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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to hire a car seat abroad?

54 replies

goldenslumbers1 · 03/09/2018 18:47

Afternoon,

Does anyone have any experience (positive and negative) of hiring a car seat abroad?

We fly later this week and my DH has booked a car seat as part of our car rental package. I have called the firm and they have confirmed that they do not have Isofix attachments, so the seat will just be buckled in but that they stock a range so if we are not happy with one, we can swap etc.

I feel nervous about this, because I'm worried we won't fit the seat well and also, we don't know the history of the seat etc and think we should just take our own, as we can check it in for free with our airline.

DH says we should hire, because the firm is reputable (according to online reviews) and baggage handlers might damage our car seat in transit, not to mention the faff of lugging it around etc.

I can see his point of view, but this is our first holiday abroad and I already feel very nervous; this is just adding to the anxiety.

Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:

welshweasel · 03/09/2018 18:49

We always take our own car seat. I’ve seen far too many rental seats provided that are unsuitable. They also can’t help you fit the seat and often can’t provide instructions. I saw a poor couple with their 6 month old being given a forward facing seat that was clearly unsuitable. You also have no idea if the seat has been well looked after or left in the sun, been in an accident etc. Buy a car seat bag off Amazon, pad your seat with towels, nappies etc and you’ll be fine.

How old is your child?

Ballsofmush · 03/09/2018 18:54

Age of child? I have hired a high back booster for a six year old but wouldn’t be happy for a smaller child.

greengrass123 · 03/09/2018 18:55

Isofix is fairly new. I didn't bother getting it with either of my kids (youngest is 3).
'Just' buckling the baby in is still effective and complied to safety standard.
Make sure you buckle it in correctly. Watch a you tube video demonstration if you need to.

neighneigh · 03/09/2018 18:56

Most airlines let you check a child seat in the hold for free these days. Buy a sturdy canvas bag for it and stuff it with other stuff too (handy for bulky nappies!). We've done it several times and it works brilliantly, honest

Original poster

goldenslumbers1 · 03/09/2018 18:58

@Ballsofmush 6 months old. My instinct is telling me to buy a bag and take our own but my DH is telling me I’m worrying unnecessarily. Wish we weren’t going at all now

OP posts:

Sedona123 · 03/09/2018 18:59

How old is your DC, and where are you going?

We have had very mixed experiences with this. Took DC to France one time and booked an age appropriate car seat several weeks before. When we arrived, none were available, so we had to spend 120 ish euros to buy one at the local supermarket. 😡

Since then, we have bought a Bubblebum inflatable car seat to take abroad. It's for age 4 plus and is useful as a back-up if needed due to either lack of car seats or the car seat being really grimy looking. 😤

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 03/09/2018 18:59

I’d be more concerned about your own seat getting damaged by heavy handed baggage handlers than the hire seat having been left in the sun (?!) or having been in an accident etc.

Honestly, unless your child is a very young baby it sounds a bit precious to me. If they have said there’s a range of seats to choose from you’ll be fine.

TSSDNCOP · 03/09/2018 19:02

After several experiences of trying to hire car seats that were aged, filthy, broken or not there even though booked (shrug shoulders) we took our own.

Reputable companies every time in Majorca and Cyprus.

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 03/09/2018 19:02

Holidays can be stressful but it does sound like you’re not going to enjoy it if you let your anxiety take over. Are you usually quite an anxious person, or is it worse since having your baby? It might be that your GP can help you with some medication to ease your anxiety if it’s an ongoing issue, but it’s probably a bit late to sort it in time for your holiday now.

If it makes you feel happier then take your own car seat, wrap it well to protect against being thrown around at the airport and try to enjoy your holiday. I’m sure once you’re there you’ll be able to relax and enjoy it.

Roomba · 03/09/2018 19:02

I'd triple check that there is an understanding of what age your child is and the type of seat needed. I've had a hire company try to tell me a backless booster seat is fine for a 12m old and just shrug saying they didn't have any other sort left when I complained! They were fully informed what was needed beforehand btw.

IWouldLikeToKnow · 03/09/2018 19:09

I regularly hire car seats when travelling. Both in UK and France (I live in Ireland). We have travelled since our son was 3 months old. Our only issue was in the UK when he was 3 months. The "infant" seat didn't have the infant inserts and that was after we had to change the original one offered as it wasn't an infant one! We then started bringing our own to the UK. We've had no issues in France with renting them. He's now almost 4 and we've always got isofix when renting there.

givemesteel · 03/09/2018 19:11

Urgh I feel your pain OP.

We have 2 small dc and after loads of experiences of either taxis or hire car companies giving you a booster seat for a 7 year old for a 2 year old etc and looking at you like you're crazy when you don't accept it we are finally just taking our own.

It's bulky and annoying but it takes the stress out of a situation you know will be stressful.

Thesunrising · 03/09/2018 19:14

We’ve got folding car seats from Halfords. Cost about £70 each but have paid for trhemselves in a couple of holidays. Hire company seats are often expensive and you have no guarantee what you will be presented with when you pick up the car. Seats go free in the hold, so no extra cost from the airlines.

wheezing · 03/09/2018 19:14

We’ve always rented car seats. Mainly because we don’t do much travelling on holiday, just to and from the airport, as my DS hates the car.
Also our car seat is quite massive and needs the isofix base to fit and it would be huge to check them both it.
All car seats have been fine - probably rented 6 times or so. About 2 did look quite tired and old and I felt a bit guilty but they were always at least for the right age.

notdaddycool · 03/09/2018 19:16

Only hired once and it was mankey as f* and cost £60, they were piled in a corner of a multi-storey car park. This time bought a multi stage one on amazon for £40 before we went, it meats safety standards fine. Easyjet put it in the hold free. All cars in the EU have had to have isofix for ages. Hire cars are rarely older than a year or two so should be fine. Don’t plan to hire again.

Jonsey79 · 03/09/2018 19:16

I've had bad experiences and would take my own in the future. At Nice airport on various trips we've been offered dirty, ancient seats which were too small/large for the dc. No instructions were available - we had to search through YouTube.

In your shoes I'd buy a cheapish seat on amazon and take it with you.

notdaddycool · 03/09/2018 19:18

Not for this holiday but when older look for trunki boosters and inflatable boosters.

Jonsey79 · 03/09/2018 19:18

Yes - cheaper to buy your own than hire one.

Car hire staff do not give a fuck. We used Alamo, Hertz and Europcar. All crap.

welshweasel · 03/09/2018 19:19

Surely at 6 months they are still in their infant carrier? Pretty much all of them can be buckled in. I definitely wouldn’t risk it with a baby that young.

SpaceDinosaur · 03/09/2018 19:19

Cost up the case for your car seat.

Tell DH that to take your car seat will cost xxxx

If you get there and decide that you are not happy with the seat provided by the rental company or the fit of the seat then you will be purchasing a seat abroad. And you and DC will wait for him to bring the seat to you at the rental centre.

JupiterBelle · 03/09/2018 19:21

I’m taking our spares for DS 2 and DD 5 months. Hiring was £80 per child for the week and I didn’t want to take our good ones as they’ll just get bashed up in the plane hold!

welshweasel · 03/09/2018 19:22

You can buy a joie Juva for £40, will last until your child is at least one.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 03/09/2018 19:22

At 6m old we took our car seat and the travel system, it was really handy for out and about. I’m more worried about car seats now baby is 18m because they’re so bulky. Hire charges are extortionate, you could almost buy a car seat and abandon it.

Hadehahaha · 03/09/2018 19:25

For a 6 month old I would take my own. After that it gets tricky as the seats are huge, and ours use isofix which they never seem to have in the hire car etc so we hire abroad. They never look great but we just keep driving to a minimum and cross our fingers basically. Things are never perfect away from home with kids...

Camelsinthegobi · 03/09/2018 19:28

Definitely take your own. Can’t you even take some infant car seats in the cabin with you?

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