Travelling with children turns a simple airport run into a logistics problem. Car seats, pushchairs, more luggage than seems reasonable for people that small, and a departure time that ignores bedtime entirely. Most of it is solvable at the booking stage rather than on the doorstep.
Child seats
Child seats are provided free and should be requested when you book, not on the day. We carry baby seats, child seats and booster seats.
Rough guidance on which you need:
- Baby seat for infants up to around 12 to 15 months, rear facing
- Child seat for toddlers up to around four years
- Booster seat for children from roughly four to twelve, or until they reach 135cm
Tell us the ages when booking and the right seats are fitted before the driver arrives. Fitting a seat properly at 4am in the dark is not a good use of anyone's time.
If you are taking your own car seat for use at the destination, say so. It takes boot space, and on a full family booking that space needs planning. It also means we do not need to fit ours.
Choosing the vehicle honestly
The most common family mistake is booking a saloon for four people going away for two weeks. It technically seats four. It does not carry four large cases, a pushchair and the hand luggage.
| Group | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2 adults, 1 child, short trip | Saloon | Comfortable with 2 to 3 cases |
| 2 adults, 2 children, 2 weeks | Estate or MPV | Full sized cases plus pushchair |
| 2 adults, 3 children | MPV | Six seats, proper boot space |
| Extended family, 7 to 8 | 8 seater | Everyone travels together |
When in doubt go one size up. The price difference is small next to the misery of a cramped three hour journey.
Pushchairs
Fold flat pushchairs are straightforward. Larger travel systems take up serious space and need mentioning at booking so the vehicle is sized for it.
Most airlines let you keep a pushchair until the gate, so you will usually be taking it right through the terminal rather than checking it at the desk.
Luggage, realistically
A standard saloon boot takes two large cases and some soft bags. An estate takes three to four. An MPV takes four to five plus hand luggage. An eight seater carries eight passengers with a case each, though a full load of eight people with two cases each will not fit and needs a conversation first.
Ski equipment, golf clubs, musical instruments and anything else awkward should be flagged at booking. None of it is a problem with notice. All of it is a problem without.
Timing around children
Early flights and small children is a hard combination. A few things help.
- Change children into travel clothes the night before and let them sleep in them
- Have snacks and drinks in hand luggage, not in the boot
- Keep tablets and headphones accessible rather than packed
- Do not shave the timings to save fifteen minutes of sleep, because it never works out
Coming home
The return is harder than the outbound. Everyone is tired, the novelty has gone and the luggage has somehow grown.
Meet and greet earns its keep here. Being met inside the terminal with help for the bags, rather than herding tired children across a car park, is worth the small extra almost every time.
Flight tracking means a delayed return does not leave you scrambling for a car with children asleep on a bench.
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