Traveling with gear

[Anonymous]

I travel to the West Coast with my kids to visit family very frequently, but we bring little gear with us because we have everything we need there. Next week, I'm taking them to Dallas, where we'll be staying in a hotel, and my mom will be flying in to hang out with them. Can you all help me figure out the logistics of travelling with gear?

We are flying into Love Airport and need to get to downtown Dallas. Other than getting to and from the airport, we won't need a car, so I'm not inclined to rent one. My mom is flying into DIA, so I've got to get the kids from the airport to the hotel myself.

The kids are 4yo and 1yo, and I'm 22 weeks pregnant.

Here are the two options I'm considering:

(1) Take public transportation from the airport. That would mean wearing the 1yo on my back, pulling a suitcase and backpack, and my 4yo can walk. We would have to rent a stroller to be delivered to our hotel (because my mom needs it for outings with the kids). I'm very comfortable with this option, except renting a stroller is proving more complicated than I'd imagined.

(2) Take a shuttle or cab from the airport. I would bring my City Select, with the bucket seat for the 1yo. I can bring a booster seat for my 4yo. If I go this route, can I take the City Select all the way to the gate (like, through security and everything)? Can I gate check it and the infant bucket seat (AND the second stroller seat for my 4yo)?

Then once I get our suitcase from baggage claim, I'd somehow have to get the stroller, suitcase, and kids out to the taxi/shuttle area? Any hacks for this part?

I realize that I'm having this dilemma entirely because I need to figure out how to have a stroller once we get there. Frustrating.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely take your own stroller, We have only taken a single stroller so not sure if a double is different but we always take it all the way to the gate and it is there waiting for you at the door when you get off the plane.
Personally I would check both the carseats with your luggage unless the 1yo is really easier in the bucket seat. Have you paid for a seat for the 1yo?
You can buy carseat bags to put the seats in for travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely take your own stroller, We have only taken a single stroller so not sure if a double is different but we always take it all the way to the gate and it is there waiting for you at the door when you get off the plane.
Personally I would check both the carseats with your luggage unless the 1yo is really easier in the bucket seat. Have you paid for a seat for the 1yo?
You can buy carseat bags to put the seats in for travel.

Thanks! I was just planning to take the bucket seat to the gate because it can substitute for an actual stroller seat, and then I don't need to bring a stroller seat as well. (Fewer things to haul when I get to the other end and have to figure out how to get to a taxi/shuttle.) But I'm obviously just figuring all this out...

[Anonymous]

Take a cab.

Use a porter in the airport or get a smart cart.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused about the booster seat. It attaches to the stroller for the older child? Can you just skip this, and let the older child walk?

I would not mess with public transportation. Your best bet is to check if your hotel has a shuttle. If they don't, and if you don't want to take a cab without car seats, look for another shuttle bus type option like the blue bus.

Bring baby in the stroller, check the luggage. Yes, you can gate check the stroller. On the other end, once you get to baggage claim, grab a cart. Put your luggage on the cart, put on a carrier, put the baby in the carrier, and then fold the stroller and put it on the cart.