Täby to Arlanda: The Early-Flight Family Run

For children aged 0–3, request a child seat when you book — it's confirmed before you pay, so you know it's arranged rather than hoping it turns up. Mention the child's age so the right seat can be provided.

Swedish rules on child restraints reach beyond the youngest age group, and depend on the child's height rather than age alone — Transportstyrelsen publishes the current rules. Boosters for older children are not part of a booking — if your child is old enough that a standard seat belt may not yet be appropriate, plan to bring your own booster.

A family holiday means more than the everyday combination of a couple of cabin bags — think car seats taking up passenger space as well as suitcases taking up the boot. Choosing a vehicle category with enough combined capacity for passengers and luggage together, not just enough seats, avoids finding out at the kerb that something doesn't fit.

• Standard, Electric and Business categories: 4 passengers, a 6-unit luggage budget — at most 4 pieces, of which at most 2 large
• SUV / XL: 6 passengers, a 10-unit luggage budget, at most 4 large — usually the better fit once a car seat and full suitcases are both in the mix
• Minibus: 8 passengers, an 18-unit luggage budget, at most 8 large, for two families travelling together or one family with a very full load

Book as soon as you know your flight time, working backwards from check-in close to a pickup time that gives your family a comfortable margin for an early morning with children. There's no night surcharge, so a very early pickup costs the same as a mid-morning one — the only thing to plan around is getting everyone up, dressed and packed on time.