Hi everybody! I've spent the better part of today reading through the posts over the last few months & gotten some great advice for our 2 week trip to Scotland in July.
We will be traveling with our 9 month old son. Does anyone have experience traveling in Scotland with a child this young? Any advice, i.e strollers on the buses, etc? We will be renting a car for the Highlands portion, but taking the bus around Edinburgh...
I haven't travelled with an infant, but I've scene a fair number of Scots on busses with infants. There aren't a lot of ramps, but you should do okay. The Scots (and the rest of the UK) go out walking with their children all the time--more than we do. BTW it does rain no matter when you go so you might want to have one of those rain shields for the stroller. I've seen them in NYC as well as the UK. If you can't find one before you leave maybe you can get one at Jenners or some other store in Edinburgh.
Pam
I don't use public transport much, but would think strollers on buses will be fine. Best to carry the infant and fold up the buggy. Most buses have a bay for oversize luggage and buggies.
Do remember that driving from A to B in Scotland can take much longer than you think when away from the central belt. So please be realistic with your itinerary. www.theaa.com has a route planner to help out with that. Have you organised accommodation? Self-catering might be the way to go with a child so young and give you more flexibility. However you are unlikely to get anything for less than 3 nights minimum in July.
I second the advice about the rain shield. I saw them all over London-they look like a plastic cover that goes all over the stroller. Seems like the baby wouldn't like it, but I guess it beats the rain.
Now, you must prepare yourself for a trip with a child by having extremely low expectations. Almost all parents can tell horror stories of their first or second vacation post-baby. They may not sleep well, a newly crawling baby may refuse to stay put in a stroller or high chair, and just the exhaustion of parenting added to travel can really take its toll. Once, my youngest, who steadfastly refused to use the toilet at home, insisted she had to use every public toilet on a trip. She didn't actually use it, just pretended. You may be ready to collapse, but baby may need to be walked around just to go to sleep. I don't want to scare you too much (not possible) but just prepare you to take it really easy on yourself and back off your itinerary if needed. May the happy baby fairies smile on you.
One more thing-the Scots are much more willing to burst into song than Americans. Maybe you can get someone to sing lullabies to your bairn.
