Child on the Airport Transfer Bus: should we take a car seat??

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Child on the Airport Transfer Bus: should we take a car seat??

46 posts & 32 voices | Started 3 months ago by GrahamS | Latest reply from molgrips

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GrahamS - Member

Since threads on parenting and risk taking are currently en vogue:

The missus and I are off to Schladming (Austria) in a couple of weeks for our boarding holiday and we're taking our daughter who'll be 22 months by then.

The rep has confirmed there will not be any child seats available on the transfer coach from Salzburg to Schladming (~100km). Arse!

So... do we haul one of our (massive heavy) car seats all the way there just for the flippin transfer, or do we just risk it?

It wasn't so bad last year as she was still in a baby travel system seat, but these days she's in a full size Group 1-2-3 toddler to 12yo seat like this:

Which we'd need to haul along with luggage, pushchair and two snowboard bags.

Part of me says we should definitely take it and it's just not worth risking her safety over an inconvenience.

But on the other hand, these seats are really designed for use in cars. It might not even fit with the coach seats and seat belts.

Plus coaches are not in the habit of stopping suddenly in crashes anyway so it may not offer that much more protection over a lap strap.

I certainly remember many 40hr+ coach holidays as a kid with no seatbelts at all.

I realise that, as this is a parenting and a risk thread, I will be wrong no matter what I do. But I await your opinions anyway

Posted 3 months ago #
Markie - Member

We got ourselves a trunki Boostapak for our little one. Easy to carry, easy to use and provides the 'boost' which is apparently the key component to make three point seat belts work properly. Not sure if they are useful with lap belts alone, and anyhow, the coach in morocco didn't have seat belts at all!

Perhaps worth considering in place of the full size thing as in your photo?

http://www.trunki.co.uk/EN/categories/boostapak_9

Posted 3 months ago #
IHN - Member

I went on holiday with my sister and then 18 month old niece to Menorca. On the approx 90 minute transfer from the airport to the resort my niece sat/wriggled on my knee and pointed at things out of the window. No-one died.

Posted 3 months ago #
project - Member

People who cant afford a car regulary take their kids on buses, some buses even have an upper floor, the difference between a bus and coach is buses usually make numerous stops to let passengers alight and get on,eg stage carrige vehicles, where as coaches are better appointed usually go from a to b with out leting passengers alight so often,and have seat belts fitted that must be used by law in the UK.

Both are driven by proffesional drivers after undergoing rigourous training.

Posted 3 months ago #
scaled - Member

I doubt they'll be seatbelts that the car seat would fit on a coach anyway? I think you'd get a lap strap at best.

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

We got ourselves a trunki Boostapak for our little one.

Oooh good call, but only suitable for 4+.

Posted 3 months ago #
Markie - Member

Our daughter is under the age range as well, but inside the weight range and the height range is given by a 'not to exceed' so we felt it would be a safety gain to have it regardless of age concern.

Although please note I have no scientific support for that belief!

http://www.boostapak.com/home.html

More info on the dedicated site I didn't link to first!

Posted 3 months ago #
CaptainFlashheart - Member

I know that seatbelts on coaches are required by law in France, so certainly worth checking the legal position.

Beyond that, what IHN says!

Posted 3 months ago #
vinnyeh - Member

Thought about the boostapak in the past, but it's got some poor durability reviews. This might not matter to you though, since she's probably a bit small to use it as a backpack.

edit- no child seats in cabs either. Like IHN, none of ours have died yet.

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Hmm.. well I must say the lack of death all round is very reassuring.

I was certain someone would show up for the "everyone will definitely die horribly" side by the fifth post.

People who cant afford a car regulary take their kids on buses, ...

Yes yes, but I'm not talking about "the poor", I'm talking about real people.

some buses even have an upper floor

And some don't

Posted 3 months ago #
peterfile - Member

Both are driven by proffesional drivers after undergoing rigourous training.

When I lived in northern Italy, for a bit of extra cash I used to do airport transfer trips to pick up British and Italian arrivals and escort them back to various resorts (sort of like what a holiday rep does from when you first arrive at the airport).

My comments are restricted to the "professional" drivers of northern Italy, however I have some quite frankly unbelievable stories of how "unprofessional" those guys actually were. I still cringe at the fact I needed the extra Lira/Euros at the time.

My favourite driver, Bepe (actually, most seemed to be called Bepe), used to teach me swear words. In return I would sit behind him and keep waking him up as he kept nodding off on the 2 hour trip back from the airport

I'm sure they've tightened up the standards since then though

Posted 3 months ago #
project - Member

since 2006 the obligation for passengers to wear seat belts has been extended to ALL VEHICLE TYPES operating within the EU.

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Project - no seatbelts on Edinburgh busses nor on the airport transfer coach.

Posted 3 months ago #
fraseruk - Member

I wouldn't bother about the car seat, but make sure you pack sick bags!

We were the least popular family on the bus a couple of years back when my boy threw up on the bus to Meribel and all we had were a few baby wipes. It's maybe not so bad to Schladming, but some of the alpine roads are like spew-inducing roller coasters

Posted 3 months ago #
brakes - Member

I'm not a doctor or a parent, but I'd risk it

Posted 3 months ago #
project - Member

TandemJeremy - Member
Project - no seatbelts on Edinburgh busses nor on the airport transfer coach.

Posted 50 minutes ago # Report-Post

They may be registered as stage carrige buses so no need for seat belts to be worn, as standing passengers are allowed to be carried, and due to the frequency of passengers leaving and getting on the vehicle.

Also it it up to the passenger to wear the seat belt, if fitted, by seeing a sign displayed near the seat.All coaches and mini buses built after 2001, must have seat belts fitted by law.

Also due to the height of the seat in front and the rather low number of frontal impacts or shunts, the seat in front will stop the passenger traveling forward, seat belts are used to keep the passenger captive in the vehicle in case of a rollover accident,or violent manouvering to avoid an accident.

Posted 3 months ago #
restless - Member

my son at 18mths wore the lap belt on the airport transfer bus.

has your child actually got a seat? they are usually allocated on your knee at that age, so you might not be able to take the car seat anyway.

you could just take the booster part, without the back rest. it wouldn't take up much room in your luggage.

Posted 3 months ago #
aracer - Member

Took an almost 4yo and an 18 month old on the transfer coach in Fuerte a year ago. Almost 4 had a seat to himself with a standard belt (as on the plane), 18mo sat on a lap. Nobody died.

And some don't

In that instance you're definitely better off without the booster seat.

Posted 3 months ago #
konabunny - Member

I am not a parent.

The chances of a child dying in a car crash are pretty small across the eighteen years of their (minor) life. The chances of getting in a car crash in that one particular journey are very small indeed.

I think it's an acceptable level of risk to not have a child seat on the coach to a ski resort for a snowboarding holiday. You're much more likely to be injured slipping on ice walking down the street in the resort than you are to get injured in a coach crash.

'course, you might be that one in 20 million...

Posted 3 months ago #
Cougar - Member

I can't even begin to comprehend why you'd even entertain the idea of lugging a huge car seat around on holiday solely for the airport transfer bus trip. Don't you have knees? Is there going to be any way of mounting it in the bus when you get there, even?

Though, I'm not a parent. Presumably if I was I'd understand. But I don't, it sounds like pure madness to me.

Posted 3 months ago #
joao3v16 - Member

I'm not sure about taking a child on an airport transport bus without a 5-point harness, roll cage, and a paramedic on stand-by ... but feel free to take them rock-climbing, and make sure they aren't given a helmet too ... this is guaranteed to generate many many pages of self-righteous indignance from people who are obviously perfection personified.

Posted 3 months ago #
mefty - Member

I can't even begin to comprehend why you'd even entertain

Neither can I and I am a parent.

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

has your child actually got a seat? they are usually allocated on your knee at that age

She's on our knee in the plane, but I suspect there will be plenty of seats on the Crystal coach. They are not usually full.

The chances of getting in a car crash in that one particular journey are very small indeed.

Agreed.

I can't even begin to comprehend why you'd even entertain the idea

*cough* the missus *cough*

It's just an "are we doing the best we can for our child" thing I think.

The chances of her coming to any harm on the coach trip are very very small, but could we live with ourselves knowing that we just couldn't be bothered to bring the seat that might have saved her life?

However... the forum has spoken and I think we've seen sense.

The plan now is to cover her in bubblewrap and stow her in one of the board bags.

Life is all about taking risks...

Posted 3 months ago #
alpin - Member

from te trip from salzburg to scladming is pretty straigt forward. sort run down the motorway and then along the valley. no twisting, winding roads to worrya about.

don't think i'd bother with a child seat for the one hour journey....

Posted 3 months ago #
clubber - Member

We've done similar and mini-Clubber just sat on our laps or (because he's big for his age) used the lap belts that most coaches do seem to have now.

Yes, there's a risk but I guess you have to make a decision about whether it's significant enough for you to do something about it (eg take the car seat).

Posted 3 months ago #
ianv - Member

Junior gets ready for his holidays!

Posted 3 months ago #
hammerite - Member

I think I've always been more worried about Jnr annoying the other passengers on the transfer than I've been worried about us being involved in a traffic incident.

Posted 3 months ago #
molgrips - Member

On the approx 90 minute transfer from the airport to the resort my niece sat/wriggled on my knee and pointed at things out of the window. No-one died

I have seen kids running about lose in the back of a car, and they didn't die. So by your logic all car seats are redundant.

It's amazing what passes for reasoning on here sometimes, aye!

Posted 3 months ago #
konabunny - Member

It's amazing what passes for reasoning on here sometimes

*Something about beams and motes*

Posted 3 months ago #
FunkyDunc - Member

Take a length of rope and tigh your daughter to the coach seat?

I thought people died horribly in coach accidents any how regardless of whether they wear a safety belt or not ?!?

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Indeed konabunny

Posted 3 months ago #
Scamper - Member

Would i take my 5 month old for a one off one hour car journey in the UK not strapped in, safe in the knowledge the risks are tiny? We are off to Singapore next week and will be taking our bulky car seat. Just becasue you are on holiday does not mean safety takes a break

Posted 3 months ago #
pottsathome - Member

Can I ask why in your own car you must have a child seat but in a bus or taxi then you don't. Am not having a go here it's just something that I ve always wondered about. You thought the bus company or taxi would have to have provisions in place

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Yeah a 5 month old is considerably more fragile than a 22 month old though Scamper.

We did take a "travel system" style seat last year, but a full size car seat is a slightly different prospect.

Posted 3 months ago #
hels - Member

Or, alternative and radical approach, leave the child at home with the grandparents ?

Posted 3 months ago #

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