HY5

Where are you based? Options in the US will be different to Europe/UK (the below are EU/UK options) Would something like this be in your budget? It's inflatable and light weight and should be easy to manage (fit into a suitcase). https://www.nachfolger.com/en/ Alternatively I have a tinyseats 2 which I use as a main seat and love. It folds and fits into it's own Wheely suitcase, but is bulkier then the nachfolger. Personally I would happily use a bus or a train with my little one and no car seat, but I wouldn't risk a taxi (or car thing). Is there a bus or metro in Ravenna you could take to the airport? Or Barcelona to the cruise? Legal doesn't mean safe or that I'm willing to risk it.

Toddler car seats are such a pain, heavy and bulky. Rear-facing is really important though, for years to come. There are seats specifically designed for travel, like Tinyseats or Nachfolger. They pack up into a bag, and can be carried easier than a regular one. But it’s still not something you want to carry around while doing a day on the town. I’m in the same situation where we don’t have our own car. Honestly I just avoid situations like taking an Uber, and plan to go by public transport. We do have our own car seat, but that’s more for days out if we borrow or rent a car, or go with friends. It’s not something I could carry around. I do recommend choosing one that’s easy to install in different cars (no tethers). The new Axkid Core looks great. Bigger taxi companies should be able to provide a car seat if you call and book ahead though.

We bought a nachfolger for our daughter as we travel a fair bit and hire car car seats are horrendously bad. It folds up into a back pack and we do it as checked luggage. Super easy for us but they are expensive

We are frequent ish travellers to NYC but live in London. We use the yoyo for travelling and it is a good option because it is small and easy enough to carry that we can get it up and down subway stairs easily, even when on our own. The basket is a bit rubbish, but to be honest one of the sells of the yoyo is it is easy to fold up and has a carry strap so you don’t want to have a huge amount in there or it will be hard to empty to fold. When travelling with it, we just keep a bag attached to the handle so it can come off easily to fold. The handle bar also folds down on its own whilst the rest of the buggy can be useable so brilliant for being a very small footprint when in a restaurant etc. For a travel buggy it is extremely sturdy. I believe quite a lot of Londoners use it as their main buggy. Only thing that is a bit annoying for us is that we are quite tall and the handle bar is not adjustable but honestly a fine trade off all things consisted. Car seat wise, I only take out if we are planning on taking a cab. Otherwise it’s a lot of extra hassle. We do always stay very central though so walking and subway work fine for us once in the city. I am extremely strict about car seat safety and need to remain rear facing so we have a nachfolger for travel. Unsure if they are technically ok for the states but it’s a brilliant travel option. Really light (obviously) and folds up pretty small so good for carting around. Also good for airplane travel as it doesn’t need to be wrapped up etc same way as regular car seats need to be. Let me know if any questions 🙂

We have a nachfolger and it’s great for when we are travelling! It doesn’t fold up super small, but it is light and that should not be underestimated or unappreciated. We only bring it with us if we know we will be taking a taxi as it doesn’t attach to the buggy and is still annoying to lug around. But it is so much safer I can’t imagine any other option.

We really rate the nachfolger because we travel a lot. If only for very occasional use you may want to look at cheaper but less convenient options. I am very much in the extended rear facing camp so only looked at nachfolger vs tiny seats. Ultimately went for nachfolger because it’s belt rather than isofix install so works when you are not sure what vehicle you may end up travelling in, or countries where isofix is not used. It’s also a more supportive/padded seat if you are using for a younger child whereas tiny seats has limited side protection. Upside of tiny seats though is higher weight limit and ability to use as a forward facing high back booster when the time comes. There are so many foldable high back boosters though so that wasn’t a huge concern for me.

Also wanted to say, it is such an easy seatbelt install I have never had an issue with installing it. I think you can even do it with just a lap belt. Super easy .