Visiting Venezuela

Venezuela with 3 and 6 year old

April 2005

I will be traveling to Caracas, Venezuela this August with my 3 and 6 year old (38 and 52 pounds), and I'm wondering if I should take car seats or not. We will mostly be traveling on public transportation, with the occasional ride from friends and family. Any other advice would be appreciated. There's not much advice for travel to this part of the world on the web- site. Thanks. Penelope

We traveled to Colombia when my son was an infant and none of the cars we rode in had seatbelts. We didn't bring a car seat because we expected this. There is a car seat that is kind of like a vest that is very portable that I would bring for my son now in case we did find seat belts. I've seen it in the One Step Ahead catalog but I can't remember what it is called. Have a good trip. Lisa

I spent a month in Venezuela with my 3 and 4 year olds earlier this year. I did not take car seats, and would advise against it (I can already hear the rumbles of disapproval from the network!). We relied on taxis, buses, and occassional rides with friends, and car seats would have been an unbelievable hassle. We had a wonderful time, and I would be happy to talk to you about it. You are right, it's hard to get good information about Venezuela, but it's an amazing country! Emma

Hi, I would advice you not to worry too much about the car seat. Especially if you will be using public transportation. I am from Colombia, as you know, neighboring country of Venezuela and our cultures are quite similar. Every time my siblings travel with their young kids they end up regretting bringing the car seat, everyone is supposed to buckle up, but not everyone can afford a car seat, so it's not as regulated as here in the US.

Also, due to our extreme cleanliness in the U.S we lack a strong immune system, so it's easy to get sick while traveling. Make sure your kids get all the appropiate vaccines and try not to let them eat street food or drink tab water. Those are all the main issues I can advice you on. Any other questions please e- mail me. Otherwise, have a great time. crayoncito