zummerzet_lou

Well, we have been here a year, and I'm just starting to plan a return trip back to the UK for about this time next year.

I'm going to go, with our 2 kids (they'll be 6 and 4), leaving hubby to hold the fort in NZ!

Flights etc I'm fine with ... I'm just wandering what I do when I get to England with regards transport and kiddies car seats.

Anyone got any suggestions? Can you hire them? Should I take ours with us?

Lou

TeamEmbo

Hertz offer child seat rental with car hire. I think most, if not all, car hire companies in UK do, as the UK law is quite strict. I've no idea how much as I've never had to do this.

alanmacc

Hi Lou

Lucky you going home for a holiday, we are planning to do it some time but need to save up a tad before we do it, but on the car hire and seats etc they did change a couple of things, see link for info

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm

love30stm

Wouldn't bother I wish I didn't !and saved my money for something worth going to visit!

anyway when we went back our Relatives picked us up and ran as around after all we took the trouble to visit same as I would do if they came here to visit us

alanmacc

I see your missing an "H" in your location .......... lol

love30stm

Rosiesue

You could take the car seats with you but it sounds like you'll have enough to deal with looking after the 2 kids and the luggage (it's difficult trying to stack car seats on top of luggage, they don't stay put!)

We are hiring car seats this time for our 6 and 3 year old. We have hired the car from Budget and the cost of hiring the car seats was an additional 3 pounds for the car seat for the 6 year old and 23 pounds for the car seat for the 3 year old (under 5 years old needs a different seat - not just booster). That is the cost for the entire hire period (not weekly). If we had relatives picking us up I would be tempted to get them to buy seats as the booster seats start from about 10 pounds to buy.

The other thing to consider if you are travelling on your own with the kids is how much sleep are you likely to get? Will you be fit to drive when you get off the plane. Our kids are dreadful and if they do decide to catnap then they decide to do it in shifts whilst the other one continues to cause mayhem. I normally end up staying awake the whole journey so my husband can sleep as he tends to drive. If your kids aren't great sleepers then it might be worth booking a stopover or a hotel at the other end so you're not too tired to drive.

Good luck with the planning.

zummerzet_lou

Well, I was kinda hoping my relatives will be so pleased to see me and the kids that they might come and collect us (and hopefully drive us about for our stay). Either that, or we'll just train it from the airport - have tried driving after a 24hr flight with kids in Auckland and it really was a bad idea!

So, are there places that hire out just car seats (without a car) ... Either that, or I might check out Argos for some super bargains and just buy a couple of booster seats which may be cheaper than hire?

Lou

ps. Oh god - just realised I quite miss the Argos catalogue - of all the things to get homesick for :-)

Rosiesue

I know, I miss the Argos catalogue too. It's just not the same online.

This place hires out carseats, although I have not used them so don't know if they are any good:
http://www.erento.co.uk/hire/sport-l...t&tid=18553501

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/ba...-europe-uk.htm

Argos sell booster seats from 8.99 and carseats from 24.99

Stoof

you could try freecycle in your family area, or get them to ask around amongst friends who might be able to lend you one.... i asked kind of in vain earlier this year, and ended up with 7 different offers! loads of people seemed to have carseats/boosters in their loft/garage that their kids had grown out of but not got shot of yet! a friend asked same question on fb a few weeks ago and got inundated with offers, also for a pushchair too... maybe worth a go?

or yeah, argos or kiddicare.com often cheap and do deals if you buy more than one of something, though i guess at 6 and 4 they may need different seats, depending on how big your 4 year old is?!