Do you think my family should help to pay for this?

[Alwayshappensattheworsttime]

Live abroad and car has broken down, expensive to fix and will take a while most likely, so we’re without a car.
Dh has a motorbike so can get to work and I can walk to school with dc and to the shops. I work very part time but can perhaps get a taxi to there sometimes.
Parents due to come to stay this weekend for a while and my sister the next day (won’t be staying with us)
Usual thing is I pick and drop them all off at the airport and we go out in the car places most days as places not that near/easy to get to
Looking at car hire prices and it’s pricey for us and not sure we can afford to pay that and getting the car fixed. Having a real stress about it all as don’t want to ruin peoples holidays and be sat at home or trying to get buses everywhere and asking them to get taxis from and back to the airport
Dh said he thinks they might prefer to have a hire car whilst here (for me to) and might not mind paying for it, but I don’t know, I don’t want to ask this of them as they are guests

What would you do?

Just tell them the cats broken and won’t be fixed till you e earned the money to pay for it so they’ll need to use public transport while they’re with you.

You usually drive them around but your current situation has changed.

Just ask them what they'd like to do as you're currently car less.

Just say that car is out of action and possibly offer to meet them to travel back together on public transport.
When relatives come to stay abroad with me they adapt to what's going on in my life. Occasionally they have been over and I've been ill and hardly done anything. Other times we've travelled to various places. If they realise you are without a car but miss the commodity of having one I'm sure they will offer to hire one.

I don't understand why you haven't told them thar your car has just broken down and will be both expensive and lengthy to get repaired so you'll have to rely on public transport while they are here.

It's the truth. You can't afford the hirer car and the repairs.

What, if anything, they decide to discuss or offer thereafter is a separate issue. Deal with one step at a time. They are also family - do you have a good relationship?

@ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees I told my mum on Saturday that it was in the garage but wasn’t sure what was wrong with it (he looked at it today and let us know) so I will text her tomorrow, was just wondering what others would do in this situation

Thanks all, I feel like this is my responsibility (picking them up etc)

You are a grown up: you just tell them that you are very sorry you don’t have a working car at the moment. Tell them it will have to be taxis and public transport as you can’t afford to hire a car at the moment due to the repair cost. If they are family and nice people, they will understand.

Agree that you just have to explain. In my family it’d be ok to say ‘folks I’m really sorry but our car is still not fixed. It’s going to be expensive and we just don’t have the spare money at the moment. I’ve been agonising over what to do about transport as I don’t want this to spoil your stay. Are you ok if we use public transport and the occasional taxi? Or can you help with the cost of a hire car so we’re more independent and I can drive you?’. Hope they’ll understand and say what they’d prefer

You haven't a car, it's off the road. Tell them that so they can make provisions. It's no big deal to get a taxi or train to yours initially surely? You're not ruining anyone's holiday! I don't drive and never have, I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to pick me up if they were kind enough to let me stay.

I d say "bit of an issue car is £££ to fix and we can't afford it at the minute. I'm afraid you will need to get a taxi from the airport and we will be using public transport while you are here. Unless you would prefer to pay for a hire car? They are £££. I can arrange it if you want.

Dont understand why everyone's suggesting your family waste money on a hire car - wouldnt it be better to ask them to contribute that to the repair bill?

I think the issue is that the car won’t be out of the garage when the parents are there. OP says she can’t afford to hire a car and get her car fixed.

Are you needing to save money to pay for the repair or will the repair just take longer than a few days (i.e. cannot be done before your parents come visit you, regardless of question of costs)?

But you can’t drive them this time. Hardly your fault, they’ll have to use public transport. Or just enjoy your company at home, that’s what they’re coming for, surely?

The are immediate family just ask them! I’d ask my parents directly if I was in this situation.

Rather than a hire car, would your family pay towards getting yours fixed? This would make more sense

tbh it sounds like you don't really want other people's real opinions. You already decided you have to spend money you don't have and put yourselves into financial trouble to avoid your family being inconvenienced.

If this happened in my family the visiting family members simply would not want the hosting family members to do this for their sake. Everyone would muck in and decide how to share the inconvenience and expense equally - either (if all physically able) deciding to walk/use public transport for the duration or sharing the cost of a hire car witj no one spending more than they can afford if that is possible.

If your family dynamic is such that you can't tell visiting relatives that you are unable to afford to hire a car for them in order to provide uninterrupted chauffeur services, then I'm not sure how useful it is to hear how things would work in fanilies with a healthier dynamic.

I would explain the problem to them.
If it was my family I would either suggest paying for a hire car (and asking you if you minded still playing chauffeur) or offering to help pay to get the car fixed.

Obviously you tell your family that your car is broken and you can't afford to hire a car

Explain that if they'd all like to chip in for a hire car, you're happy to drive them around

If they're not happy to chip in you'll all need to use public transport

This is a one off situation because your own car is broken

What is wrong with any of this ?.^^

I would make it clear that your car has broken and you can't afford to get it fixed. Just say sorry about this. Your parents will have to plan accordingly even if it means stopping in a hotel and going out places near by their hotel.

Don't hire a car because you can't afford it.

It’s not your responsibility though op. It’s kind of you to collect them and host them, but they are grown adults. They can always change their flights and come another time if they would rather wait for the option of a car.

Your priority is to get your car up and running! Tell them it’s unexpectedly expensive to repair and you won’t have the funds to cover a car hire as well. They can either organise car hire ( you are happy to drive) use taxis or change the dates of travel.

Do not pay for a hired car op.

Just tell them you don't have a car at the moment so can't pick them. Send them information about taxis and public transport. They can have a weekend at yours, go for a local walk, to the park, etc. You don't have to drive them places. It's just a weekend and they come to spend time with you, surely? If they then want to get a car, it's up to them. If they can afford the airfares a taxi probably isn't too big a stretch.

I would phone them and say you have no car atm so they will have to rely on public transport. Leave the ball in their court - they might think about it and offer to pay for a hire car. When are you going to be able to afford to fix the car?

This ⬆️
Its not something that strangers on Mumsnet can sort for you, you need to have a conversation.

Also you have a sister? Can she do the airport pickup instead?
For day trips just do local stuff or things that are easier on public transport.
I really don't get why it's such a problem. How far are you from the airport ? An Uber may not be that expensive?