Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

How do I get us all home?!

281 replies

CeciliaMars · 15/04/2026 00:12

I am in Europe on holiday with my husband and 3 primary school age kids. We have a hire car that only he can drive. He has badly injured his hip, he’s been to hospital and is on strong painkillers and has crutches. He can barely walk and is in agony. We are meant to be flying home on Friday. How do we get the hire car to the airport and all of us into the airport? I am going to request assistance once we get to the airport. Also at the other end, how do I get him to our car? We are a shuttle bus away from our car. He literally can’t walk and is in agony. I truly can’t figure out the logistics of this.

OP posts:
Blimms · 15/04/2026 00:14

Have you spoken to your insurance company?

HeddaGarbled · 15/04/2026 00:18

UK end, you go get car and pick him up at the terminal.

Why can’t you drive the hire car?

ultracynic · 15/04/2026 00:18

You explain to the car hire company and they’ll send someone to collect it (you may get charged) then you arrange a taxi to the airport.

Paaseitjes · 15/04/2026 00:19

Do you have a driver's license? If so, phone the hire car company and try to get yourself added to the insurance. If not, they'll collect the car for a fee and you pay for a taxi. Request airport assistance now rather than when you arrive. At the other end, put DH in a taxi to either get to the car park or all the way home. Phone your insurance.

FoxandDuck · 15/04/2026 00:20

What is the diagnosis and prognosis? It is only Tuesday so he might be in a better position by Friday. If not, is he actually fit to fly or does he need to stay where is he whilst the rest of your d
Are you on a package holiday? If so, have you spoken to a rep? What have they suggested?
Presumably you have insurance. Have you spoken to your insurers? Again, can they suggested anything?
Otherwise, speak to the hire car company and explain what has happened. There will be an option of leaving the car where you are and then you get a taxi to the airport.
As you say, you get assistance at the airport at both ends. When you land, rather than get the shuttle to the car, you go to the taxi rank and get a taxi to where your car is. Drive home.

parietal · 15/04/2026 00:21

Call hire company and ask them to either add you as a driver or collect the car. Call airline to get wheelchair assistance for DH at airport. Look up the airport where you land for wheelchair assistance.

Mudflaps · 15/04/2026 00:22

Can you be added to the hire car insurance? You will need a full license to do so. Call them and explain the issue if you cannot be added, they will organise the collection of the car. I'm assuming you have travel insurance so you need to contact them ASAP, they will be able to assist with transport to the airport and any other assistance required. Best of luck, I hope you get home soon so you can relax

Lavender14 · 15/04/2026 00:25

Speak to your insurance to see what they advise and will cover. Rental car charges to collect the car, you take taxi to airport. Alternatively you ring and see if you can be a named driver on the car. Fly home, you either take a taxi to your car or you take the shuttle and then return with the car to collect him. If you don't drive you need to find a friend who can collect your car and then him and the kids to take them home from airport and you get a bus/ taxi home.

Original poster
CeciliaMars · 15/04/2026 00:30

We have insurance which is paying for his clinic visit and medication. It’s the logistics side of it that I’m struggling with. I think I will have to phone the hire company to come and get the car, then pay for a taxi. And yes at the other end I think we’ll have to get a taxi to take him to our car. I will request airport assistance in the morning. With the amount of pain he’s in, there’s no way he’s going to be walking normally in 2 days. He can barely make it to the bathroom. Not on a package holiday sadly. Thank you for all your answers.

OP posts:
sleepwouldbenice · 15/04/2026 00:54

Sorry to hear all this. I know you’ll be requesting assistance but are you sure he is capable of flying? I think you really need to check this out

EmeraldRoulette · 15/04/2026 01:10

I've been injured and on crutches on holiday had to delay coming back

I really feel for you both

sounds like you've got everything covered really

As long as he is fit to fly, then I guess it's all under control

Do keep hold of every single receipt if it's not online - travel insurance covered all the incidental expenses, they were really good actually

mumsntt · 15/04/2026 01:15

if he can barely make it to the bathroom are you sure he can manage to sit through a flight, with turbulence and landing the pain could be excruciating

how long is the flight?

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 15/04/2026 01:16

You need to contact the airline and request assistance now. You can't just ask for it when you turn up, it has to be prebooked.

Get yourself added to the hire car agreement. You have an international driver's licence, yes?

BeeHive909 · 15/04/2026 01:18

Where are you? Because most likely the airline staff will take one look at him and demand a fit to fly, I know I would as airline staff. Plus ir won’t be comfortable for him either in a squashed seat with no room. Can yoy fly with the kids and he extend his stay.

Rhubarb24 · 15/04/2026 01:27

Does he have a fitness to fly certificate?

What has he actually done?

Has it increased his risk of DVT?

ArtemisNutella · 15/04/2026 02:03

You need to specify wheelchair need when requesting assistance, for both airports. Because for example you might have steps to climb to board/exit the plane, and it doesn’t sound like your DH can manage that.
As others have said, add yourself as a named driver if you’re able to drive, or arrange for the car to be collected. Taxi to the airport. Airport assistance at both ends.
I also wonder if he is fit to fly! Is it possible for him to stay there while you travel home with the children? Is there a relative or friend who could come out to look after him there for a week?

Bjorkdidit · 15/04/2026 04:52

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 15/04/2026 01:16

You need to contact the airline and request assistance now. You can't just ask for it when you turn up, it has to be prebooked.

Get yourself added to the hire car agreement. You have an international driver's licence, yes?

Why would you assume the OP has a driving licence of any type? There's a whole list of possible reasons why her DH is the only one who can drive the hire car.

OP your insurance company will have a helpline, which you should call to check they're OK with the plan to get a taxi to the airport, I'd expect they will pay for a taxi in this case. Alternatively, if you have breakdown cover at home, this may also pay for 'alternative transport' for when the driver is unable to complete a journey.

They might also have a language assistance service if your French isn't good enough to make the calls.

Original poster
CeciliaMars · 15/04/2026 06:50

He hasn’t broken the hip but they suspect a torn ligament. He needs an mri but they had no availability for over a week so it will have to be done at home. I hadn’t even considered he may not be fit to fly. We need to make lots of calls today…

OP posts:
Simonjt · 15/04/2026 06:55

Insurance should be sorting all of this, I had similar happen a few years ago, car hire company collected the vehicle from me, my insurance arranged transport to the airport, a different flight as I needed a business/first seat as I needed the option of laying flat, I was then collected from the airport by a private medical company and taken home. The only other thing I had to organise was assistance at the airport.

Its odd that with insurance it takes a week for an MRI when you don’t need to use state hospitals.

ApolloandDaphne · 15/04/2026 07:24

Are you far from the airport?

Meridas · 15/04/2026 07:45

Should your insurance not manage all this - sorting the hire car/taxi, and getting DH an MRI ASAP? Help with assistance at the airport etc? I would phone them again and ask what support they provide for each issue you are encountering.

I think the immediate concern is he fit to fly? If not do you all stay until he is (will insurance cover your extended stay?), or do you fly home with DC? Could a relative have them so you can go back and accompany him when he's able?

I hope you get everything sorted and DH recovers well.

Clearinguptheclutter · 15/04/2026 07:49

Your insurance is the first place to start here

on a more practical note if you call the car hire company and pay to be added to the insurance to drive it

socks1107 · 15/04/2026 07:57

Can you not drive the hire car?
when you get to the uk sit him in arrivals and drive back round and collect him then he’s not in and out of two cars. Good luck

Original poster
CeciliaMars · 15/04/2026 08:41

I can’t drive the hire car. With regards to it being odd that the hospital cannot do an mri, just reporting what they said - they are fully booked for a week. We know it’s not broken, we just need to get him home. We’re going to call the insurance company when it opens soon and see what they can do. They were pretty useless yesterday when we were talking to them about clinics - their system wasn’t working and they suggested we Google the nearest one ourselves!

OP posts:
MiddleAgedDread · 15/04/2026 08:45

Do you mean you can't drive the hire car because you're not insured on it or because you can't drive at all? If it's because you're not insured on it you can probably contact them and get added to the insurance so you can at least get it back to the airport.