Traveling with kids question

[minismama]

I am planning a trip to see my family at the end of the month but flights from my city to the destination are super expensive. However if I fly out of Atlanta the flights are considerably cheaper (like over a $200 per ticket difference). I flew once with the kids from Atlanta alone but my mom had a car seat for one of my kids and borrowed from my MIL a second and picked us up. I want to take both seats with me this time. But I just can't imagine parking my car and getting myself, 2 kids, a stroller, 2 duffel bags and 2 car seats from the car into the airport. Is there an easier way to do this?
I thought at first maybe I could drive through and drop the seats at the sky cap, park the car and come back and then realized I wouldn't have my kids in car seats to drive to the parking lot (duh.) So I'm really not sure how I would do this traveling alone. Any ideas?

[lala]

Get some of those big carabiners for the stroller. Hang as much from it as you can. Kid in the stroller holding a carry on. Can you travel with just small carry ons or with just one big rolling situ case? We always strap a car seat to the suitcase.

Older walking kid will have to carry something.

[lexus]

My SIL travels with my nephew by herself often. She has a little cart that the car seat straps to. He sits in it through the airport. Can you do that with your youngest? If you carry a carry on and mini does too it might be less stuff.

[quesyrah]

How far is Atlanta to where you are? Can someone drop you off at the curb?

[Deleted]

What I would suggest is taking a shuttle with curbside drop off at which point you grab one of those big carts and pile everything on and then have older walking kid push the stroller. Ugh traveling with kids can be complicated, fee your pain!

[minismama]

Jan 10, 2016 18:34:21 GMT -5 lala said:

Get some of those big carabiners for the stroller. Hang as much from it as you can. Kid in the stroller holding a carry on. Can you travel with just small carry ons or with just one big rolling situ case? We always strap a car seat to the suitcase.

Older walking kid will have to carry something.

We always just take a duffel bag and personal item each when it's me and the kids. She wears a backpack and I hang the duffels from the stroller and she walks next to me. It's a short trip so we don't really need a big suitcase. I wonder if the car seat can strap to the small rolling suitcase that we can carry on the plane...

[minismama]

Jan 10, 2016 18:38:12 GMT -5 lexus said:

My SIL travels with my nephew by herself often. She has a little cart that the car seat straps to. He sits in it through the airport. Can you do that with your youngest? If you carry a carry on and mini does too it might be less stuff.

I have to look these carts up on Amazon. Thanks!

[minismama]

Jan 10, 2016 18:45:01 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

How far is Atlanta to where you are? Can someone drop you off at the curb?

It's 2 hours away.

[minismama]

Jan 10, 2016 18:50:30 GMT -5 @itsbritt said:

What I would suggest is taking a shuttle with curbside drop off at which point you grab one of those big carts and pile everything on and then have older walking kid push the stroller. Ugh traveling with kids can be complicated, fee your pain!

Good idea! it's so hard to always figure out the logistics of the travel. It's the worst part

[Deleted]

Jan 10, 2016 18:59:08 GMT -5 minismama said:

Jan 10, 2016 18:50:30 GMT -5 @itsbritt said:

What I would suggest is taking a shuttle with curbside drop off at which point you grab one of those big carts and pile everything on and then have older walking kid push the stroller. Ugh traveling with kids can be complicated, fee your pain!

Good idea! it's so hard to always figure out the logistics of the travel. It's the worst part

Yes! The shuttle is nice because they unload for you and that makes the drop off easier.

Oh and we were able to wheel our car seat on the small carry on with wheels (it was just a bit awkward) but not sure how that would work with two seats.

[lala]

You could also find a park n ride type lot that shuttles you there, they're usually way cheaper than airport parking and easier.

I guess I meant go away with all of the individual bags and just do one suitcase for everyone.

[expectantsteelerfan]

The one time I traveled alone with both, I bought a backpack carseat carrier.

[dizzycooks]

Perhaps you can pack your daughters stuff mostly in a backpack she can carry? Definitely look into strapping the car seat to a rolling bag or buying a roller for it so you cans trap a kid into that and pull them along behind you. Cross body bag for one of your carrying perhaps? And a backpack?

[lattelady5]

Jan 10, 2016 18:56:55 GMT -5 minismama said:

I wonder if the car seat can strap to the small rolling suitcase that we can carry on the plane...

This is what I do. Bungee it backwards on the smaller rolling luggage. We will probabky check one big bag next time though. You can also get one of those rolling carts, attach the carseat and put smallest kid in said carseat.

Or, use one of those rolling carts and have older kid pull it.

Just give yourself extra time so you don't feel stressed. I'm always fine unless we're rushed.

[nowa]

Can you strap the car seats to a luggage cart or gogokidz thing and avoid bringing a stroller? Buy a cheap umbrella at your destination? My mom got one for like $20 at babies r us when I visitors alone with the kids one time. You can put the younger kid in a car seat and pull her with the luggage cart. And fill the other carseat with the duffle bags. Is this making sense? I can try to a post a pic of what I mean.

[thecheshirekat]

Is your younger kid still small enough to wear for a little bit? If so, you might want to put him in a carrier on your back, load the stroller up with both the car seats and maybe one bag (I don't know how sturdy of a stroller you have) and task the older one with a rolling carry on. What car seats are you traveling with? The size and weight can make a huge difference in how you can transport them.

I made it through a few airports with my then-15-month-old in the Cosco Scenera we bought specifically for the trip strapped to my rolling carryon as a makeshift stroller. It worked out fine, but you have to unhook it to send it through security and I'm not sure I could have done that if I was traveling alone (and that was back in the days of one kid).