As a locums provider, chances are you will be relying on a rental car during travel. With kids, there are a few things to consider:
- Car safety for child passenger
- Car pick up location – and how to get the kids there safely
- Car seats
- Cost
Let’s dive into each of these
- Car safety
- There is no single definition of a “safe car”, and different metrics exist (e.g. driver versus passenger, type of crash, injury type). I encourage all drivers and especially those who transport children to research vehicle safety thoroughly from a reputable resource like National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- My main point here is that agencies often book least expensive options available. Instead of relying on the agency and using their preferred rental car company, I get to the agency’s daily read for reimbursement, and I have been able to find vehicles with superior stats at a similar or only slightly higher rate. Is the higher rate is completely worth it to me? Yes, because usually I am able to get a larger vehicle that’s more convenient and have the added peace of mind
- I get rental car insurance through my business credit card
- Car rental company selection
- While costs and vehicle selections are similar among major companies, there are some standouts. Reviews from me and my kid testers for car seats from different companies below.
- The key here is how far car rental counter is to the actual terminal. Taking a long shuttle ride after a long solo flight with kids can be tough.
- Alternatives to airport pickup exist but you will need to arrange a ride from airport to lodging that offers appropriate car seats for kids. Options:
- Dedicated kid transport car service (e.g. Kidmoto)
- Bring your own car seats and get an uber
- Companies that offer drivers for hire/airport rides
- Key Point – you must be able to assess if car seats are installed correctly (I have never had a company have correctly installation with a vehicle immediately ready for me to load the kids in).
- In select cities, rental car delivery service is available with some of the major car rental companies
- Turo also offers car delivery and pick up from your address
- Car seat options
- Bring your own
- Can check these for free with all airlines; however, hard (though not impossible) to haul more than one
- Luggage carts are very helpful, and I have also used a stroller as a cart
- Rent from one of the kid gear companies – caveat, delivery would either need to be arranged to the car rental company office/location (not always possible depending on the setup of the car rental location) or you will need to arrange a safe transport of the kids to the lodging and then pick up the car and install the seats separately using one of the options above
- Bring your own
As always, if you would like personalized help and advice in developing a travel plan, get in touch with me and my team!
Individual Companies:
Sixt – a winner in terms of car seat rental experience given seat quality and price
Brand: Graco
Times tested: 3
Price: $5.67 per day per seat
Seats came wrapped and were clean. Seats were not past expiration.
Pick up experience: 3.5/5. Employees in most places struggle with identifying seat types (e.g. booster vs “toddler seat” vs “infant seat”)
Cleanliness: 4.5/5 minor dirt and wear
Kid tester reviews: 5/5 no complaints
Alamo
Brand: Evenflo
Times tested: 2
Price: $13.99 per seat per day or $85 per weeks
Seats came wrapped and had clear labeling for date of manufacturing and expiration.
Pick up experience: 2.5/5 employees struggled to identify and find correct seats for kids ages despite pre-ordering and describing what seat type is needed
Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Kid tester review: 2/5. Kids complained seats were hard and uncomfortable and noticeably dirty
Avis, National, and Enterprise
All of these use Cosco brand seats
Times tested: 3
At Avis, I received old, torn, dirty expired Cosco seats
At Enterprise and National, seats were not expired but were dirty and well worn at multiple locations
Kid testers said seats were uncomfortable and quite dirty
