Maxi-Cosi - Nomad Plus

We mainly check in our car seats, which we bubble wrap and then stick them in a car seat bag. Our oldest uses a Maxi Cosi Nomad while our youngest uses a Maxi Cosi Pebble Pro. The Nomad is slim enough it fits in the Pebble, so we can get both in one bag. A few times we've had to pay for car seats with our car hire, or ask the taxi company to fit some. These were trips within the UK, or to Spain. When we went to Hong Kong, we just did without, as public transport is great there.

We just flew to Australia & back from the UK (20 hours, split into 6 & 14) with an 18-month year old. Qatar Airways (via Doha) on the way there were fine, but Singapore Airlines on the way back (via Singapore) were brilliant. SA had hostesses who were calling our son by his name, taking him for walks at the back of the plane when they could see we were tired, bringing us extra food & water. He would have been too big for the bassinet, and based on other Reddit posts we decided to get him a seat. It was expensive but worth it. Back of the plane seats were useful for nappy changes in the toilet, walking him around near the kitchen area and not getting blocked in by trolley carts or other passengers mid-plane. For take off & landing we put him on our lap, with the baby belt they provide, which attaches to your own belt. We took a [Maxi-Cosi Nomad Plus](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CHYBHS31) car seat on the flights there as it seemed the most likely to be compliant with airline regulations (and was), but we didn’t end up using it, and we actually checked it in on the way back for convenience. It was useful for car rentals in Australia. However, we wouldn’t check it in again as we realised it could have been damaged in transit without us knowing. SA did check it in as oversize luggage, which may have been to reduce the likelihood of damage. In some other posts they mention baby being strapped into a car seat for turbulence. We encountered reasonablly bad turbulence but having him on our lap was fine during that. Really bad turbulence you’d maybe want them strapped into a car seat, but it’s not a quick thing to pull down from an overhead locker & install, unless you’re well-practiced. The game changer for us was this [Flyaway Inflatable Bed](https://www.flyawaydesigns.com/products/flyaway-kids-bed) that made it so much easier for him to sleep, and play too. It said Qatar Airways might not take it but they did. We used our Snooze Shade to block light from his bed too, which was great on the way there, but a SA hostess on the way back pointed out that could impede the oxygen mask in case of emergency so we couldn’t use it on the way home. Other than the last 3 hours of the 14 hr Singapore to UK leg where he was restless (understandably), it was mostly fine & we would now definitely consider long haul again - just not any time soon!

Flown 16 times now with baby/toddler now aged 2.3. The car seat seemed pointless as they sit on your lap until aged 2, or in a bassinet when very small. On our last flight, our little one had his own seat in a long haul. He napped by leaning on daddy, feet on me. I do pack a car seat if we are renting a car at our end destination. We have a Maxi Cosi Nomad, which folds up goes in checked luggage. Also: we could not take our regular car seat on a plane, even if we wanted to. We have it on an isofix base locked to the car with a T bar. It is not suitable for airlines. Anything suitable for an airline would not be good enough for me for our car.

We have a Maxi Cosi Nomad which cost 110Eur. It is a car seat that folds up and goes in checked luggage. If we did not have this, we would rent a car sear from the rental car company, use public transport, or use a taxi for a trip to our hotel. A car seat for the plane would be too cumbersome I think.

Switzerland is one of those countries where even short taxi trips require a car seat. We travel a lot with our son (now nearly 2), and have various strategies. 1. We bought a Maxi Cosi Nomad for travelling. It fits in a suitcase, and it is suitable from 15 months up to 4 years old. If your little one is big enough, it might suit him also. 2. The S2 train goes direct from the airport to Rüschlikon. No baby seat required. If you have a lot of luggage, one of you can take baby on the train, and the other one can take a private transfer if you prefer. 3. Prebook a taxi with a child car seat. Zurich Airport taxis have this service: https://www.airporttaxi-zuerich.ch/en/book-save-and-unwind