Faremax: Travel Forums

Can you rent a car with car seats for children?  We need to rent like a minivan for four adults and two babies.  Is that even possible?

Yes it is, you just have to tell the rental company ahead of time.  Personally we have always just brought ours because the kids use them on the airplane too.

Is it really any safer on the airplane with a car seat?  Isn't it a hassle to lug them around?  Man, I'm not sure I want to go through that.

I'm not sure what the statistics are on car seat safety and airplanes. And yes it can be a hassle to lug them around. However, if you buy a separate ticket for you child so he/she has a seat, the seatbelt is like the seatbelt in a car. It's not calibrated for such a small body.

Most airlines let you take kids under a certain age (2 I think) as lap babies, meaning they have to sit on your lap if you don't pay for a seat. Personally, if I pay for a seat, I would take the car seat. Worse case scenario, I'd rather have my child crashing in a car seat than in a plane seat. Just seems safer to me.

Car rental companies will rent kid seats to you. I don't know of any that include them for free.

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As far as a car seat on the plane, I think it's a good idea even for things like turbulence or a rough take off or landing.  I would feel more comfortable with my child straped into his car seat that in my lap.  I would feel horrible if I lost my grip on him in a rough situation.  I'm not 100% sure but I don't think most airlines will let you sit a small child in a separate seat without a car seat.  I believe (at least some anyway) either require a car seat that is FAA approved or they require you to hold the child in your lap.  I'm assuming that would mainly be during take off and landing.  I'm not completely sure but if you check the airline website it will give their specific requirements.

I think statistics show that a car seat is safer, and yeah it's a big pain to lug about but worth it in the long run.  All safety matters aside, I truly don't want to hold a squirming child though an entire flight anyhow.

I agree!  There's no way my son would sit still for 2 minutes, forget the 2 hours we'll be on the plane.  I'm not going to be the one holding him for that long!  Plus there isn't much room in an airplane seat anyway and the last thing I want to do it share it!

Amen to that.  Even if my kid doesn't utilize the extra seat I just glad it's there to pile stuff on.

You better call first the car rental companies and inquire them if they have the available cars that satisfy your needs. Give them all details and discuss to them everything you need and they will fix it for you. If you'll give the company enough time to prepare they may provide a good seats for babies and kids. 

you have to ask for a car seat but i would suggest that you get your own because im just not that trusting when it comes to using others car seats.

Car seats are one of the things (like helmets) that we are told to never by used. You don't know the history of the seat well enough to know if it has been mistreated or in a crash. So why would you take the rental firm at their word and use there's?

I surely wouldn't. And yes I 'lug' my child's inconvenient seat around the airport and buy a seat for her too. It's not just crashes; babies die in turbulence. You are not allowed to tuck your kid under your belt-you are not even allowed to hold him in case of a crash. The regulations say that you must wrap your child in a blanket and hold him between your knees. Do you think that many people could safely hold a 30lb, almost two year old between their knees in a crash? Babies die in turbulence and crashes where everyone else in the plane survives.

That it not a gamble I am willing to take with my kid.

I think I woujld prefer to take my own even though it might be a pain at times.  I would rather know I have a safe seat and one that has not been in any accidents, etc.