Child seat guide - what happens if I need a baby or child seat for my car rental?

Yes. Don't worry, it couldn't be easier to add a booster or child seat to your Auto Europe car rental booking! One thing to remember though is the fact that daily rates for additional items such as these is paid locally to the car supplier when you arrive at the car hire check-in desk to collect your vehicle. Please also bear in mind that all add-ons such as child seats are normally only available on request, which means that it's essential to ask the supplier to confirm their availability at the time of making the booking. If not, we won't be able to guarantee that the item will be waiting for you when you get to the destination to collect your car.

The process of adding any type of child seat to your car rental reservation is very simple on the Auto Europe website. When making a quick search in our high-tech booking engine, the first thing you need to do is select your destination and travel dates before choosing from the many car rental providers and car categories we have available. After a few seconds you'll be able to see how much it will cost to add a child or booster seat to your booking simply by clicking on the blue and white info (i) button beside the car details. There you'll will find all the information you need regarding any additional equipment you will require for your trip, including child seats.

After that, just click on the yellow Book Now button where you'll see a list of optional equipment and the chance to select the exact number of baby seats, child seats or booster seats required for your trip. You'll also find other details about the age and weight limits for each item, along with the cost (payable locally) whenever you click on the information button alongside to each additional item.

It's worth reiterating at this point that child and booster seats are only on request and their availability must be confirmed by the local supplier to avoid any disappointment when you arrive at the pick-up point. It's also important to stress that the daily rate is calculated by the car provider and paid directly to them locally when the vehicle is collected at your destination. Auto Europe has nothing to do with the prices charged by the various suppliers for this kind of additional car rental equipment, hence it is the sole responsibility of the customer to either accept the terms of the agreement or not (please note that different suppliers may offer the same equipment at different rates).

Baby seat: up to 13kg

If you're travelling with an infant then it's highly probable that the local driving rules in your destination will dictate that you'll require a baby seat. Necessary for all toddlers up to the age of 15 months and weighing up to 13 kilos, these special seats must be fitted very securely in the vehicle facing the rear or away from the direction of travel. They can be placed either in the front or the back but for baby seats positioned on the front passenger seat, the corresponding airbag must be fully deactivated before setting out for safety reasons. These seats are adaptable and can be customised to the baby's body shape in order to help keep them safe and comfortable during the journey, thus making them an essential requirement when travelling with babies newborns.

Child seat: from 9-18kg

Child seats are for older kids (generally between 9 months and 4 years old) weighing between 9 and 18kg. These can be placed facing either direction just like the aforementioned baby seats. They can also be placed on any of the passenger seats front or back (if placed in the front, the precautions for deactivating the airbag are the same as in the previous paragraph). The most modern child seats are highly durable and feature much improved side impact protection using ultra padded side edges. They can also be reclined in orer to make the youngster feel more relaxed and comfortable during the journey.

Booster seat: from 15-30kg

Designed for older children, booster cater for kids aged between 4 and 7 years old and weighing from 15 to 30 kilos as a rule. They should be fitted facing in a forward direction on any of the passenger seats, both front and back. Booster seats can be set up fully complete or more simply with only the lifting base, with both methods very easy to install. The former (complete version) offers a single type of side impact protection with enough strength to protect older kids; they're also very easy to adjust to the child's height and feature a padded head-rest for a higher level of comfort and support. The simpler type of booster seat helps protect younger passengers if a few basic requirements are met, such as corresponding seat-belt which must be perfectly adjusted to fit the child's shoulder and pelvis.

The cost of hiring a child seat varies depending on your chosen car rental supplier, but generally speaking the industry operates according to a set daily rate. The way it works is that if you rent a car for a whole week (say seven days), the car hire company might charge you an additional amount of around €13 to use the child seat for each day of your rental period (with VAT included). This fee is paid directly to the car rental staff when you arrive at your destination to collect your vehicle, so in this case you'd pay about €90 for its use on top of the cost of the car hire. Some suppliers are also known to apply a maximum fee if the vehicle is booked for a certain number of days, meaning that you would never pay more than that amount no matter how many days you are on the road. So let's imagine that the cost is limited to 10 consecutive days (€130) but you have booked the car for a fortnight (14 days), the fee for using the child seat would only be €130.00 (the maximum charged for 10 days), the cost of which would remain the same for a whole month or more.

When making a search in the Auto Europe booking engine, it's important to consider the amount of space you'll need for installing the child seat so it's not a hindrance to the other passengers. You also need to think about the best car category for your needs and the amount of space required by all the luggage you'll be carrying to and from the car rental station, including all the baby's stuff, etc. In light of that, it's sometimes best to choose a larger model with 4 or 5 doors rather than a smaller 2-door vehicle because, in short, you need to take into account all the luggage you'll be carrying in the car before fitting any baby, child or booster seats inside the car.

When you arrive at your destination to pick up your car rental, the first thing to do is make absolutely sure that the seat you have received is precisely the one you ordered when confirming your reservation. It's very important that it is appropriate for the age, weight and size of your child or infant. Furthermore, you'll need to check the condition of the seat in order to ensure that it is suitable for the journey ahead and that it is perfectly functional with the adjustable harness fully operational, etc. Once the seat is installed inside the vehicle, you'll also need to confirm that it is safe and ready for the trip, and if you're not sure how to fix it inside the vehicle then you must ask the car hire company's local staff for assistance, either at the welcome desk or later at the pick-up point. The reason why this is important is because the supplier doesn't usually put the seat in as this is normally left to the parents when they collect the car. Nevertheless, the local car rental staff are always happy to explain the installation process and get you a copy of the instruction manual if required.