Travelling with 4.5month old

Hazelnut Button

Hi,

Heading to Portugal with the little one for a few days next week. Just looking for tips and advice from some of you who've done it before.

We're hiring a car seat over there and looking to pick up a cheap second hand buggy to bring on the plane so our good one doesn't get wrecked.

Any do's or don't's really appreciated. Feel completely unprepared.

farmchoice

no better age to be traveling with them really. if you are sterilizing bottles you can get bags you put in the microwave.
on the buggy thing if they sleep well in their own buggy you might be better bringing it we brought our crap one one year and left the good quinny at home i was sorry afterwards and i saw loads of people who had brought expensive bugaboos and the like and they seemed to be fine.

enjoy the holiday and don't worry about throwing the routine out the window if its nap time and you're too busy swamping pints in the ''auld dubliner'' then go with it. if the kid is asleep in the buggy and he/she is bothering no one who cares that its 2.00am and you're sitting in ''o Connells authentic Irish bar listening to a stocktons wing tribute act bang out the classics.

in fact this is your last chance by next year he/she will be a crawling/ tottering screaming not sleeping little nightmare. restaurants will be a living hell and sitting by the pool will be a distant memory.

ted1

You can bring your own car seat,airlines let them on free, works out cheaper and the Ines you get from rental companies are old and abused. Same with your buggy.

Go to the baggage desk , they'll tag them and then wheel it to the steps of the plane ad the baggage guys will put in under neath. At some airports they'll unload it at the bottom of the steps , some will put it on the carasoul

cbyrd

+1 for bring your own buggy. You'll be allowed bring it to the door of the plane and it'll brought back to you on the other side. There's no extra charge for buggies as luggage . You just need to get a label at check in.
I wouldn't be worried about it getting wrecked, you fold it up at the plane and they put it in the hold, it does take a little while to get it the other side as they empty all the luggage and then bring the buggies up, they're carried by hand, not put with the bags.
If you're bottle feeding, bring an extra bottle or 2 prepared for the plane (it'll be tested at security but there's no limit for baby milk) it'll help with popping ears.

Milton do travel sterilizer bags and tablets, I think boots have them. You fill them with water put in the tablet and the bottles and leave them.

I brought my youngest to Poland when she was about 5 months, she slept the whole way there AND back on the plane!
It's a very easy age to travel with them, once they're mobile it's harder to mind them
Enjoy your holiday!

Hazelnut Button

Thanks for all the advice so far. Really appreciate it.

I got a maclaren quest on done deal for €50. It's nice and light for the plane and if it gets wrecked I won't be upset. The uppababy was €1200 if that got wrecked I'd cry. So gonna bring the mclaren.

We've hired a car for 5 days and it's only €50 including the car seat. Again was nervous about it getting wrecked on the plane. Hopefully the rental seat will be ok.

Was gonna pack the sterilizer but might just pick up some of those bags. Thanks for that.

A friend said to assume my bag would get lost so have enough in the baby bag for her for the first 24hrs. That way we'd be well covered. I'm gonna bring a few of the ready made aptamils and have some formula in the little dispenser tub as back up too. I'll have a tub of formula in the case I'm checking in but won't need that until we're there.

Anyone been to Albufeira? Any tips on where to go or things to do?

Anne_cordelia

I absolutely 100% would NOT trust a car seat for such a tiny baby. I've heard horror stories of people being given booster seats and forward facing seats for infants. Honestly it's not worth it. Bring your own. We put nappies in ours and wrapped it up with spare clothes and towels. Dirty laundry on the way back.

jlm29

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

I absolutely 100% would NOT trust a car seat for such a tiny baby. I've heard horror stories of people being given booster seats and forward facing seats for infants. Honestly it's not worth it. Bring your own. We put nappies in ours and wrapped it up with spare clothes and towels. Dirty laundry on the way back.

This. I hired a seat once, and I certainly wouldn't do it again. My boy was nearly three, but if he was smaller, they wouldn't have had a suitable seat. When asked for my seat, I was directed to a pile of seats in the corner that looked like they'd been pulled from crashed cars. They were all filthy, there were no instructions regarding fitting, and no one to help either. There wasn't a rear facing seat among them either. This is all fairly common in car hire places, from what I hear!

Hazelnut Button

jlm29 wrote: »

This. I hired a seat once, and I certainly wouldn't do it again. My boy was nearly three, but if he was smaller, they wouldn't have had a suitable seat. When asked for my seat, I was directed to a pile of seats in the corner that looked like they'd been pulled from crashed cars. They were all filthy, there were no instructions regarding fitting, and no one to help either. There wasn't a rear facing seat among them either. This is all fairly common in car hire places, from what I hear!

Ok, I'm freaked out now. Bringing our own car seat so!

Did you pack the car seat in your luggage or carry it?

Anne_cordelia

Hazelnut Button wrote: »

Ok, I'm freaked out now. Bringing our own car seat so!

Did you pack the car seat in your luggage or carry it?

We check it onto the plane. You bring it to oversize luggage. Pack it up well and get a generic car seat bag. Any baby shop will do them for about €20.