You’ve found the ideal cheap car hire option to make your family
holiday that much more convenient, comfortable and affordable, but
are you ready and equipped to take the little ones with you? The
following tips will help to ensure that travelling with babies and
children is a hassle-free experience:
- Seat belts in cars are designed to protect adults, meaning
that infants, toddlers and children need to be protected with
special baby seats, child seats or booster seats. When renting a
car, parents need to decide between taking along their own
appropriate seats, or to make use of the car rental’s children
seats.
- Taking your own restraint is ideal, but not always feasible.
The majority of car hire companies allow you to rent an
appropriate seat for your child, but it is important that you
call in advance to confirm this, and also to find out if they
have the right kind of seat or booster for your child’s age,
height and weight.
- In the UK and most
European countries, children are required by law to be
appropriately restrained in a car. When travelling abroad,
familiarise yourself with the
appropriate legislation.
- Since the car rental baby seat is likely to have some degree
of wear and tear, it is vital that you check all buckles and
fastenings and ensure that the seat is correctly and securely
positioned. Ask for a manual, if possible.
- Familiarise yourself with your hired car. Are there airbags
in the front? If so, a rear-facing baby seat on the passenger
seat is a big no-no. Make use of child-locks on the back doors if
there are any.
- Stock up on drinks, snacks, games and sunscreen, and stop for
a break at least every two hours.
- Keep your infant in the car hire baby seat at all times and
resist the temptation to have your little one in the front with
you; in case of an accident, this position will offer your child
the least protection.
- It is easy to become distracted when you’re driving in a
foreign country, but don’t become so absorbed by unfamiliar
surroundings or unusual road systems that you compromise your
children’s safety when you’re travelling abroad.
Travelling with babies and children poses many challenges in
addition to those persistent “are we there yet?” pleas, but with
some care taken to ensure your children’s safety, cheap car rental
is the ideal way to make a dream family holiday a reality.