rental cars and car seats?

[Naisy68]

Hey there - We are back to considering whether we are going fly or drive. If we fly, we will probably rent a car but we don't want to carry our car seat if we can avoid it. Our DD will be 11 months then and we would need an actual car seat. Do the car rental places provide these? Also, which car rental place is the best to work with. We used Dollar before and we had to wait like an hour at the airport for a car that we had reserved for a certain time. Then the clerks at the counter acted like they were going out of their way for us. I don't want to have to wait that long this time with our kids there.

 

[iluvtig2]

You must have a carseat in Florida. Most cab drivers won't even let you ride in a cab without one. I would rather have my own, which I know is safe and that I know how to work well, than someone elses.

Also, if you fly, bring it on the plane with you. You may end up with an empty seat, and will be relieved to have a safe place to put baby. If you don't end up with the seat, it can go overhead.

Just my 2 cents!

iluvtig

 

[robinb]

Bring your own car seat! I've seen the ones that are rented with the cars and then are hard, dirty plastic. Yuck! You can just check your seat with the rest of your luggage. They'll wrap it in plastic and it will come out at baggage claim.

 

[crisi]

The rental seats are awful - and there are never enough of them. Its possible to have a confirmed car set and not get one. Now what do you do. Luggage, kids, car - no car seat!


If you are just going to Disney, think about using Tiffany. It will be cheaper than renting, they'll provide car seats, and you won't have to lug a car seat through the airport with your luggage (ugh!).

 

[tjmw2727]

In our experience the rental carseats were not in good condition and pricy, IIRC $8.00 per day. You can check your carseat through with luggage and have a clean, safe carseat without the expense.

Also just fyi on a post from above, we have used Tiffany many times and they only provice a booster seat. Its a low backed seat suitable for a child 4 and over - perfect for my dd!
Enjoy
TJ

 

[pwoodham]

Have to agree - bring your own. I've had the experience of reserving a carseat, and when we arrived, "Sorry, we're out of carseats." I couldn't believe it! We waited over an hour for them to dig one up, and I think that's exactly what they did. I have never seen a clean or comfortable rented carseat. They're usually extremely gross. We have the type of carseat that you just take the cover off of and it's no problem putting it in with other luggage. It's made of tough, fairly indestructible plastic. If you can, TAKE YOUR OWN!!!!

 

[KJMAX1]

We are bringing our own carseat on the plane after much consideration. I have heard numerous complaints about Tiffany Town Car not providing convertaible carseats, and bringing only boosters even for infants!!!!They said they were bringing carseats but never did, just the hard plastic seats with no backs.

I purchased off ebay a bag that the carseat can fit into if we decide to check it at the airport. We have rented carseats at car rental places and I will have to say they are the cheapest and most dirty I have ever seen. Sometimes I wondered if they had been in a crash or if they had ever been washed. The only place that I will say was halfway decent was Avis.

BTW, if you fly and you cannot show the sticker on the carseat that states its approved by the FAA for flying you cannot use it. That is at least American Airlines rule.

 

[dcedwards]

WE have used Tiffany Towncar 4 times now with our son and each time they provided a nice car seat. This last time it was more of a booster as he is nearing 40 pounds. In fact, they asked which type would be better. TJMW2727 - that is too bad that they didn't do this for you.

Keep in mind, that Florida law states that those using public transportation do not have to have children in car seats. This includes cabs, shuttles, hired vans, limos, buses, etc. If the cab driver makes you have one, it is by his own choosing. We had this discussion with Tiffany on one trip and that is what we were told.

That being said, I no longer count on car seats from rental companies. They are horrible. Not very clean and hard to get into the car to fasten properly. They are the cheapest you can possibly buy. And, often they won't guarantee you that they will have one. The one and only time we used one from the rental we had to wait 1/2 hour for it...and then we went right to a store and bought a new one. Couldn't leave him in the one they had.

You can check the car seat just like luggage. Most airlines don't count it as a piece of luggage. You can also bring it to the gate, and may be able to use it on the plane, if there is a seat and you haven't bought a ticket. If not, they will gate check it for you.

But in answer to your question -- BRING YOUR OWN!!! Then you know for sure that you have a good one and you know where it has been.

 

[snookhams]

Do not waste your money hiring a awful car seat bring your own, your child will be more comfortable believe me. When our youngest son was 2 we hired a car seat didn't occur to me to bring one from the UK, safety wise it was OK just covered in plastic (PVC), I suppose this makes them easier to clean but he got so hot and sweaty, we actually went out and bought a new one and took it home with us, the next time we went he was old enough for a booster seat which we took as extra luggage, and bought home with us again and we are doing the same thing this year, although he is now 6 I am still happier if he is seated on his car seat.

 

[Naisy68]

Hello All - My husband has finally decided that we will be driving so that's a relief for me to have that settled. And since we are driving, we will have our car seat and our stroller and we will be able to bring the things from home that we really want to have. So yeah for us! I'm not looking forward to the ride back but we will try to make it an adventure in itself. Thanks Again!