utedog

thanks

fuzzbucket

You can request booster seats for your kids, but normally Parisien taxis don't carry them. If you want to book ahead and request them, book with G7 Taxis. I don't believe there is a charge for them.

I wouldn't worry about the 8 yr old, but if the younger one is under 4 yrs old, it might be a good idea.

WoinParis

I don't bother with seats for short rides esp in cities. We keep the central belt and let the rest go in the back of the child.
For longer distance I often take a kind of triangle in which you put the belt and by adjusting it you manage to have the belt going under the throat of the kid.

justineparis

You can request a booster seat .. but 99.9 percent of taxi drivers wont have them and will give you the hairy eyeball.. HOWEVER , if you ORDER a taxi.. like G7.. they can supply one.. at an extra cost. both for the taxi and the booster seat..

So.. bring one for younger child if it really matters to you.. there are travel ones out there. Google .
We've travelled with our own seats , super not fun, but mattered to us.. but when my kids were little we didn't put them in seats after about age 3-4 .. so different times now.

utedog

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, we have a 5yo and a 8yo so was thinking of bring a booster for the 5yo, though would love to avoid it if I can. We have something a bit like this - https://www.babyhaven.com/au/cosco-j...t-magenta.html so it wouldn't be too difficult if we need to bring it. Is that what you refer to a a Booster Seat also?

8yo is pretty tall for her age so she is pretty right.

I had previously tried to work out what the requirements were for child restraints in France and had read that under French law, children up to the age of 10 must travel in an approved child seat or restraint (unless over 36kg). But judging by your comments here (since no-one has really mentioned it) this doesn't seem to be policed at all? The laws here in Aust are very strict around this sort of stuff.

utedog

P.S. Regarding the law, I am also considering this in terms of the hire car we're getting when we leave Paris, not just in terms of the taxi ride. For the hire car it seems we can hire a booster for a fairly reasonable rate, but I'm just trying to make sure we can just get away with a booster for the 5yo and nothing for the 8yo?..

justineparis

No the laws are strict.. but just like in Canada.. they do not apply to children in public vehicles like taxis.

fuzzbucket

Here you go, straight from the government's mouth - use Google Translate if needed:
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...vosdroits/F628

The main thing is that if you are caught, you do not want to risk paying a 750 EU fine, which is more than it would cost you to rent booster seats, etc.

utedog

Brilliant - thanks. That's what I needed.

Cathinjoetown

Rental agencies should provide them, I hope at a reasonable fee.

For our grandkids we had booster seats, not even as fancy as this, which we bought for around 15€ at a Feu Vert, Leclerc or similar might be cheaper but Feu Vert almost always has them in stock. Our grandkids liked them because they can see out better.

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Backles...y+booster+seat

utedog

Thank you for the comments. That seems a very reasonable price. Was yours ISOfix compatible? As far as I could understand from fuzzbucket's link if the vehicle has ISOfix I must use an ISOfix compatible seat. And further reading seems to reveal that all new European cars have it, thus this is what I'll need to get...

Cathinjoetown

I didn't know what that meant so looked up this definition:

"ISOFIX is an internationally standardised car seat fitting system. It gives you the safest, easiest and quickest way to fit a child car seat correctly, without using a seat belt."

So, no, our booster seats required seat/shoulder belts. As I understand it, the booster seats we had were designed primarily for a better fit for the child when using the car's cross-shoulder belt.

I think you best check with the car rental agency. We bought the booster seats 6-7 years ago for a car of the same age. New standards have passed us by, sorry for the half-useful, at best, info.

fuzzbucket

If you rent a car, chances are very good that it will be brand-new.
So it will be equipped with whatever you need, ISOfix - wise.

If you're only going to be driving for a short period of time, I'd look into renting booster seats.
Here's a good website - you order ahead, and pick it up at a shop in Paris, then return it:
http://www.kidelio.com/

utedog

No worries at all, thank Cathinjoetown.

Thanks fuzzbucket. Our car hire is pickup Paris, return Lille, so hiring the seats separately will probably be too difficult. I think we will just hire with the car rental co. Was just trying to find out the options as my wife is *incredibly* budget conscious, but sometimes saving a couple of $ has to give way to practicality.

fuzzbucket

Definitely better than paying the 750 EU fine, that's for sure!
You'll find other ways to economize during your trip, don't worry.

utedog

Oh, absolutely. The kids will be in seats, there's no doubt about that. It's just finding the easiest way to do it - which I reckon will be to hire with the car. We were originally going to bring a booster cushion with us for the oldest but it is not Isofix compatible so it seems that won't work and we'll just need to hire both. Can't compromise on safety.