With Family and Luggage to Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport

For families, the holiday does not begin on the beach, but at home in front of the pile of suitcases. At Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport it is no different: most families come by car, because there is no railway station at the terminal and bus connections are awkward with children and luggage. With good planning, you can still start relaxed. This guide shows which type of parking suits families, how to cope with the first day of the holidays in Baden-Württemberg without hectic, what to know about pushchairs and child seats and how the return goes smoothly.

The right type of parking

With small children, every reloading is a challenge: suitcases out of the boot, children unbuckled, pushchair unfolded, everything into the bus, out again at the terminal. The driving service saves this intermediate step. You drive up to the building, unload and go straight to the counter. For a two-week holiday, however, the bus model can be considerably cheaper. Then it is worth planning enough time and sharing out the tasks. Compare both total prices before you decide. The trade-off is described in Valet or shuttle at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

The first day of the holidays

On the first day of the Baden-Württemberg summer holidays, many holiday flights depart from Baden-Airpark shortly after one another. At the same time, holidaymakers from the north are travelling on the A5 towards Switzerland and France. Longer queues form at the counters and security than on a normal weekday. If you fly on this day, plan in the full lead time recommended by the airline and add a little more. Better to play for half an hour at the gate than to sit in a traffic jam with whining children.

An example from Rastatt

A family with two children flies to Mallorca shortly after seven on the first day of the holidays. They want to be at the counter two hours before departure, allow a quarter of an hour for the handover to the driving service and around twenty minutes’ drive via the A5, plus a buffer. The suitcases have been standing packed and weighed in the hall since the evening before; the children are carried to the car in their pyjamas and get changed at the airport. The times are an example and do not replace the airline’s information.

Sharing out tasks

It has proven useful to decide beforehand who takes care of what: one parent looks after the car, key and handover, the other after the children and hand luggage. Older children pull their own trolley case. That way nobody stands helplessly next to the luggage while the driver waits or the bus wants to leave.

Planning luggage properly

With many holiday and low-cost airlines, checked luggage is not automatically included in the ticket. Check whether every family member has a piece of luggage booked, and book additional suitcases online – at the counter it is usually more expensive. Luggage scales at home spare you unpleasant surprises. Spread your things across several suitcases so that not everything is missing if one item of luggage is lost. Medicines, nappies, a change of clothes for the children and important documents belong in the hand luggage.

Pushchairs and child seats

Many airlines carry pushchairs and car seats free of charge in addition to luggage. You can often take the pushchair to the gate and get it back at your destination. With the driving service, child seats stay in the car if you do not need them at your destination. If you hire a car on site, bring your own seats, because they can be expensive or scarce at the holiday destination. Then plan a few minutes for removing them – in the dark this takes longer than you think.

The bus model with children

If you choose a car park with a bus, state all fellow travellers when booking, including babies and toddlers, and mention pushchairs and a lot of luggage. Some providers take a certain number of people free of charge and charge a surcharge for more – see frequently asked questions about the number of people in the shuttle. At the site, one parent gets into the bus with the children while the other parks the car and loads the luggage.

Travelling with grandparents

On family visits, three generations often fly together. Short distances are important for older fellow travellers. A driving service that takes over in front of the terminal saves changing. If you need help in the building or when boarding, register it with the airline, ideally at least 48 hours before the flight.

ID and documents

For many destinations, children also need their own ID documents. Check weeks before the trip whether they are all valid, because new documents take time. Additional rules may apply for trips outside the EU. At the airport it is too late for corrections.

At the airport

Baden-Airpark has a compact terminal with short distances – an advantage for families. Agree on a meeting point in case someone gets lost, and give older children a note with your mobile number. Liquids in containers over 100 millilitres are not allowed through security; baby food is usually exempt but must be shown. Departing planes are the highlight of the day for many children. More on finding your way: The terminal at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

Entertainment for waiting times

A colouring book, an audiobook, a small game and snacks in the hand luggage help with waiting times at the gate and on the plane. A charged tablet with downloaded films can save the flight. Do not forget headphones for the children.

If a child falls ill

Ill shortly before the trip – it happens. Via Friend-Park you can cancel free of charge up to one day before the booked start of parking. With an early flight, the deadline already ends in the night before the day before departure. More: Cancelling or rebooking parking at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

The return

With tired children, the return is often more tiring than the outward journey. With the driving service, the car is ready when you come out of the terminal. With the bus model, get in touch right after the baggage belt so that the bus does not keep you waiting long. Put a blanket and cuddly toy within reach in the hand luggage. More: Return: collecting your car at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

When the Whitsun holidays beckon

Unlike many other federal states, Baden-Württemberg has up to two weeks of holidays around Whitsun. Many families from the Upper Rhine use them for a short holiday on the Mediterranean, when it is not yet too hot there. Baden-Airpark is busier than usual at this time too. If you fly during the Whitsun holidays, plan much as in summer: book early, check luggage in advance, plan enough buffer.

Armbands and beach toys

Sand spades, buckets and inflatable swimming toys are often expensive at the holiday destination. If you take them along, pack them deflated and space-saving in your checked luggage. Flippers and goggles fit into side pockets. That leaves room in the hand luggage for what you need on the way.

Changing and feeding

There are baby-changing facilities in the terminal. Bottles and baby food may go through security in reasonable quantities but must be shown. Allow a few extra minutes for security with a baby.

The right order at the meeting point

At the driving service’s meeting point, a simple order has proven itself: first the children and an accompanying adult get out and go onto the pavement with the hand luggage, then suitcases and pushchair come out of the boot, and finally you take the photos and hand over the key. That way nobody stands between moving cars, and nothing is left in the car.

If you come with two cars

If the extended family travels with two cars, each needs its own booking. Check whether one large car is enough to save parking costs.

Summary

With a family, planning counts more than speed. If you choose the type of parking to suit the trip, leave early, share out tasks and plan enough buffer, you will start your holiday relaxed. Whether offers for Baden-Airpark can already be booked via Friend-Park is shown at Parking at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.