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Child Seats and Hiring Cars with Children
A guide to car hire with children in tow.
Hiring a car with your family could be a daunting idea but it still remains one of the most cost competitive and easy ways of reaching your holiday destination. Car Hire .net looks at the various things you should consider and what to look for on your booking path.
1) Before you start searching have a look at what you have at home. With a family you probably have a car that is ample for your needs. If your car at home has enough space for your luggage, pram and more importantly you and the family then it is obvious you will need something similar on your holiday.
Car hire fleets are made up of classes which dictate size of the car, number of seats, number of doors, transmission and air conditioning (yes or no). Do your research on car types the same size as yours at home and what class that would fit.
Remember the car on display on any car hire website is an example as fleets vary within themselves and from location to location. You are guaranteed to get the class and specifications on the booking process but you may get a different car than shown. A classic example of this is if you booked a Renault Espace 7 seat vehicle you might end up with a Ford Galaxy 7 seat.
2) Know the law of your destination country. Child harness and seat requirements differ between countries worldwide and even in the European Union. The age at which a child can sit in the front, must use a booster seat etc are available on a number of websites.
Child seats and booster seats rented by any supplier would not be the top of the range due to cost and of course would have been used before in most cases. If you find this unacceptable or the cost shown in the terms and conditions is too much then there is not problem in bringing your own. As the majority of cars are under six months then Isofix is probably available. Also if you can fit the child seat to the buggy legs you can stow it for free with your airline. If not, the costs of checking it in would probably be cheaper than renting one from the supplier.
If you do wish to rent one from the supplier you can do this after booking by simply calling or emailing them. Please note the seat will be on request and confirmed before your departure.
3) Air Conditioning is a must in my eyes. As we go further into the 21st century air conditioning in vehicles is becoming more and more the norm but you will still see cars on booking engines that do not guarantee it. Don't take the risk and book the car with guaranteed air conditioning to ensure less complaints from the back and especially beside you!
The same goes for the number of doors, guarantee the four / five door models as you don't want to be tipping seats and struggling to get the passengers in the back out or in.
4) As with any car hire check the vehicle carefully before driving away from the pick up station. Make sure the car and spare wheel is up to the standards you expect. If you have any problems with the vehicle speak to the desk and discuss an alternative.
Safety is key when hiring abroad and you should have full confidence in the vehicle and your ability to drive it before hitting the roads.
5) Look out for vehicles that display as 5 + 2 seat instead of 7 seat. These models could be Vauxhall Zafiras or similar that give an additional two folding down seats in the boot to make a full capacity of seven people. This is fine but it seriously reduces your luggage capacity so if you need seven people in the car with their luggage then go for the 7 seat guaranteed model.
6) There is a common misconception in car hire than you can hire roof boxes or racks from suppliers. In the majority of cases this is simply not available as it may damage the car and it is not something you want to stock at a rental location. Although some modern cars have roof racks built in, the straps to hold luggage in place are again not available.
Recent press reports show a growing problem of unsafe loading of rental cars and even tail gates held up as closing is impossible with the amount of luggage. Make sure the car is ample for your luggage and don't fall foul of the law by getting an estate car or even just moving up a car class.
7) Choose an on airport car hire supplier - you really do not want to be taking a young family on a shuttle bus to an off airport location.
