Last Updated on November 1, 2021 by Michael

car-seats-in-rental-cars

Planning a family road trip? You might be wondering if it is better to bring or rent a auto seat. While rental motorcar companies take plenty of machine seats on hand—infant, toddler and booster—they come at a steep cost. Happily, there are several ways to get a car seat for costless if yous plan alee.

Update: For the holiday flavor 2021, Dollar Car Rental has a super offering on the tabular array. For pickups through January 1, 2022, Dollar is charging just $1 per day to hire a car seat. If you're traveling with kids over the holidays, be certain to go along Dollar in mind when yous enquire united states for a quote.

Renting a Auto Seat From a Rental Car Company

If you lot hire a car seat from the rental car company, be prepared to pay through the nose. Rental motorcar companies charge $10-$15 per 24-hour interval, per seat, plus tax. These fees tin add upwards apace, particularly if you have more than ane child, and don't forget that there's tax on top of that as well.

Ask AutoSlash for a Quote on a Cheap Car Rental

Thankfully, near companies have a maximum charge per rental for each seat, with the Enterprise, National, and Alamo coming in lowest at $66 per rental, Avis and Upkeep at $seventy, and Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty being the most expensive at $98 per rental. For that amount of coin, you could buy a brand new motorcar seat and not take to bargain with the germs and dirt of a hundred previous renters.

Child Safety Seats From Rental Motorcar Companies

  • Alamo Automobile Seat Rental
  • Avis Motorcar Seat Rental
  • Budget Auto Seat Rental
  • Dollar Auto Seat Rental
  • Enterprise Automobile Seat Rental
  • Hertz Automobile Seat Rental
  • National Car Seat Rental
  • Payless Car Seat Rental
  • Silvercar Complimentary Motorcar Seat Rental
  • Sixt Auto Seat Rental
  • Thrifty Car Seat Rental

Depending on the booking channel, a auto seat may be able to be requested at the time of booking, though requests aren't guaranteed, and the fee to rent the auto seat will non be included in the quote provided by the rental car company. To maximize the chance of having a automobile seat available for your trip, nosotros recommend calling the rental car company directly later on y'all volume to take information technology added to your reservation.

Forget to volume a car seat in accelerate? Don't sweat information technology. Rental car companies tend to have a ton of child safe seats on hand because, like about services offered by committee-based agents at the rental machine counter, they are highly profitable.

Note that due to the potential liability of incorrectly installed machine seats, most rental automobile companies foreclose staff from helping to install child safety seats. Really. Instead, they are likely to place the car seat loose inside the motorcar or fifty-fifty on top of the car and give parents installation instructions. The bottom line: If you're putting a car seat in a rental motorcar, you must be prepared to install it yourself.

Complimentary Automobile Seats at Silvercar

Audi-owned Silvercar partners with Peg Perego to provide complimentary car seats in its rental cars. To request a child or booster seat for your rental at no additional charge, only contact Silvercar at least one day before pickup by emailing back up@silvercar.com afterward you volume. If a child or booster seat is available—the offer is always "subject to availability"—it will be provided at no charge.

Free Auto Seats in Rental Cars for AAA Members

There are two ways for AAA members to go a gratis car seat with a rental car. The outset is available only if you're renting from one of the companies under Hertz Global Holdings (Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty) in the United states and Canada. When renting from 1 of these companies, a AAA member is entitled to the waiver of the fee for one child prophylactic seat. Note that your rental machine must exist booked nether the AAA rate lawmaking, which is likely not the lowest rate available. Likewise, you must present your AAA membership card when you pick up the car.

Want to booked under the AAA rate code? Afterward entering a quote request, simply contact us to allow us know demand to be booked nether the AAA rate code and that you want a complimentary machine seat.

The second possibility for AAA members comes as a benefit at some of the regional affiliates. AAA is actually a consortium of these affiliates. Some—but not all—affiliates offering loaner car seats. You would need to confirm availability past calling the local AAA affiliate. Of course, this benefit is just available for AAA members.

Gratis Car Seats in Rental Cars for National PTA Members

Are y'all a member of the National PTA? The group also has an affiliation with Hertz that allows a gratuitous car seat when booked under the National PTA'due south CDP lawmaking. Members of the organization can send us an email at support@autoslash.com when booking under CDP code 1929580. Membership in the PTA is ordinarily cheaper than the AAA, but the AAA offers a multitude of other great benefits. Exist aware that the rental motorcar company staff could ask for proof of PTA membership at the time of pickup, merely like with whatever other membership organization that entitles a user to benefits.

Bringing Your Own Car Seat for a Rental Car

Does your trip include flying in a plane with a kid under the age of 2? It may make more than sense to simply bring your own car seat.

Let AutoSlash Track Your Automobile Rental for Cost Drops

According to FAA guidelines, a child nether 2 may be held on the lap of an adult—however the recommendation is for the child to be restrained in a car seat with two labels stating the post-obit in crimson lettering:


"This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards," and "THIS RESTRAINT IS CERTIFIED FOR Utilize IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT"

Even if you don't program to apply your car seat on the plane, every U.S. airline will permit you to bank check your car seat for free.

The advantages of bringing your own auto seat are obvious. Your child has access to an appropriate seat from the start of the trip to the finish. You, the parent, are familiar with the seat and your kid knows the seat. Too, your seat may exist of higher quality than one offered by the rent motorcar visitor, which will not accept bought the nearly expensive option.

Related:

  • This Auto Rental Company Offers Free Child Car Seats
  • How to Avoid Paying As well Much for Automobile Rental Options