hire cars in France & car seats for toddler

[Shadgal1]

We're going to France in October with our 17month old and will need to hire a car with baby seat....we don't have a car at home so don't have one to take with us. Any tips on who to hire from, safety, etc?

You just get them from the hire car place...

Car seat hire can be very hit and miss. If you want rear-facing then I'd definitely either take one with you, but one whilst there or use one of the companies that ship baby equipment to you at your destination. Hertz and Sixt etc are more likely to be able to actually provide what they say they will but it's never a given. I shudder at the memory of the "baby seat" provided by the taxi company in Barcelona - a company I'd specifically booked so that I didn't have to travel in a cab with my son on my knee. It was basically a set of toddler reins attached to the normal seat. I had to look out of the window all the way from the airport!

But one whilst there = buy one whilst there.

How big is your 17-mth old?

Something like this might work - it's belt-fitted and would fit in the majority of cars (although you can't say for sure it would fit in all) and rear-faces to 13kg and ff to 18kg.

Oh FGS:

to thebabyloft.co.uk [[http://www.thebabyloft.co.uk/hire/baby-on-the-move/rear-facing-car-seats/12]]

Gaaaaaah

Try again

We've always got one when we've hired through Avis. Never any problems as its been requested well in advance.

We've hired two years running from enterprise. First year we had to reject a couple of seats due to broken parts, but the one we got in the end was fine, this year they'd just bought brand new seats. Had to compromise on extended rear facing though.

When they're big enough for a 3 point booster thing buy a bubble bum and take it with you. We've had 2 for DDs for years and they've saved us a fortune on hiring them.

Oh god it sounds like a nightmare...! Thanks for the tips, looks like I'm going to have to do some research...he's not a little 17month old but too small for a bubble bum. Haven't had him weighed for a while but reckon he'll be about 12kg if he sticks to his percentile. Must get him weighed!

May try Avis....

Avis hired with infant seat. I'll be calling them on a weekly basis to check they've got it covered!! We have to get the car as soon as we land, on a Sunday afternoon, to get to the house we're renting so can't buy one when there...non-seasoned travellers with baby!

Thanks again for the advice. Love mumsnet