Hi everyone!
We’re heading to Paris and Barcelona with our will-be one year old this summer before meeting up with family in southern France. Any recommendations of where to stay in Paris or Barcelona? We’re hoping to have easy access to and from train stations
Also - any experience or advice using car seat rentals in Paris? Paris bookends our trip and we’re trying to decide if renting or bringing a car seat is best - or necessary if we plan to train (then again the option … See more

Taxi to airport was a relief for us as a train strike was pending. We had a booster tho.

Leanne thank you for the recommendations and advice! Did you bring a booster and a stroller? We’ll be buying a travel stroller (ours is too big for traveling around) so will try to get one as convenient and multipurpose as possible!

We had an older child so we bought the booster in the UK and then strapped it to a suitcase with a buckle strap we use to identify our suitcases with. It held. In your case, you need a full on car seat
The booster was a pain so anything bigger might be a juggling act. I don't have a rental suggestion source for you.

http://www.crazyeasyorganizing.com/.../how-to-attach-car.../

Leanne thank you! That will be helpful for future trips but yes this time we need the full meal deal of car seats

However, getting through a metro with this set up would be extremely challenging due to space constraints

One last thing to add when I was researching bringing vs. buying. Our carseats/boosters are not EU certified so if you get in an accident your insurance won't cover if the seat isn't approved. Also, some seats won't fit over there in the vehicles. I called both BCAA and a few rental car companies where we were going.

I didn't have a child but when I took a shuttle van from the hotel to CDG airport I noticed they had carseats in the luggage area so I assume they set them up when needed. If you are interested I could look up the name of the service we used.

Kerren that would be so helpful if it’s convenient to find, thank you!!

Julia-Anne Morris It was through one of these shuttle companies. what I liked is that they pick you up at your hotel and may stop at other hotels in your area for others. I was told at the hotel that these shuttles are more reliable than many taxis. We paid 18 Euros per adult in October. https://www.viator.com/.../Paris-Private.../d479-7817P2

Kerren thank you SO much!!

We stayed in a Hotel Ibis chain near Mont Parnasse. Convenient and budget. Walking distance to the playground at Luxembourg Gardens. You pay of course to use the park but fun for the kids.

Lots of good info on Barcelona here barcelonahacks.com

My family and I are headed there in April! My son will be 20months by that time. Pm me in April if you like and I’ll tell you how it goes!
So far we have booked a car rental for part of our trip thru Avis and requested a car seat in our booking. We plan to take the train otherwise.

Ying Yuan thank you!!

We always take our own car seats for both our kids when we travel as it’s nice to have something you’re familiar with installing and hasn’t been barfed/peed/pooped in by an indeterminate number of children
. We have lightweight ones that we use just for travel (Cosco Scenera and an Evenflo Sureride). You may need to bring an H-clip, as some European cars do not have a seatbelt locking mechanism like we have in North America, which is what we ended up with in Spain.

We stayed in the born area in Barcelona, which worked out great as one parent could go check out sites during down time in the apartment for the child/other. Would suggest similar for Paris.

Heather that’s our ideal. Would you recommend the place you stayed in Barcelona?

Don't remember the name. It was through air bnb and was across from the cathedral there. Barcelona was great!

Hotel de Nestle (sp?) in Paris' left bank - not super expensive but fabulous location

Where are you planning to stay in the south of France ?

Kathleen Bogas Alcock we’re staying in Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice. Those are already booked in and we’re very pleased with them there are just so many more options (naturally) in the bigger cities and we won’t have done overseas trip with a babe before then.

Julia-Anne Morris , it sounds like a wonderful trip. I hope you have a lovely experience.

Kathleen Bogas Alcock thank you!

We stayed in Aix! It is so gorgeous. That whole area is breathtaking (and delicious!)

I cant speak to location as we taxi'd to our cruise and the air port. But we stayed at 2 different hotels. 1st was Hotel Porta Fira. 2nd was vasanta boutique barcelona.
The 1st is much fancier buisness like. The 2nd is a boutique but very unique and taken care of

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