Car seats and rental cars

[suwoogie]

im not sure where to ask this so if it's in the wrong place please direct me.

What do parents do about car seats and rental cars? Do you bring yours on the plane as checked baggage or do the rental companies have them to rent?

 

[DVC-Don]

In those days we'd get them from the rental agency. (Now our kids drive their own cars)

 

[cluvsdisney]

When I have traveled with my sister and rented a car, she also rented the car seats.

 

[bumbershoot]

Gate check the car seats (so they aren't being sent through the bowels of the airport's luggage system) OR use it on the plane, and obviously use my own in the rental. I don't trust anyone's car seat but mine. I KNOW it hasn't been in an accident. I do not know that about the rental seat.

Those days are behind us but that's my recommendation.

 

[rdevine10]

Those days are behind us now, but here is what we did. We brought our own seats on the airplane. They were FAA approved. Yes a pain to carry, but it was safest for our kids in them anyway. I also did not feel safe checking them (unless you have an original box) as I am sure you have seen how awful some on the baggage handlers manhandle luggage and we had nice carseats! I did not want their safety compromised.

We only rented a car seat once. And honestly we hated it. More importantly, my then toddler HATED the seat and did not want to use it. She found it uncomfortable. Trying to reason with her over this was not an enjoyable part of traveling. I would way rather lug my own car seat then deal with that!

And for the record there was many (too many to count times) we traveled with 2 kids in car seats (both on the plane, then both installed into the rental car). Good luck!

 

[suwoogie]

Thank you all for the responses. I think we'll bring the seats with us. Good to know.

 

[winterman]

We used DGS's car seat on the plane. It kept him contained and he was content. Then it went in the rental. Yes, it was a pain to carry, especially between connecting flights, but it was well worth the effort

 

[Betty Rohrer]

to bumbershoot I have seen even gate checked carseats fall from the belt being loaded in cargo hold of plane nd then just thrown in. watch them load a plane while waiting for tour plane, you will be surprised how gate checked items are handled.