The first step to
any good trip is to figure out where you want to go. Even if you’re just
visiting family there are a few tips that you might need. Most grandparents are
going to rush out and buy some of the essentials like a pack 'n play, baby soaps, a high chair, or some
little toys but not everyone will be able to accommodate you and your tiny
person the same way. If you are off to visit family that doesn’t have the
essentials or you’re heading to a neutral location you can either A) rent a
pack 'n play, bouncy chair, car seat, etc. or B) you can bring it all with
you. We have done both. For the most part, the rent-able items are pretty good
but a car seat is the one thing I will never rent again.
Do yourself a
favor a purchase this bag: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/j-l-childress-car-seat-and-booster-carrier-bag/1015133503?skuId=15133503&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_baby_&product_id=15133503&adtype=pla&product_channel=online&adpos=1o1&creative=43742622109&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAjwsqjKBRBtEiwAkWyN33oKZDiHpzDh4sC-GLyFMhHKlAo8k4ZgRYJiXMGcovVIW49oTq3HhRoCt0YQAvD_BwE
I know the bag is
expensive but chances are you already paid a pretty penny for your car seat. I
have taken this bag on most of our trips and we don’t have as much as a scratch
on the car seat… except for the place where my son chewed on the restraints....
We typically use sky cap at the airport and even still the car seat is in
perfect condition. The reason I went with this bag was because it can fit
anything from an infant seat to the forward-facing booster so I won’t have to
buy a different one down the road.
On our very first
trip we rented a car seat. You should have seen my face when I first saw it. It
was a cross between utter disgust and me calculating how many diseases my child
would get if he touched it. The first thing I did was check the expiration date
because this thing looked like it was from the 1990's. You know that car seat
you saw when you went out shopping for one the first time that cost $30? Yeah,
it was that one covered in sticky mess. He was still a squishy 2-month-old baby who had only had a few
vaccinations! I did not want to put him in there but since my choices were to
rent this one or buy a whole new one, we used it and I purchased the car seat bag
on Amazon so it would be there when we got home. I have since talked to other
moms about renting car seats and the consensus has been that they are all
gross. My husband’s cousin even went to a car wash to spray one down after
renting one because it was that gross.
I have to say,
however, in Europe when we hired drivers and they brought car seats with them,
they were clean, and cozy, and perfect. I have no idea what it would be like to
rent a car and a car seat in Europe but if you are getting a shuttle from the
airport to a hotel or vice versa, those ones are nice. We did it in Germany and Czech
Republic and both times were the same. Uber also now has an option to request a
driver with a car seat as well. Look up the city that you are going to and if
you feel OK with riding in a taxi without a car seat this could be an option
for you. New York City for example allows you to ride in a taxi without a car
seat. Some cities in Europe are the same. Many taxi services in cities also
have an option to add a car seat if you book ahead of time. I wouldn’t recommend
this if you are planning on taking taxi’s the whole time you’re on vacation but
sometimes it’s the better option than trying to lug around a heavy car seat
with a pissed off toddler in it.
We have also
rented a pack 'n play on most of our trips. There are endless companies that
rent out all the necessities to make your trip easier. Everywhere from Ski Town
USA to the Outer Banks in North Carolina have these companies. Some are most
definitely better than others but looking at reviews should be able to help you
find the right fit. In Florida we rented bouncy chairs, and high chairs, pack
'n plays, and beach toys. We had a few issues with the bouncy chair because it
didn’t have the right cover but for the most part this rental was a win.
If you would
rather bring your own items here are a few product tips. After buying a pack 'n play and never using it because it was complicated and heavy, we purchased the jetsetter pack 'n play. This one
fits into it’s own backpack and is much lighter than other pack 'n plays. It is
a little smaller than others but our baby has slept great in it at parties and on trips. Bonus! It also has a bassinet/changing table option.
If your kid is a
little older but you still don’t want to sleep with them we also purchased the
sleep cot that our son sleeps on at daycare. It fit perfectly into my bag along
with all of our clothes. The only challenge was trying to keep him on it long
enough for him not to pull my hair and play “mommy jungle gym” with me because
he never goes to bed that easily on vacation. The bonus for this one though is
you can bring it to the beach and use it to sit on!
We typically bring
our own high chair, mainly because it’s so small that it packs super well. We
bring this one to BBQ’s, on road trips, birthday parties, etc. This high chair
can be strapped to a regular chair for the trip or put on the floor and it
works perfectly.
If you’re going to
be staying somewhere that you need a baby monitor we have tried 2 different
things. If you have an old cellphone that you can hook up to the internet you
can bring it and either facetime or skype call into the phone and leave it on a
nightstand in the room. You will be able to hear your kid cry if they need you.
The other option is to bring a foscam webcam with you. This is a wifi webcam
that can be left in the room so you can essentially have a video monitor of
your kid sleeping. You will need to set this up before you leave to make sure
it works but once you download the app and set the camera up in the room you
will be good to go! We use this at home as well as on vacation.
Try to stick to
the essentials. Many times on our trips I have had to figure out what we didn’t
use. I have always brought tons of extra clothes, diapers, toys, and books but
the truth is you can pack pretty minimally if you want to. In my next blog post I
will go over how and what to pack to make your trip the most efficient. More is
not always better!
-Lauren Browne
Mom of a Toddler ❤ Frequent Traveler ❤ Avid Reader ❤ Lover of All Things Amazon.com ❤ NPR Listener ❤ Wanderlust ❤ Dancer ❤ ASL ❤ Frequent Click List User ❤ Pie Baker ❤ Sushi Obsessed ❤ Humanist ❤ LGBTQ+ Supporter ❤ Hot Air Balloon Lover
Mom of a Toddler ❤ Frequent Traveler ❤ Avid Reader ❤ Lover of All Things Amazon.com ❤ NPR Listener ❤ Wanderlust ❤ Dancer ❤ ASL ❤ Frequent Click List User ❤ Pie Baker ❤ Sushi Obsessed ❤ Humanist ❤ LGBTQ+ Supporter ❤ Hot Air Balloon Lover
Great post!
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