Car hire - getting the best deal and what size car to choose ... built in car seats!?

[Cinderella2006]

I am lazy i know! Is there a price comparison site that will show you the cheapest car!? I am fed up of looking through the sites to find the best deal!

There are five of us, two adults and three children aged 11, 5 and 19 months (who will need a car seat!) Need a car from 16th - 30th August. I was thinking a full size perhaps!? Would this be big enough? We will have four suitcases and a pram ... everything apart from the kitchen sink so my husband keeps telling me

I have heard previously about some cars having built in car seats, is this true or did i dream it? I am not paying for a car seat again, i would rather take my own or pay a bit extra to have a decent car with one built in. Come to think of it it may of been me ... sure we had a people mover with built in car seat!

Appreciate any advice

 

[Disbabe]

We are a family of 5 also - 2 adults and 3 children aged 15, 13 & 10. We trawled through the various websites as couldn't see a comparison website, but we found the cheapest for us was with budget. We always have a full size car and have 3/4 smallish cases - we don't use the big cases because they get so heavy and some airlines are starting to charge for heavy cases. Don't know about cars coming with inbuilt car seats - we've never had one, but then we've never asked for car seats.

 

[wayneg]

There is travelsupermaket.com they have a comparison feature on their site but I have never found it any use, doesn't(last time I tried) include the cheaper companies like Usrentacar, budget.co.uk, carhireflorida.net.

 

[kevin harrison]

Dodge Caravan's have built in seats in the older models. Was told last September that the new models do not.

 

[wayneg]

Dodge Caravan's have built in seats in the older models. Was told last September that the new models do not.

Yes Kevin, can confirm new ones don't, or the model we got at Xmas didn't have one.

 

[Cinderella2006]

Your quote:
Mercury Grand Marquis or similar (Car group G) - Available

Number of passengers: 5 Number of doors: 4
Transmission type: automatic Air-conditioning
Luggage capacity: 4 suitcases / 2 bags

Mercury Grand Marquis


Pay at rental station*
498 .00 GBP

That is with budget ... will continue to search!

Thanks for your help everyone

 

[Clare D]

They weren't built in seats as such but the centre part of one of the rear seats pulled down and there was a harness type thing there (similar to on a buggy). This would be ok for your 5 year old but wouldn't be really practical for a 19 month old IMHO. If you do get the caravan with one you can lie the seat back. We didn't realise this the first time we used one and DS looked so uncomfortable. On the second time I realised it could lie back and he was much better.
Our DS will be 15 months and we are going to take our own seat and will probably hire the caravan again as so much room and a great drive.

 

[wayneg]

Your quote:
Mercury Grand Marquis or similar (Car group G) - Available

Number of passengers: 5 Number of doors: 4
Transmission type: automatic Air-conditioning
Luggage capacity: 4 suitcases / 2 bags

Mercury Grand Marquis


Pay at rental station*
498 .00 GBP

That is with budget ... will continue to search!

Thanks for your help everyone

Same car, same company booked with USrentacar £354
Or book full size with free upgrade to premium (Mercury Grand Marquis or sim) £304

 

[Cinderella2006]

Same car, same company booked with USrentacar £354
Or book full size with free upgrade to premium (Mercury Grand Marquis or sim) £304

Thanks wayne, that is the best site i have been on ... we have success! Just mailed my Husband all the quotes for the different grades of car ... as he is driving i will give him the option of which one he wants! Quite fancy a 7 seater mini van or the 7 seater 4x4, think we need more space than i think

 

[Cinderella2006]

Dodge Caravan's have built in seats in the older models. Was told last September that the new models do not.

They weren't built in seats as such but the centre part of one of the rear seats pulled down and there was a harness type thing there (similar to on a buggy). This would be ok for your 5 year old but wouldn't be really practical for a 19 month old IMHO. If you do get the caravan with one you can lie the seat back. We didn't realise this the first time we used one and DS looked so uncomfortable. On the second time I realised it could lie back and he was much better.
Our DS will be 15 months and we are going to take our own seat and will probably hire the caravan again as so much room and a great drive.

Are these caravans the 7 seater mini van? I think i will end up taking my own car seat, will save lots of money as i get something that i am happy with. I struggled to fit the seat we were given last time and they would not show us how to fit it due to safety.

 

[Disbabe]

Thanks Wayneg - I've just cancelled our booking with budget direct and booked the same car with usrentacar.com but with the free upgrade from Full Size to Premium for £104 less than budget were charging direct and its with budget! Thats a bit more money in our pocket for spending!

 

[Clare D]

Are these caravans the 7 seater mini van? I think i will end up taking my own car seat, will save lots of money as i get something that i am happy with. I struggled to fit the seat we were given last time and they would not show us how to fit it due to safety.

Yes they are the 7 seaters. This is the very same reason we are taking our own car seat as it took DH over half an hour to fit the one we hired for DS when he was little. We are now on the look out for thick clear bags to put it in. Probably going to look in B&Q or similar.

 

[Cinderella2006]

Yes they are the 7 seaters. This is the very same reason we are taking our own car seat as it took DH over half an hour to fit the one we hired for DS when he was little. We are now on the look out for thick clear bags to put it in. Probably going to look in B&Q or similar.

If u find any will u let me know? I will have a look on Friday, i want one for the pushchair as well

After the state of my cases last time i am not risking anything else

We have a cheap britax car seat in our second car which only cost £59, would cost us that to hire one! Think thats my mind made up!

Thanks Clare x

 

[wayneg]

Anyone that books thru USrentacar/Budget, once you get you have paid in full and have your voucher you should be able to use this site to pre register. This allows you to bypass the desks and go direct to the Kiosk in the carpark where you keys will be waiting. Can save a lot of time.
https://registrations.carrentalsupport.com/index.php?partnercode=e=&bookedBrand=Budget

 

[Disbabe]

Have paid for the car hire upfront as its only 9 weeks and 5 days till we go and was due for payment 8 weeks prior. Just waiting for the eticket to be produced (told it can take upto 72hrs to be generated).
And my hubbie thought he'd come up with the best deal on car hire!
He's just had a look at the premium car type and comparing it to our laguna - I think he's going to be in his element when we go!!

 

[davidmolliesmum]

Anyone that books thru USrentacar/Budget, once you get you have paid in full and have your voucher you should be able to use this site to pre register. This allows you to bypass the desks and go direct to the Kiosk in the carpark where you keys will be waiting. Can save a lot of time.
https://registrations.carrentalsupport.com/index.php?partnercode=e=&bookedBrand=Budget

thanks for all your very great advice Wayneg!
with Budget do you need a credit card as deposit?? we have only ever used Alamo as they accept a cash deposit. but i like the idea of bypassing the long queues!!!

 

[wayneg]

thanks for all your very great advice Wayneg!
with Budget do you need a credit card as deposit?? we have only ever used Alamo as they accept a cash deposit. but i like the idea of bypassing the long queues!!!

To use the fastbreak service and bypass the lines you have to enter credit card on the pre-reg website so I doubt there is a way around it.
We have Dollar Express card and use this pre-reg for Budget, both are fantastic services, not had more than 1 family in front of me for about 2 years now, 5 min wait max.
I believe Alamo have a similar service but I haven't used Alamo for over 8 years now.

 

[Clare D]

If u find any will u let me know? I will have a look on Friday, i want one for the pushchair as well

After the state of my cases last time i am not risking anything else

We have a cheap britax car seat in our second car which only cost £59, would cost us that to hire one! Think thats my mind made up!

Thanks Clare x

You are welcome - will do.
Soem airlines have them for buggies (we have had them before with Virgin but not always). I know from what some have said on the boards that they sometimes don't like buggies in bags, not sure why.

 

[DizzyErin]

Thanks wayne, that is the best site i have been on ... we have success! Just mailed my Husband all the quotes for the different grades of car ... as he is driving i will give him the option of which one he wants! Quite fancy a 7 seater mini van or the 7 seater 4x4, think we need more space than i think

Hi not sure if anyone else had this problem but wanted to warn you .. we hired an 8 seater 4x4 suv type car and had HUGE issues with space .. there were 7 of us, mainly adults which was why we ordered an 8 seater (or so i thought) but the boot was non existant and an absolute nightmare .. never ever again, we tend to get the dodge caravan and will stick to that i think
Good luck

And Wayne thanks for the great tip of Usrentacar