Travelling with baby - carseat question?

Hello,

My husband and I are are travelling to the Philippines with our 23 month old daughter (10kg) in May and we will be travelling quite a bit by car with a driver. I was wondering if anyone knows if it%26#39;s easy to get taxi%26#39;s or cars with drivers that have car seats for babies/toddlers? I%26#39;m really stressing about how we are going to travel safely with our daughter. Thank you.

Travelling with baby - carseat question?

I don%26#39;t think taxicabs in the Philippines have carseats for babies and toddlers. It may also be the same if you rent a car. You may have to bring your own if you want your child to travel safely. There isn%26#39;t any law here requiring babies and toddlers to stay in carseats dduring travel.

Travelling with baby - carseat question?

You may be in for a surprise but car seats for babies are practically unheard of in this country if you have never been outside the Philippines. Even the car seatbelt law has just been enacted just recently. I%26#39;m sure taxi drivers would not understand you if you ask them if they have car seats for babies or toddlers.

What I can suggest is for you to never let your toddler to be in the front seat although, again, there is no law here that prohibits you to do that. Just to be on the safe side, if you are really concerned about your kid, that is the best thing you can do. Everybody here travels without a car seat for their little ones and we do survive anyway.

Hi - thanks for your replies. At least now I know that it%26#39;s not a common thing. Someone suggested to me to take the carseat but it%26#39;s so big that I really don%26#39;t think that is practical. I don%26#39;t want to have to lug it everywhere, but I was wondering also if that%26#39;s a common thing that parents take overseas with them?

Hi there! Carseats are not that unheard of here, available for sale here in the Philippines (numerous styles and price ranges even in SM Department stores), it just ain%26#39;t popular. And I agree that cab drivers wouldnt have the slightest idea what you are talking about. My brother who visited us from Vancouver 2 years ago also had the same worry with their 18month old, but didnt bother to bring one or buy one during their stay here.

The local seatbelt law is usually enforced for the driver and front seat passengers only. You can safely sit at the back with your husband and child. With the usual day to day traffic, you won%26#39;t be travelling much up to speed too.

How will you safely restrain your child in the airplane. Most airlines suggest you put the toddler in a car seat that is FAA recommended. If your car seat is such, then I would bring it on the plane, use it for the child on the plane and then use it in Manila when you rent a car.

Hi ';helenkymba'; - What did you end up doing on your trip with respect to the car seat and how was it? I am in exactly the same situation. We are planning on hiring a car and driver but I am hearing that the cars don%26#39;t have back seatbelts or something to hook the car seat to if I even brought mine. I%26#39;m considering getting a booster seat on the plane instead of bringing the huge car seat if I won%26#39;t be able to use the seat in Manila.

Thanks!

Hi Helenkymba %26amp; cgp55555 - I%26#39;m on the exact same boat as both of you. Did you end up travelling with a car seat?? Or how did either of you travel with your toddlers?

travel with babies as the locals do - they carry their kids on their laps.

anyway, the traffic speed in manila is so slow that in eventualities all you get is a jolt.

I disagree...although locals are travelling without using car seat, I suggest you still use car seat for your little one. Safety should always be a priority; not just to comply with the rules BUT to protect our love/little ones.

if you disagree, by all means always carry a baby seater.