Travelling with children by taxi: the rules, child seats and tips

The rules on children in taxis in Spain start from the same principle as for any car: children under 135 centimetres tall must travel in a child restraint system (seat, carrycot or booster) suited to their height and weight. Taxis have a well-known exception: on urban roads, if the vehicle does not carry a child seat, the child may travel without one as long as they sit in a rear seat. On the open road and on interurban roads that exception does not apply. As the journey to Madrid-Barajas Airport is usually made on the motorway, the safest thing is to always request a child seat when you book.

In this article we explain the rule in general terms, why the urban exception is not the recommended option and how to organise a taxi trip with children with no surprises. For any specific detail (fines, special cases or recent changes), the reference is the Reglamento General de Circulación (Spain's General Traffic Regulations) and the official information from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), the Spanish traffic authority.

The general traffic rule for minors is clear and has been in force for years:

• Up to 135 cm tall, the child must use an approved child restraint system suited to their height and weight.
• As a general rule, children of that height must travel in the rear seats. The rules provide for exceptions allowing them to sit in the front (for example, if the rear seats are already taken by other minors), which you should check with the DGT before relying on them.
• Above that height, the child uses the vehicle's seat belt like an adult, correctly positioned over the shoulder and hip.

Taxis, as a public service, are treated specifically because they cannot always carry a seat for every age. That special treatment is what causes most of the confusion.

Taxis on urban roads

When a taxi is travelling on urban roads and does not have a suitable restraint system, the rules allow a child up to 135 cm to travel without one, always in a rear seat. If the taxi does have the right seat, it makes sense to use it. Being allowed is not the same as being equally safe: sudden braking in town can also injure a child who is not properly restrained.

Taxis on the open road or interurban roads

Outside urban roads, the exception disappears and the child must travel in their approved restraint system, as in any private car. This applies to journeys on motorways and main roads, trips to other towns in the Madrid region and long transfers.

This is the practical question. To reach terminals T1, T2, T3 and T4 you usually travel on motorways and fast access roads to the airport. Classifying each stretch as urban or interurban is not something you should have to work out with a child in your arms, so our advice is simple: treat the trip to the airport as a journey on the open road and request a child seat when you make your booking.

The same goes for the return. If you are landing with children, book your airport pickup with your flight number and give the age of each child: that way the taxi waiting for you at the terminal comes prepared.

Approved systems are chosen by the child's height and weight, not just their age. Broadly speaking:

• Babies: an infant carrier or seat fitted rear-facing, facing away from the direction of travel.
• Young children: a seat with its own harness, which many models allow to stay rear-facing for longer.
• Older children who are still under 135 cm: a booster, preferably with a backrest, which positions the car's seat belt at the right height.

Today's seats follow European approval standards (such as the well-known i-Size); the label on the seat itself shows which heights or weights it is approved for. In our guide to taxis with a child seat to the airport you will find the practical details of how to request one and what information to give.

With us, a child seat is provided on request when you book. Just give the age of each child in the booking comments (and, if you know them, their approximate weight or height). We will confirm availability before the trip. If you need two or more seats, or there are five or more of you, the 7-seater taxi has room for the seats, the passengers and the luggage.

You can do the whole process through the online booking for a taxi to the airport, by phone on 911 76 00 81 or on WhatsApp. If you are travelling in the next few hours, it is better to call: with less than 2 hours' notice it is the quickest way to confirm a seat.

• Bring your own seat if you use it every day and find it easy to carry; the driver will give you the time you need to fit it. Mention it when you book so that boot space is set aside.
• The pushchair, folded: it travels in the boot, never in the passenger area next to the child. See how luggage in taxis is organised if you are carrying a lot.
• Pack a hand bag with water, nappies, a change of clothes and something to keep them entertained; that way there is no need to open the boot during the journey.
• Adults should wear seat belts too: your seat belt also protects the child, because an unrestrained adult can hit them under sudden braking. If you are unsure, read up on when seat belts are compulsory in a taxi.
• Work out the time carefully: with children everything takes longer. We recommend being at the airport 2 hours before European flights and 3 before international ones.

And if your trip is to Madrid rather than from Madrid, in our ideas for travelling with children in Madrid you will find things to do to make the most of your stay.