Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
car hire and car seats
Alison222 · 31/05/2001 14:48
Has anyone had experience of car hire in France? We are told that they cannot guarantee our request for a car seat.
My 6 mth boy is too large for his first car seat now, but is only just sitting up and I have been told that he should not sit forward facing until 9 months although he is past the 20lb mark. This is OK at home in our current seat.
Can you take car seats on planes? Do they count as part of your luggage allowance as our seat is very heavy.
leese · 05/08/2002 18:36
We're off to Majorca in September, and reading thru this thread, I'm undecided re: car hire/baby seats. we were (naively) just going to hire a car, and fully expected a car seat to be made available. However, it seems this may not be the case. A few questions then:
Know of any particularly good companies for car hire in Majorca? Any places to avoid?
Do you think we should take our (rather large) car seat with us? what do we do with it - just put it in with our baggage? I'm nervous it won't be accepted, as it's just a charter flight - notoriously un-generous!
Any advice gratefully received
Utka · 05/08/2002 19:04
We rented from Carjet.com last September, in Majorca.
We rented a Mercedes A class - great to drive, but boot space was vertical rather than horizontal which meant unloading everything each time as what you needed was inevitably at the bottom! Nice cars, well maintained.
We took our own rearward facing set though. We wrapped one of those thin carry mats around it and put it in a black bin bag. Most airlines require you to give it into their 'special / fragile items' area, but it ends up coming out on the carousel. You can't know therefore that it hasn't had a few knocks...
Have you thought about contacting the British Consulate (if you're British!) and asking whether they know of any baby goods hire places. I know there is one of these on the Spanish mainland (near Malaga I think - sorry I can't remember the name). It does things like high chairs and travel cots so you don't need to take your own.
aloha · 05/08/2002 19:05
We've just got back from France, preordered our car seat with Buzz and it was absolutely fine. His first experience of a front facing car seat, but he rather liked it. No problems at all and so glad didn't have to lug a car seat through the airport etc.
bossykate · 05/08/2002 20:19
leese
went to sicily in april and hired car and forward facing car seat from hertz (they're everywhere so i'm sure they'll also be in majorca). anyway, the car seat was fine, in fact i'm sure it was new! no problems at all. would definitely hire one again, rather than trying to lug our own one with all the rest of the stuff.
hth.
KatyW · 06/08/2002 14:21
we went to Majorca in May and hired a Hertz car (although it was included as part of the package from Magic of Spain). We requested a carseat on the booking form and it was absolutely fine. I would say it would be better to use one of the bigger carhire firms though.
leese · 06/08/2002 18:24
Thanks everyone! Have'nt heard of Buzz before aloha, but am going to check them out - sounds good. Also need to look at the carjet website - thanks Utka. Have also tried the Hertz website, which I've found a bit of a nightmare (not least because evrything priced in euros!), and it's taken ages, so now i'm trying to ring them, but am being placed in big queues at present - will try again later. Thanks again everyone!
ks · 07/08/2002 09:23
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn
ks · 07/08/2002 14:02
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn
leese · 07/08/2002 18:59
Thanks ks - I did look on the website, but could only find car hire available in N america, Australia, Malaysia etc - no Europe. Am I doing it wrong?
ks · 07/08/2002 19:04
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn
Tinker · 16/08/2002 14:34
Word of warning - just rang them. Only do it from the 'major cities' in France ie Paris, Marseilles!
leese · 16/08/2002 15:30
Thanks Tinker - got a good quote from carjet.com, as recommended by Utka
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.