We are coming over for our house-hunting trip (4 weeks). Anything you recommend I absolutely should pack? Car seats, Car seat carriers, baby bjorn... anything else?

The subject only as edited for clarity. A.T.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Alice Twain,

Ciao! It sounds as if you have a baby. If you're using formula, I'd recommend bringing enough with you to last the four weeks. I'm not able to buy American brand formulas here. When I go home to the States I switch my baby to the American brand, and then back to an Italian brand when we return to Italy, but it's probably easier (for the baby!) if you keep him on the same formula the whole time. Happy House Hunting!

That's a big question!

When are you coming? Where are you going?

You might need insect repellent depending on where and when. Bring all the meds you might need as they're expensive here.

Will you be renting an auto during your stay? If so, don't bring the car seat because the agency will provide one for you upon request. That's one less bulky item to have to bring. Definitely bring formula if the baby drinks it.

Anti-histamine cream for when you do get bitten! Sun screen. Nappies/diapers you can get from pharmacies - just say pampers and know your babies weight in kilos or the size in pampers you would normally use (or any other brand, but pampers are the norm). So only bring enough for the first few days otherwise that's most of your luggage gone! Hiring a car seat is definitely the best idea as it will fit whatever car you decide to hire, sometimes they are brand new too! I would bring a collapsible stroller rather than a pram. Streets can be narrow and shops small so a big contraption is a pain. If you are coming over permanently it would be a good buy anyway. Most have a design for younger babies - I have had mine from my daughters birth and she is still in it at 3 years!

For yourselves - toiletries - not everything can be found in your usual brands, especially deodorants. And they will be cheaper at home. Tea or instant coffee - much cheaper to bring a little, assuming you are self-catering that is.

A light raincoat and rainhat - we've had a lot of rain up in Florence recently and I've seen too many tourists caught out by it. Can't answer for anyone else, but I know the weather is all over the place at the moment.

Can't think of anything else. We arrived back in Autumn with enough for 8 weeks initially and there was always something else we could have done with but the above, especially medicines and toiletries were the main ones!

i don't know if it is just here in Sicily, but i have noticed that NO restaurants have high chairs for kids. So i would either bring or buy one of those little clip on (to tables) seats for babies. Italians seem to just have the kids in their laps, but i can't eat my meal like that! We sometimes use the push chair but often the resturants are so crowded there is no space (or can't even get it through the door!) and is also v low.

In any restaurant in Lombardy and Tuscany where I ever had a meal they have the clip-ons.

This is all tremendously helpful- thank you! I especially appreciate the advice about car seats. We have a 6 month old and a 21 month old and the thought of lugging those around is dreadful.

THANKS!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Alice Twain:
In any restaurant in Lombardy and Tuscany where I ever had a meal they have the clip-ons.

Most of the restaurants in Florence DON'T have them. The ones that do stand out. My daughter is now 3 and has been using a normal chair since we arrived in November.

Did you ask for one? The eats would not be volunteered, they must be requested. Anyway, those clip-ons are just for toddlers, children as grown up as your daughter sit on chairs, maybe with a pillow to help them reach the table.

quote:

Originally posted by Alice Twain:
Did you ask for one? children as grown up as your daughter sit on chairs, maybe with a pillow to help them reach the table.

Yes, as I say some did, some didn't. It tends to be away from the centre where they don't, but still in the walls.

My daughter would like you! She keeps telling me she is a big girl now !

I wrote a pretty long piece on our blog about traveling with young children. It might be helpful if you haven't done a lot of air travel with them. Look in the older posts section.

My suggestion is bring as little as possible. You can find everything you need in Italy. On other than vitamins and over the counter meds prices are not so much higher to make it worth lugging a lot of extra stuff around. The Italian baby formula is of a very high quailty. Our kids are now 5 and 7 but I remember thinking when they were using formula that the Italian product was better than what was sold in the US.

On car seats, if you rent a car ok you can get them from the car rental agency, make sure ahead of time. But if you plan on riding around with friends or relatives it could be a different story. We did a few times pack two car seats in a big duffle bag. I suppose the clip on high chair could be good for the baby. I've seen people here using them. Strollers are essential, but make sure it's one that can roll over cobble stones etc. As you probably know the airlines will usually let you take them up to the door of the plane and then they put them in luggage, so they are not too much of a burden.

Since we ride in my husband's family's cars and don't have the option of rental company car seats, we always bring our car seats. Maybe it is because we travel a lot, but I find them fairly easy to bring along. We have bags with wheels on them to transport them.

Since we need them to get from our house to the airport anyway, it is easy enough to just check them right away and pick them up at the airport in Italy and stick them in the car there.

Besides, my older son used to be kind of attached to his seat and I think he enjoys the familiarity of it when we are traveling about.

One thing about diaper packages, is not to go by size number alone because they differ. Make sure you check the weight on the package (in kilograms). This is because the newborn size in the US is just called newborn (NB), but it is 1 in Italy. So my baby who wears size 3 here wheres size 2 in Italy.

Jackie

Actually, I meant that the other way around. He wears a 2 here and a 3 in Italy. You don't need all of my endless little details anyway, ! Just check the weight on the package.

Good luck on your trip.

Jackie