European moms: ordering taxi with carseat?

[CarrieMaro]

OT, but since it looks like a lot of European moms post here, I thought I'd ask about carseats and taxis. Thanks!

We will be traveling to the Czech Republic (Prague) and Switzerland this fall. We're flying Virgin Atlantic and using their carseats for our 10-month-old. We plan only to take trains and subways to get around in both countries. However, we just realized that because our flight out of Basel will be at 7 a.m., we'll have to leave for the airport super early -- possibly before trains are running -- and will probably have to order a taxi the night before. If we call in advance, is it possible to ask for a taxi with a carseat already installed? It seems like this would be a no-brainer service for taxi companies everywhere, but I've never heard of it before. Does anyone know? Thanks so much!

[Deborah_Hogan]

I don't have any information for you, but I'd like add to your question about taxis in general, everywhere.

My experience in NYC is that they never used to even have seatbelts but now they do, sometimes, though sometimes only lap belts. In NYC suburbs, no seatbelts. Car services have seatbelts. I used to travel by taxi daily, but have been driving myself (and kids) for the last 4 years.

So what do you do if you need to attach your car seat and can't find a taxi with belts? At least if it has a lap belt, you can attach a marathon, but if you bring just a booster and it is only a lap belt, then you can't use it because it needs the shoulder belt.

I know taxis aren't required to use car seats.

I am concerned about upcoming trips, hither and thither.

[milesmom]

In Amsterdam where I am live, I don't think this is possible. Most people just bring there children and have them sit on their laps (of course, I am horrified but this is what I see most people doing)... and I am talking about people who have carseats but don't like the hassle of bring them along so they don't. You could check with your hotel's concierge ahead of time...

[american_mama]

What do you mean, using carseats on Virgin Atlantic? That sounds interesting. I moved back to the US from Belgium last year and would be quite surprised if you can request a car seat in a European taxi. In Belgium, I think they would laugh if you asked for such a thing; they are just much more tolerant of risk than we are in the US. In my traveling, we took taxis in a few countries (England, Belgium, Sweden) with DD riding without a car seat, and the drivers never said anything. She was aged 1.5 to 2.5 years during those trips.

This question comes up in the Car Seat forum occasionally, and there seems to be no good solution. If the prospect of one car ride without a car seat is intolerable, I think the best bet is to skip the Virgin Atlantic carseats and bring your own for the plane and the taxi.

[Deborah_Hogan]

That's great if Virgin Atlantic will put a car seat on the plane so that you don't have to lug one through airport. But once there, I would bring my own to use for any ride. Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime. Some people/countries are mellow about car seats, but the safety of your child is worth lugging a seat, even to use once. In my humble opinion, of course.

Of course who knows if taxis will have seatbelts... I second previous poster: if seatbelts are scanty in cabs, I doubt they'd provide one.

[milesmom]

In Amsterdam... taxi cabs themselves are really nice cars, not at all like the US, new, clean, etc. Seatbelts are functioning.

[cgdmom]

I also posted a reply on the carseat baord, but I will double post here...what I have done while traveling is arrange a carseat ahead of time with a "car service", rather than a taxi service. I am sure this is a bit more expensive than a taxi, but IMHO the convenience of not hauling a seat around--especially since you will be visiting two countries but will likely need the seat for only one ride--is worth the added expense on that one ride. I also think that when you are catching an early plane, the last thing you want to worry about is whether the taxi will show up--and the car services are more reliable. Your hotel should be able to arrange this for you--give them the age/weight of you child.

Also, while it is probably not an issue for a 10 mo old...if you are traveling with an older shild, you will likely get a booster, not a harness, far earlier than we move kids to boosters. We travelled with our daughter when she was not quite 3, and was still harnessed here, but they only had a booster for her given her weight/European standards, etc.

[GroversMom]

We just got back from London. My in laws had a car seat for us there so we wouldn't have to lug a car seat too.... however to get from the airport to the house they arranged for a hired car to pick us up and to have a rear facing car seat as well. It worked quite nicely.... on the way back I was going to take the subway home from the airport... but ended up taking a cab. I strapped DS into my baby bjorn and then strapped myself into the cab...not the safest but at least DS wouldn't have gone airborn if we'd been in an accident.

[cgdmom]

Oh...not to sound like a busy-body, but please be careful doing that...the concern would be the force of your body against the carseat, with the baby in-between. I know there are some seat-belt/harness things you can use in lieu of a carseat once a child can sit up straight...where you strap the child into the harness, and the harness attaches to the seatbelt. This may be a less-bulky solution for travel. But the critical distinction is that in this situation your body weight/momentum is not involved.

I am really sensitive to this issue...a relative was killed in an accident by the force of the seatbelt because it was twisted, and the twist placed extra force against her internal organs...if a twisted seatbelt can do this to an adult, imagine how much force would be on the baby in that bjorn between you and the seatbelt in an accident!This is also a good reminder that you should always make sure harness straps or seatbelts are not twisted when strapping the kids in!

Maybe if you made sure the seatbelt was behind the bjorn this would be an OK, in a pinch solution...but as you described it, it may actually be worse than just holding the baby (outside of the shoulder harness, of course). I hope I don't sound like too much of a busybody, but don't want others to choose this solution

[mamicka]

I think it's pretty iffy whether or not you'll get a taxi with decent seatbelts, let alone provide a carseat for you. The cab we had in Vienna had no seatbelts suitable for a carseat. Sometimes you have no alternative except to take a big risk when you're overseas.

Not sure if you're needing this in the CR or not, but I'd say, not a chance. If you'll be flying into/out of Prague, your only options getting to/from the airport are taxi or bus.

Allison

[writeleigh]

Can I use a "car service" this way herein the states? Usually, we rent a car with a car seat already installed, but it would be nice to know the option of a car service with car seat exists.

[cgdmom]

That I don't know...I have used a US car service traveling with my daughter once or twice, but it was on trips where we were taking the carseat (I'm not sure why...), so we installed our own. My guess would be that in our risk-averse/litigation wary society, the car services might not offer this service, but I am a bit of a cynic! It would be worth a call though!

[Momof3Labs]

Sometimes. I know that there are car services in Orlando that offer car seats.

[emilyf]

I'm pretty sure you can get a car service with carseats in most major cities-we have done it here (Baltimore) to get to and from the airport, and in London. I know you can get them in NYC also.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02