to want to rent this car?

[NotQuiteCockney]

here

I know, I know, unsafe, yadda yadda yadda. But it's funny-looking!

[southeastastra]

no it's groovy

[DarrellRivers]

cool
were are you renting it?
Down town Luton?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Toronto.

We probably aren't renting it - it would need to take child seats, and DH isn't keen (and it's him who would drive it).

He was opposed to getting a boring straight-forward car. And of course all the 'interesting' options in Toronto are BMWs and Mercs, which are 7000 times more expensive to rent there than here, and anyway, not actually interesting.

Looks like it will be an SUV or something instead. I will campaign for a lincoln town car, as that sounds nicer, somehow.

[mumlove]

When are you going?
We are going aug 20th to sept 8th, and are looking into hiring a car.

[southeastastra]

you've talked yourself out of it! can't you hire for a day or two

[NotQuiteCockney]

We'll be outside Toronto from the 6th to the 10th, and will have a car for that. From the 10th to the 19th we'll be in Toronto, but won't have a car for that (no point, really, we don't really drive generally anyway), and then after that we'll be in Montreal for a week.

Why are you off to Toronto? Family?

[Redbush]

Fab car would definitely be fun to drive - shall I be the boring and sensible one? It could still be pretty hot then if you're lucky and if you have little ones with you (or in fact whatever their ages!) you would want air con as Toronto can be very humid! The roads out there are pretty safe - very straight and lots of lanes (bit busy around TO itself) but you could end up covering some miles as the distances to get to any of the interesting places are reasonably big. The lincoln sounds your best bet - still a bit different from over here and they're pretty big. You'll have a great time whatever!!

[NotQuiteCockney]

Yeah, air con is a point. I'm from Toronto, so I don't really need reminded about the details, but yes, big cars are comfortable there. Cruise control is actually useful.

[mumlove]

We are going to visit family. Last time we went was 7years ago and I was 6mths pregnant, so we are taking DD over to visit them. Will be staying in Grimsby and Whitby thats why we were thinking of hiring a car to get around, but might wait until we are over there first to find out what public transport is like!!

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh good god, I thought you were going to be in Toronto. I'm pretty sure Grimsby and Whitby aren't Toronto really, you will need a car.

We're staying in town, near the subway (aka tube). Well, we're doing five days in the countryside, we'll have a car for that.

[mumlove]

So far as I know one is above toronto and the other is below. We are flying into Hamilton airport.

[Redbush]

Sorry NotQuiteCockney - there was no mention that you were from TO - didn't mean to irritate as it seems I did! . I lived in Guelph for 2 years and loved it.

[NotQuiteCockney]

That's ok, Redbush, I was just slightly exasperated, not seriously annoyed.

(You liked Guelph? And you're a Brit? Was it the outdoorsy stuff? Or what? I don't think I've ever been ... I have an annoying family member from there, and I'm not big on the rural thing ...)

[NotQuiteCockney]

Mumlove, I looked them up - that's right. Neither is part of a big city, really, though, so the public transport links will be rubbish - it'll be like seriously rural England, with an occassional local bus, no trains at all, I suspect.

For car rental, it's worth knowing:

• all North American cars are huge by British standards
  
• North Americans are very very bad drivers by British standards (we like to look for people who are doing something very very stupid, while their car is still bashed up from the last time they did it ... e.g. tailgaters, with a smashed front of the car etc)
  
• Petrol is cheap by British standards
  
• despite the bad drivers, driving is easy, roads are big, and very straight.

[SueW]

One time I went to Canada, when I was about 23yo, my uncle (lived in UK for 25 years or so before emigrating to Canada) warned me about the horrific narrow roads and intimidating big trucks driving from Toronto/Mississauga to New Liskeard. I was quite worried, having visions of winding lanes with no opportunity to overtake for miles and miles.

The reality was quite different. It was a very pleasant drive with lots of passing lanes.

[NotQuiteCockney]

He clearly had forgotten what roads in the UK are like. Am thoroughly at the idea of a Brit finding Canadian roads narrow.

[SueW]

Yes, I was shocked.

It's not like he hadn't been back - he had returned often and taken his children to places like the Lake District, Scotland, etc.

It's possible he hadn't travelled the route to N Liskeard though and had only heard from someone else.

[paulaplumpbottom]

Its a classic, you can't go wrong with a classic

[dionnelorraine]

Ooh! i like it!
It reminds me of batman!!

den ner den ner den ner den ner Batman!!

[mumlove]

NotQuiteCockney thankyou for the advice, have had a look longhaul travel section and another mumnetter is also going to Toronto in August (USAukmum).

[mumlove]

We could have a party over there at this rate!! Have a wonderful holiday.

[NotQuiteCockney]

If you are in Toronto itself in the summer, I do strongly recommend Dufferin Grove park. At the south end is the playground bits, and they're just lovely. (High Park also has good playgrounds, and the zoo.)

[mumlove]

Thankyou, ideas about any places you think a nearly 7yr old girl would like to visit are more than welcome.
Have been told they do there own version of legoland, so will have to look through the websites.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Own version of legoland probably Canada's Wonderland? Haven't been since I was a kid.

Things that a 7-year-old would probably like, in Toronto (I'm not good on outside):

• Toronto's Islands. A fair sort of thing, islands without cars, just a lovely day trip
  
• Ontario Place - lots of fun water play, rides, etc etc
  
• CNE - largest national exhibition ever or something. Very carnival, farm shows, etc et.
  
• Science Centre - like the Science Museum but more modern, more hands-on. Very car-accessible
  
• ROM - royal ontario museum, like the Natural History Museum.

[mumlove]

Went to wonderland last time but as I was pregnant I couldn't go on anything.
Have found the place like legoland, it's called brickcity. www.falls.com/brickcity.htm it's near Niagra falls.