting around.

1. Do planes still have bassinets? For what age/weight is it?
2. What’s the best way to get my baby around? I plan to bring a carrier, but I assume I will also need a stroller and car seat?
3. Are there places that are NOT baby and/or stroller friendly?

amother

Jean

Wed, May 31 2023, 9:51 am

amother OP wrote:

1. I flew on Royal Jordanian recently and they had a bassinet (I didn't use it, someone else did). The baby looked like a month old. You should check the airline you'll be flying.

2. How old is your baby? Baby wearing is great as long as you're used to it and it doesn't hurt your back.

You are not required by law to have a car seat in a Taxi, bus or train, but do need one if you rent a car. It might be cheapest to just buy the cheapest model here in Israel and not have to deal with transporting it.

3. If you go to the Old City, you need a very narrow stroller. There are ramps, but they are narrow.

In general, in Israel you need a narrow stroller. A lot of regular width strollers won't fit into Israeli elevators, and some won't fit through the checkout aisles even at large grocery stores.

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, May 31 2023, 9:59 am

amother Jean wrote:

I have an uppababy vista and it fits everywhere here. Old city grocery etc. Sometimes it's tight but it's totally usable.

Don't bring what I have because it's heavy and the airline will totally break it. Not because it's wide.

amother

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:29 am

amother Jean wrote:

My baby is 7 months, but small. I will check with the airline, thank you!
I have a graco, I think it’s the modes stroller. Do you think that will fit? Thank you!

amother

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:30 am

amother Lemonlime wrote:

I guess that answers my question :-) thank you!

mollie21

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 2:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

My baby is 7 months, but small. I will check with the airline, thank you!
I have a graco, I think it’s the modes stroller. Do you think that will fit? Thank you!

I have a Graco and live in yerushalayim and love it!
Also re bassinets: airlines have them but I believe a ten kilo (about 22 pound) weight limit is standard. But def check with your airline. Also we fly with our graco and just gate check it, never had any issues.

amother

DarkMagenta

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 3:20 pm

With air canada they told me the bassinet is fine until the baby can sit up on it's own.

I would bring a lightweight stroller, it can be heavy to carry baby all day.

The old city is difficult with a stroller and has many stairs and uneven ground. Any trips/ hikes might also be better to carry. Streets and busses and everything else I suggest a small stroller, something like a yoyo. Just for convenience of flying/airport and moving around here.

theoneandonly

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 3:22 pm

I find that most places in Jerusalem are not stroller friendly. There are steps everywhere. Some ppl are fine bumping their strollers up and down hundreds of steps a day but I am not. Also many apartment buildings either have no elevators or tiny ones that don't fit a stroller unless it's folded. If you are used to babywearing that's definitely a better option. But keep in mind that it gets very hot in Israel in the summer and you will be much hotter and sweatier with the baby sling, and so will baby...

amother

Butterscotch

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 3:44 pm

I went recently with a 9 month old. Most airlines will not guarantee a bassinet - it could be first come, first serve, or given out based on age of baby with younger ones getting priority so you run the risk of holding the baby the entire flight. Safest is for the baby to be in his own seat, in a car seat. If you can swing the cost of a ticket, see if you can borrow a doona for the trip as that works as a stroller too.

amother

Banana

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 4:06 pm

amother OP wrote:

My baby is 7 months, but small. I will check with the airline, thank you!
I have a graco, I think it’s the modes stroller. Do you think that will fit? Thank you!

I flew elal with an 8 month old and he barely fit in the bassinet. It was still a help, but he wasn’t that comfortable. 7 months is probably a bit better

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 4:48 pm

theoneandonly wrote:

I live in RBS and travel plenty to Jerusalem. Usually there's just a stair or two. Places that don't have ramps and just tons of stairs are resendential areas like getting from one street to another in Har nof or sorotzkin.

Or as you said in old resendential buildings.

This is a tourist we are talking about. This likely won't be an issue for her. I go to Jerusalem tons, I go to resteraunts, the kosel, yaffo, malls, out to eat with friends, meet up with family etc and I've never had the issue of a staircase with no elevator option.

In the old city we once bumped our stroller down, but other times we've walked around the peremeter, the street that's totally safe and circle the whole old city to get from mamika area to the kosel. I always see lots of stroller families walking that way. Coming back from the kosel there's many busses to mamilla.

My uppababy vista has fit into every elevator I've been in. Maybe I had to squish and my husband had to wait to get on the second trip, but it's always fit.

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Jun 01 2023, 4:50 pm

amother Butterscotch wrote:

I flew in August with a 4 month old. Bring a baby carrier, if you take a night flight they may just sleep the entire flight pretty much. Our baby sleep almost the whole time both ways.

Why is a car seat safer than a baby carrier?

theoneandonly

Fri, Jun 02 2023, 5:04 am

amother Lemonlime wrote:

I guess it depends if she is staying in a hotel, which will probably have a nice big elevator, or if she is going to sublet someone's apartment, which may cause her to have stroller/elevator issues. My city mini, which is much narrower than an UPPAbaby, does not fit in the elevator of my building.

amother

Lemonlime

Fri, Jun 02 2023, 5:51 am

theoneandonly wrote:

I mean if she's renting an apartment or an Airbnb she can find out about those things. I had relative stay at an Airbnb in Jerusalem and there was one half a flight staircase and that was it, totally doable. That's something she can find out in advance.

amother

Fri, Jun 02 2023, 7:01 am

theoneandonly wrote:

We will be in a hotel.