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Original poster

Toddler carseats when hiring a car in France?

13 replies

DanielMummy · 09/06/2008 15:40

Anyone know whether you can also hire a toddler carseat when hiring a car in France, or would you have to take your own?

Thanks.

OP posts:
NicMac · 09/06/2008 18:50

You can II think but if you can possibly manage take your own as you never know about the quality or history of the one they will lend to you. Even the budget airlines have to take your car seat free of charge in the hold. Have a lovely time!

CaurnieBred · 20/06/2008 16:44

We hired one once; never again. It was from Grenoble Airport and it was terrible. Felt really insubstantial compared to our own one and the straps were too loose for our daughter (quite small - 2nd percentile weight/9th percentile height).

Panicked the entire time we were away.

L

OverMyDeadBody · 20/06/2008 16:48

Take your own if at all possible. So much easier, not to mention cheaper and you know the history and how to use it.

snooks · 20/06/2008 16:49

We did. For 2 toddlers, they were really basic seats, seemed very old and well-used , took us ages to fit them because of no instructions, no-one to help because of massive queues in the car hire place, nightmare. Only used them travelling to and from the gite (?) and felt worried the whole time.

As Caurnie said, never again.

squiffy · 20/06/2008 16:54

You tend to be ok if hiring form a sizeable location (large airport for example) and if hiring with Hertz or Avis (if they bring out a cruddy one, tell them it isn't good enough and they'll find another one for you). But you can end up with real grot if you go with a smaller car hire company.

We go back and forth to France all the time and have only once had a really unacceptable seat given to us.

We always hire because it is less faff to worry about at th eairport, and we figure that if there was no alternative we could always pick up a cheap seat in Carrefour for the same price as hiring one.

nowwearefour · 10/07/2008 19:58

We worry about what happens to the seat loading/ unloading from the plane so a bit of a double edfged sword. in the end we hired this year in france. 2 toddler seats. both were fine. not luxury ones like we have here but perfectly serviceable and adequate. we flew to toulouse.

Original poster
DanielMummy · 21/07/2008 16:03

Thanks for all the replies. Seems an awkward choice.

OP posts:
Original poster
DanielMummy · 30/09/2008 22:24

Only a few weeks till we go. I think I've decided to hire. We are also flying to Toulouse, so please can you tell me which carhire company you used nowwearefour.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
DanielMummy · 05/10/2008 20:23

Another thought. Does anyone know what the law is regarding child carseats in France, as I was wondering if I could take a booster seat for an almost 3-yr old. Are their laws less strict than in the UK?

Thanks.

OP posts:
bythepowerofgreyskull · 05/10/2008 20:24

we did when hiring a car at Rodez airport - we rejected the first one they gave us and the second one was ok.

LIZS · 05/10/2008 20:29

If anything they're stricter info here. Up to 18kg should ideally be in a child seat not booster. You may be able to argue it between 15 and 18kg.

Original poster
DanielMummy · 07/10/2008 22:52

Thanks for that link LIZS. We're going to hire the carseat along with the car definitely.
By the way that new law mentioned in the link about having to have a reflective jacket, anyone know if that would be provided with the car?

Thanks.

OP posts:
LIZS · 08/10/2008 08:39

If you hire in France they should provide all the legally required items there.

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