Tenerife Airport Transfers with Baby & Child Seats

Landing in Tenerife with a baby or a couple of tired toddlers is a very different experience to travelling as a couple. There is the pushchair to retrieve, a mountain of luggage that always seems to grow, a child who fell asleep on final approach, and the question every parent asks before they fly: how exactly are we getting from the airport to the hotel, and will there be a proper child seat waiting?

Tenerife gives you several options — public buses (TITSA), airport taxis, hire cars and pre-booked private transfers. They all work, and they suit different families. What changes the experience most is how much you sort out before you leave home, because child seats are the one thing you cannot improvise in an arrivals hall at 11pm.

We are Arrivo, a private airport transfer company working from Tenerife South (TFS) and Tenerife North (TFN) to resorts and accommodation across the island. This guide explains what Spanish law actually says about child restraints, what that means for an airport journey, and how to organise a family transfer without stress. It is written for parents, not for lawyers — see the disclaimer at the end.

Do You Need a Baby or Child Seat in Tenerife?

Tenerife follows the same national traffic rules as the rest of Spain, set out by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT).

The core rule is straightforward: children measuring 135 cm or less must travel in an approved child restraint system — in Spanish, a sistema de retención infantil (SRI) — that is suited to their height and weight. A restraint is not one-size-fits-all: a newborn, a two-year-old and a seven-year-old all need something different.

As a general rule, children using a child restraint should travel in the rear seats. The regulations do, however, contain specific exceptions that allow a child restraint to be fitted in the front passenger seat, broadly covering situations such as:

• the vehicle has no rear seats at all;
• the rear seats are already occupied by other children in child restraints and there is no room for another;
• it is not possible to install the appropriate restraint in the rear.

Where a rear-facing seat is used in the front, the front airbag must be deactivated. This matters mostly if you are hiring a car, but it is worth knowing so you can recognise a correctly set-up vehicle.

What Height Can a Child Stop Using a Child Seat in Spain?

Height, not birthday, is the deciding factor.

• Children of 135 cm or under need an approved child restraint suited to their size.
• Children who are 135 cm or taller may, by way of exception, use the vehicle's own seat belt directly.
• The DGT still recommends that children continue using an approved restraint suited to their height and weight up to 150 cm, because an adult belt often sits badly on a smaller child — across the neck rather than the collarbone, or over the stomach rather than the hips.

So a tall eight-year-old may legally use the belt while a small eleven-year-old still needs a booster. If your child is somewhere near the line, measure them before you travel and tell your transfer company their height as well as their age.

Child Seat Laws for Taxis in Tenerife

This is the section that causes the most confusion, and the one most often oversimplified online.

Spanish regulations do contain a specific exception for taxis in urban traffic: when a taxi is circulating in urban traffic (or urban areas of large cities), children measuring 135 cm or less may travel in the rear seats without an approved child restraint. That exception is real, and it is why you will see families in Santa Cruz or Los Cristianos hopping into a taxi without a seat.

What the exception does not do is cover every journey. It is written around urban traffic — it is not a blanket permission that applies to interurban roads and motorways. A trip from Tenerife South Airport to a resort such as Costa Adeje, Los Gigantes or Puerto de la Cruz spends most of its time on the TF-1 or TF-5 autopistas, which is not the urban-traffic scenario the exception was written for.

In practice, this is why so many families prefer to have the right seat arranged in advance: you then never have to work out, in the arrivals hall, whether your particular route falls inside or outside an exception. If you are unsure about a specific journey, ask the operator carrying you, or check the current DGT guidance linked at the end of this article.

What Is the Fine for Not Using a Child Seat in Spain?

Not using the appropriate child restraint, or using it incorrectly, can have consequences beyond safety. According to Spain's DGT, the offence is currently punishable by a €200 fine and the loss of 4 points from the driver's licence.

Two points worth understanding:

• The driver is responsible for the traffic offence — which is exactly why professional drivers care about this as much as parents do.
• This is a penalty for breaching the applicable child-restraint requirement. It is not an automatic charge levied on every family that arrives in Tenerife without their own car seat; enforcement depends on the vehicle, the road and the circumstances of the journey.

If you are hiring a car, the responsibility sits with you as the driver. If you are booking a transfer, the sensible step is simply to request the right seats when you book.

What Type of Child Seat Does My Child Need?

The right restraint depends on your child's size, not just their age. Broadly, families are dealing with three categories:

• Baby / infant seats — rear-facing seats with a harness, for babies and the youngest toddlers. Rear-facing travel supports the head, neck and spine and is recommended for as long as the seat allows.
• Child seats — forward or rear-facing seats with an integrated harness, for children who have outgrown an infant seat but are still too small for the adult belt.
• Booster seats — for older children who are big enough for the vehicle's belt to be used, but who need to be raised so the belt crosses the collarbone and the hips correctly.

Modern seats are approved either under the older ECE R44/04 weight-based standard or under UN R129 (i-Size), which is based on the child's height. You do not need to understand the regulations to book a transfer — you just need to tell us the ages and, ideally, the heights of the children travelling, so the appropriate seat is fitted before we collect you.

At Arrivo, child seats are available free of charge — both child seats for younger children (0–5 years) and booster seats for older children (6+ years). Just tell us what you need when you request your quote.

Tenerife Airport Transfers with Baby Seats and Child Seats

Arranging the seat before you fly changes the whole arrival:

• your child-seat requirements are communicated in advance, in writing;
• you can give the ages (and heights) of the children travelling;
• the transfer is confirmed before your flight leaves;
• you know how the pickup works before you land;
• there is no searching for suitable transport with an overtired child in tow.

Arrivo is a private airport transfer service covering Tenerife South and Tenerife North. You send us your flight details, destination, passenger numbers and child-seat requirements, we confirm a fixed price, and payment is made to your driver on arrival — cash or card.

Why a Private Airport Transfer Can Be Easier for Families

Door-to-door travel

Your driver takes you from the terminal directly to your hotel, villa or apartment. No bus changes with a pushchair, no walking the last stretch with suitcases in the sun.

No sharing with other passengers

A private transfer carries your party only. You are not waiting while other families are dropped off at four other resorts along the coast.

Child seats arranged in advance

The seats are requested at booking and fitted before we meet you, so nothing has to be sorted out kerbside.

Space for family luggage

Families rarely travel light. Tell us honestly how many cases, hand-luggage bags, pushchairs and pieces of baby equipment you have when you book, and the right vehicle is assigned. Guessing low is the most common cause of a tight boot.

Less hassle after a flight

Everything that can be decided in advance — route, price, seats, meeting point — is decided in advance. After a four-hour flight with children, that is the part parents appreciate most.

Flight monitoring

We ask for your flight number so we can follow your arrival and adjust to delays or an early landing. Give us the number at booking and let us know if your flight changes.

Travelling from Tenerife South Airport with Children

Most family holidays start at TFS. A short practical checklist:

• keep your booking confirmation somewhere you can reach it quickly (screenshot it);
• have your flight number to hand;
• collect all luggage, including the pushchair, before leaving the terminal;
• follow the meeting instructions in your confirmation — we meet you just outside the arrivals hall;
• make sure we know exactly how many adults and children are travelling;
• confirm the child seats you need before you fly, not on the day;
• tell us if you are bringing a pushchair or pram;
• keep nappies, snacks, water and a change of clothes in hand luggage.

Full route and pricing information is on our Tenerife South Airport transfers page.

Tenerife North Airport Transfers with Children

Everything above applies equally at TFN, which serves many inter-island flights and mainland routes and sits closer to the north of the island. Request your child seats at the same time as the booking, tell us about pushchairs and luggage, and travel directly to your accommodation rather than piecing together buses with tired children.

See our Tenerife North Airport private transfers page for details.

Travelling with a Baby, Pushchair and Lots of Luggage

Family luggage is the second most common surprise after child seats. When you request a quote, tell us about:

• large suitcases and how many;
• cabin bags and rucksacks;
• pushchairs or prams (folded size helps);
• travel cots, sterilisers and other baby equipment;
• your own car seat, if you would rather use the one your child is used to.

You are very welcome to bring your own seat — plenty of parents do. Just let us know, so both the seat and the space for it are accounted for. Accurate information at booking is what allows us to send a vehicle that genuinely fits your family and your bags.

Tips for Booking a Tenerife Airport Transfer with Children

1. Select the correct airport — Tenerife South (TFS) and Tenerife North (TFN) are about an hour apart.
2. Enter your flight number exactly as it appears on your ticket.
3. Enter the correct arrival date, using local Canary Islands time.
4. Enter the number of adults travelling.
5. Enter the number of children travelling.
6. Give the children's ages (and heights, if they are near 135 cm).
7. Request the child seats or booster seats you need.
8. Mention a pushchair, travel cot or any unusual luggage.
9. Read the meeting instructions in your confirmation before you fly.
10. Keep your confirmation accessible offline — a screenshot is ideal.

Popular Tenerife Destinations for Families

• Costa Adeje — the classic family base on the south-west coast, with calm beaches and large resort hotels: Costa Adeje airport transfer.
• Los Cristianos — a walkable resort town with a sheltered beach and the ferry port for La Gomera: Los Cristianos airport transfer.
• Playa de las Américas — lively, central and well served by promenade walks between beaches: Playa de las Americas airport transfer.
• Playa Paraíso — quieter, low-rise and popular with families who want calm evenings: Playa Paraiso airport transfer.
• Los Gigantes — dramatic cliffs and a smaller, relaxed resort further up the west coast: Los Gigantes airport transfer.

We cover these and other resorts across the island — see all Tenerife destinations we serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Travelling to Tenerife with Children?

Make your arrival easier by arranging your airport transfer before you fly. Tell us your flight details, destination and child-seat requirements, and we'll take you directly to your accommodation.

Prefer to arrange it by message? You can reach our team on WhatsApp from the contact page.

Official Information and Sources

• DGT — Viajar con niños: sistemas de retención infantil
• DGT — Guía de uso de la silla infantil (PDF)
• Reglamento General de Circulación (Real Decreto 1428/2003), as amended by Real Decreto 667/2015

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Traffic regulations can change, so check the latest information from Spain's Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) if you are unsure about your specific circumstances.