Opinions on Car Seats and Cribs

My family went to Hawaii over the summer and we used the crib that was provided by the hotel, but I did bring my own sheets and blankets. The crib was much more comfortable than a pack n play. Also, we rented a car from Hertz and they had a lot of really high quality ones and they will help you install. If you have a AAA membership you also get the car seat free for as long as you need it.

Bring your own car seat! You don't have to use in on the plane if you don't want. You can check it, and they shouldn't charge you. Call your airline to confirm. But they did not charge me to check the carseat, and it didn't count as one of my "bags". Even if the car seat goes to a "lap child". I was in TN in May and the Enterprise man said it was good that I had brought my own because they charge so much and the taxes are so high on the carseat that it costs "almost as much as buying a new one!" So, bring your own car seats.
And I say, if the timeshare can provide a crib, use theirs! I am a big fan of using what is available to us and not bringing what I don't need. So, it would be great to not bring your pack 'n play and use what is provided. I always bring my daughter's blanket and sometimes her own sheet so the bed will smell like her own. I have a great sleeper and she transitions well to other cribs, as long as she has her blankie! Have fun and bundle up! It's cold out there right now!

Hi I.,
I have done it both ways. If you will be driving a fair amount, it might be worth bringing your own car seats. Just check them through as baggage at the airline. We've always had Britax car seats, which are super comfortable and easy to install and adjust, and I have never rented one that even came close in terms of comfort or convenience. Usually they give you safe, though not terribly convenient, car seats. (i.e. adjusting the straps is practically an act of congress, as you're standing in the rain at the airport with crying kids, trying to load up the rental minivan with all your bags...)

In terms of the pack n play vs. hotel crib issue, it depends if your daughter is picky about where she sleeps. If she gets spooked sleeping in a new place, then maybe bring your pack n play (one of our kids was like this, and we made it more comfy for her by cutting one of those egg-crate mattress pads to size and covering the whole thing with her favorite flannel crib sheet). Whether you rent or bring your own, definitely bring your own sheet and blankets so they smell and feel familiar to her.

Have fun on your trip!

Flew to Hawaii in October. Took the carseat onboard and checked the pack-n-play. Only 1 flight attendant checked for the FAA approval. Ours was fine. Our son is used to the pack-n-play, so we thought it would work. It did, but at the first hotel we stayed at they had a crib that we used. It worked about the same as the pack-n-play.

I think you would probably be fine doing either. We just didn't want the extra expense of renting the carseat and crib in Hawaii (all total would have been about $200 for a week). Also, since we were able to pack light--it was Hawaii, shorts & bathing suits, we didn't mind carrying the extra items. That would surely be a consideration, especially since airlines are beginning to charge for baggage.

Oh, one last thing as a side note to think about--our son is 3 y.o. 30 lbs. Our car seat is one of the ones that can be used 20-100 lbs, so it is a bit on the bigger side and it sort of reclines. It put my son's feet right up to the seat in front of him. As soon as the man in front reclined, he started kicking at that seat. The more we tried to get him to stop, the more it became a game. The flight to HA was miserable because of this. We took the red-eye back and he slept the entire way, no kicking.

I know there are moms out there who actually use their car seat on the plane, but I am one of those that lets my 2 yo son have his own seat, so he has more room to move. That being said, I would call the rental car company and ask them the year of manufacture for their seats. We've never had to rent one due to strategic location of grandparents (haha), but I'm sure it's hit or miss.

I've rented a crib before, and it was basically a glorified pack n play with a more cushy mattress. He slept fine in it (at 6mo), and I was actually glad I didn't have to haul our own. You can check the pack n play and carseat, and they won't count against your checked bag limit. You can also gate check the carseat if you don't feel comfortable putting it through the rigors of airport security, baggage, etc. To be honest, ours was fine the one time I did need it, but I've heard horror stories, and who knows what it might look like when you pick it up with your suitcases!!!!

Have fun!

Dear I.,
I don't have any advice about the car seat issue...we never flew with my son so we always used our own. We did travel pretty extensively though, and the cribs we rented at the hotels were great. He thought them bringing that special bed just for him was all part of the fun and had no trouble wanting to sleep in it. Of course we brought his familiar blanket and a snuggie, but he couldn't wait to get into his bed. We never had any troubles with that part.
I have tons of family in Tennessee, so I'll certainly be thinking of you and hope you have a great trip!

We have traveled several times with and without our own carseat. The first time we rented a carseat she was just a baby and the carseat was too big. The second time we rented a carseat it didnt install properly. We checked with the comapany there and all teh ones they had were the same. For safetys sake, you may want to take your own.
For the crib... we always use what they have and bring our own sheets and any stuffed animal that is her favorite.
Enjoy your vacation! You deserve it!

I always brought the car seat with because of the comfort and familiarity factor. Then on one trip the flight attendant wouldn't let us bring it on the plane. She searched the seat for some FAA approval and when she didn't find it, she sent it to baggage. That car seat had taken at least a dozen trips (24 flights) and this was the first time it was pulled. To top it off, it was our return flight, which I pointed out. She didn't care.

If you choose to bring your own seat, check it for the FAA approval. The baby ones seem to be fine, it's the big kid seats that barely fit in the airline seat.

We've never rented a crib, just asked for extra pillows and put the baby with us (just like at home).

S

I remember having trouble traveling with my kids and counting on rental car seats. Mainly, the 10-month-old is still rear-facing. When I traveled, the rental company did not have the type of car seat that could go rear-facing. For your 3-year-old, you should be OK. Keep in mind, they might only have booster seats, not 5-point harness seats. You could call the rental company, but be aware that the people working there often don't know anything about car seats. Also, the straps can be a mess and they don't have installation instructions. I've had to mess around at the airport while the kids wait for me to figure out how to install and adjust for size an unfamiliar seat.

Hi!
We just got back from a family trip to Alabama with our 3 year old son. We bought a bag at Babies R Us for about $30 that has wheels and holds a car seat. It fits our Britax Marathon great. Of course the airline ripped holes in the bottom of it but our carseat was clean and safe when we arrived at our destination. We also packed winter coats in and around the carseat for "extra" luggage space. We didn't have to carry it around and it was there with our other bags when we arrived. As far as a hotel crib I say go for it. Why lug your pack n play around when you don't need to? Take some antibacterial wipes and wipe it down and you should be fine. We used the one at Disneyland this summer and it was fine. We took our own blanket and sheet though. Good luck and enjoy Tennessee. Its one of the most beautiful states.

I have looked at the carseats in ever rental place we've used since my daughter was born (3) and every time I am sooo happy we took our own. It's really easy to gate-check them and is worth the extra safety and cleanliness.

I would just rent a crib (DD sleeps with us on trips, so I haven't done that), but I don't think that is nearly as big a deal as the carseat is. I would take my own sheets and blankets for sure, though.

Have fun!

We went to Florida (we're in CA) in November with my 4.5yr old and 25mo old... he had his own seat on the plane and we brought his carseat on for him to sit in. The last thing I wanted to do is confuse the issue of sometimes not using a carseat... especially because the seatbelts on airplanes are super-easy to release. It only took a mini-tantrum for us to thank our lucky stars he was in his carseat and couldn't unbuckle himself. When we returned our rental car I saw plenty of their loaner carseats and honestly I didn't see any that were current models - and they were filthy. If you kid had an accident in a rental car seat you might not be as dilligent in cleaning up... same with food/drink spills, sand/dirt, etc etc.. Even if you are not buying a separate seat for your daughter I'd take the carseat to the gate in the off-chance that they can get you an assigned seat for it... if not they'll gate check it no problem (have a garbage bag and zip-tie to stuff it in). To navigate through the airport you can set it up in your stroller and put the kiddo into it, put it and your carry-ons in the stroller and carry your 10mo old in a sling/bjorn/ergo carrier, or do what I did... have the kiddo and carry-ons in the stroller and wear the carseat like a backpack. Pretend you're the kiddo, extend the straps on the carseat all the way out and slip your arms into the straps. Not elegant but it sure gets you extra help and understanding from the airport and airline personnel :)

What great advice from everyone. If you want to bring along your own travel crib, think about bringing the ultra lightweight Peapod tent. Great for carrying on the plane and my not so little one has been sleeping in it since he was 1 month old. Throw a dark sheet over it and wallah, you have an instant dark room.

Check out more tips on the best travel cribs on
http://www.trekaroo.com/traveltips/tip/best-portable-crib...

Trekaroo is a site where travel savvy parents are sharing their best tips about places to go with kids. Very cool. They have such great ideas. I've been writing lots of reviews. It's a new site, but they have some really active parents and great content.

I have always taken my own car seats on my trips with my son. You can check them and I found that he liked having his seat because he was used to it and it was comforting to him. If your 3 year old is still in a car seat (rather than a booster seat) you may want to take his car seat on board with you because it may be easier for him to fall asleep. I found that my boy (who just turned 3) likes sitting in the regular seat but likes to curl up with me when he wants to fall asleep (just some options to keep in mind). I believe that the airlines don't charge car seats and booster seats as baggage but you can check your airlines website to see if that is true for your airline.

As for the crib. I agree with the two prior to me that if she is OK with falling asleep in unfamiliar places then just use the one the timeshare provides with your own sheets and blankets. If she is not then take the pack n play.

Good luck with your trip.

I had a terrible experience when an airline lost our car seat and the loaner they gave us was broken, very old and really unsafe. They finally got one from another airline but it was quite an ordeal and even that one was really dirty and definitely not something I would buy. We ALWAYS take our car seat and gate check it, just like the stroller, so that it can't be lost. It's not fun to be hauling it through the airport but car seat safety is not something I will compromise. It would be even harder to have to take 2 car seats all the way to the gate, but I would not rely on the car rental company to have safe, clean or functioning car seats. We have used cribs in hotels many times and never had a problem. Since we were just in hotel rooms, one of us was always in the room with our daughter whenever she was in it.
Have a great trip,
C.

Since your 3 year old will have his own seat for sure, you'll be happier to have his carseat on the plane with you to keep him strapped in and secure. In flying with my son (almost 2) I have found that he is much easier to manage when he's strapped in to the carseat where he is used to being "stuck" for long trips. Also, way easier if he falls asleep, and you can sleep or use the bathroom without worrying he's going to get up and wander around the plane.

If you didn't get a seat for the baby, you can still just check the seat as a bag. You'll be happy not to have to figure out some new strange or beat up seat at the rental car company and your kids will apreciate their familiar seats.

T.