Saturday, August 8, 2009

Baby in tow: transportation



Getting there can be stressful. Here are some things to think about:

1) How are you going to get to and from the airport on the home side?
2) How are you going to get to and from the airport at your destination?

For me, what worked well was having someone drop me off and pick me up at the airport at the "home" end. I used curbside checkin for my suitcase, and it was worth it. The thought of dealing with the shuttle to long term parking with all the gear would have been time consuming and difficult. My spouse wasn't able to help me, but a friend helped me get there, and a retired individual who does airport runs for his "fun job" brought me home.

On the destination end, public transportation means you do not need a car seat, butthen you're dealing with all the gear on your own.

Another option is renting a car, but in a major city that might be more hassle than its worth.

Taxis may be the happy medium. They're in the middle price-wise. They don't have the hassle of dealing with all your stuff on a potentially not very stroller friendly public transportation, but you do need to bring a car seat, adding to the stuff burden.

The best suggestion I can offer is GET HELP. If you know someone else attending the conference, ask them to car pool with you. If someone offers to open a door or pull your suitcase off the carosel, let them. This is not the time to be a martyr!

Have you survived traveling with a little one in tow? Do you have other suggestions?

1 comment:

  1. If you travel a lot with your child, a Sit-n-Stroll is a worth-while investment. It's a stroller which converts into an FAA-approved car-seat. If you find it easier to wear your baby than to push her in the stroller, use the stroller as a luggage cart in the airport.

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