WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I'm really having a tough time with this...I'm traveling next month to Florida. 4 days in Orlando; then 6 days at the beach. I have a rental for for the time I'll be in Orlando and for the drive to the beach (returning it to the airport in South Florida).

My initial plan was to rent the car seat from the car rental since we don't need it with us the entire trip just the 1st 4 days. It's not a HUGE deal to have our car seat at the beach and just keep it in a closet or something. But we won't be using it. PLUS I'm traveling to Orlando by myself with DS so i was trying to minimize what I had to carry (meeting up with DH later on in the trip)

I'm reading so many mixed experiences with renting car seats. That's they're good; clean; then that they're old; expired; dirty.

We're staying at a resort right on the beach; so won't need to drive anywhere.

Thanks for any input!

Re: WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I take my own. We do curbside check in at the airport so there is no lugging issue for me. I just feel like we put so much research into getting the right car seat and got the one we feel is the safest for our kids so why would we then use a different one when it really isnt as inconvenient as it sounds to bring it.

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

Don't they say not to check the car seat at ticket counter? To gate check it so it's handled less?

Re: WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

We are going to Disney with 2 yo DD in August, and staying off property, so we will be driving daily. We are bringing our own seat, and she will sit in it on the plane, then we'll install it in the rental.

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I have done both. The car seat from the rental place was spotless. It was a basic model but looked brand new.

When we bring our we check it with the rest of our bags. Most of the baggage is automated these days so it barely gets handled. We have a bag for ours with wheels but if I was traveling alone and had a suitcase stroller carseat and my carry on I'd never be able to do it all.

The down side IMO to renting one is the cost.

Re: WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

We were in a similar boat. We bought a seat for my ILs house (they live OOS and we go to FL with them every spring and in the past they would drive out and bring it with them). This year they flew so we had to figure out alternate options. We were going to rent a car and rent a seat but DH made nonrefundable reservations with a company that didnt have rearfacing seats. ILs tried to use that as a reason for us to turn him and I said hell no. We ended up buying a travel seat and gate-checking it because I didnt want to travel with our heavy and expensive Britax.

We were going to buy a cosco but this was last minute and we couldnt get it in time from Walmart. We ended up getting an evenflo sureride (we were going to get the $50 model but it is only good for 40 lbs/40" and DS is 30 lbs and 36" so we didnt think we'd be able to use again next year. the sureride is good for 65 lbs so we should be able to get a few more years out of it). It was a hassle to carry at the airport -- we have never flown with a seat before -- but we gate checked it (without a bag -- didnt want to buy one and heard they take better care of it if its not in one) and it was fine. It was $99 at BRU. If we rented a seat for our trip it would have been about $75 so not too much more and we will have it for future trips or as a second seat.

We stayed in a beach house for a week and then drove to Orlando and spent 3 nights. We were the opposite -- we needed the car at the beach house because we went out for dinner, etc, but didnt need it once we got to Orlando. We stayed on property and used the buses to get to the parks and could have taken a shuttle to the aiport but it was still nice to have.

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I always bring my own

Re: WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I rented from a rental company, abcguestrentals.com. Everything we rented was clean

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

Thanks for all the responses!!! I'm leaning towards bring my own. We are staying in hollywood, FL right on the boardwalk so i figure all our meals will be within walking distance. But then I realized we need to take a cab back to the airport and I'm not crazy about putting DS on my lap. Actually i think i read somewhere Florida law requires car seats in taxis (not like NY).

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

I bring my car seat from home. I actually purchased a lightweight one from BRU bc my Britax is so heavy. I have DS in his car seat on the plane only bc if not he would be running laps up and down the plane.

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

Thanks-I just bought the Evenflo Tribute. I just wasn't comfortable with the idea of renting the car seat. for $10 I'll have my seat with me and hopefully can manage through the airport with it by myself.

WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?

You can get something like this :
Gogo Baby
Even if you don't put your LO in the carseat, it'll be easier to lug around if you have a rolling bag. That's what DH and I will be doing to get through the airport later this month.

Message edited 7/1/2014 12:29:06 PM.

Re: WWYD-Travel w/car seat or rent one?