Car hire abroad: baby seats
 

Do I need to take my own baby seat away with me, or can I hire one? Wife is obsessive about these things - wouldn't be impressed with a sick-stained flimsy thing.

What do you guys normally do?

Always take our own - a pain to carry but the airlines normally let it go on for free and then you have control at the other end. Had times where the car seat is not in the car so they have to go anf find one - you're sitting around with kids who are tired anyway etc etc. Far better to live with the hassle of taking it and keep control at the other end. And I know the seats history!

Yup!

Rule of thumb - that works for me too

Interesting. Where do you store it on the plane? This one has a seperate ISOFIX base which I could probably put into our baggage but it weights a ton.

Deffo take your own (do you know if the hire car has ISOFIX fittings ?) I'd be inclined to take a normal lighter seat instead, check it in & pick it up the other end. Waiting hours for Jose to find you a damaged, puke encrusted, end of season seat whilst your youngsters bake in the midday sun isn't a good start to a relaxing hol ........

D

Would anyone take a child seat for a coach transfer? I was thinking of taking ours but I don't think the coach seat belts would fit it (if indeed French coaches have belts).

Steve

It goes in with the luggage and doesn't count against your weight allowance.
Well, thats the case with Virgin and most scheduled airlines anyway.

Not so with all airlines unfortunately, The cheap Danish one started charging for buggies last year :( They wouldn't even have it as part of the allowance for the seat that we bought for our child :mad:

We have never taken a seat with us and had excellent child seat availabiliity in the US, backward Caribbean, Australia and Europe.

Remember that child seat types and regs vary by country so it really depends where you are going.

I'd agree - and both of our car seats are ISOFIX as well sp heavy but never had a problem.

If you are going to USA, it is cheaper to buy one in Walmart than pay the extra to rent one off the car company.

(but you do have to leave your baby at the car rental desk while you fid the nearest Walmart ;) )

Up to the age of 4 we always took ours with us.

We made sure that we got ones that could be fixed using a lap belt and then used them on the aircraft as well. Big advantage that the kids cannot get out of the seats and they are happier in their own seats etc. We had britax Eclipse seats. A few airlines refused us permission to use the seat on the aircraft.

Bit of a pain lugging the seats around but it was definately helpfull at the other end.

Kiwi

We are going to Portugal next month and taking our own seat for Tom. BA allow a child under 3 to take seat and pushchair as part of baggage allowance.

Dave