Baby seats in hire cars

[bonym]

Hi - we have booked to go to Sardinia for a week in July when baby will be 3mths old. We are hiring a car and the travel company have said they can arrange an infant car seat for us. My only concern is that it may not be to the standard we would expect, or even be forgotten completely - I am probably worryinng unnecessarily and we could of course take our own, but don't really want to take extra stuff if not essential. Would be grateful to hear others experiences ( I think the car hire company they use is Avis). Thanks

[bonym]

ixel - I think that current safety laws would not allow manufacturers to make seats that didn't comply with a certain level of safety so I am sure it is fine. I think that the only potential problem with a seat that uses the car belt rather than an integral harness is that it is easier for the child to undo it - however if your ds is not the type to "fiddle" with the catch then it should be fine.

[Newyearmum]

Was wondering - had exactly the same experience as you with Europcar in Malaga last year.

Had emailed them repeatedly specifying we needed a 1st stage, tiny baby, rear-facing seat. Turned up to find a 2nd stage, forward facing car seat for 9 months +. Eventually they got the right one but we then had a mare trying to fit it, although OK in the end.

However, what you say about baggage handlers is exactly why we didn't take ours - you don't know what happens to it in between the two airports and if it's bashed about, it could be rendered useless. And you can't guarantee you'll be allowed to take it on board either. Tricky.

[highlander]

Ixel, we've just bought a convertable Graco for DS (rear-facing until 20lbs then front facing).

It has an Isofix attachment or you can use the lap portion of the seat belt. I would prefer if we could have the long belt around the back of it, but it doesn't seem to be designed to do that. Still, it's passed all the safety things, has side-impact protection and has a 5 point harness which I'm mad keen on.

[leothefish]

I would never use a hire seat again. Always take your own - it is worth the hassle. Every time we have used a seat from the car company they have been soiled, difficult to fit and we have started the holiday feeling guilty and worried about an accident!