Toddler StaysRent a car seat or bring your own?
Flying in and renting a car with a baby or toddler: what the rental counter really gives you, and when to bring your own seat.
What rental counters charge
| Company | Price | Can you reserve one? | Will staff install it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avis | Usually $14 a day, at most $84 a rental | Yes, when you book | No: you install it |
| Budget | $14.50 a day, at most $87 a rental | Held for you only at company-run locations, booked 48+ hours ahead | Not stated |
| Alamo | A daily charge, shown when you book | Held for you at US airport locations | No: it's the renter's job |
| Enterprise | Not listed; seats at many locations | Not described | No: staff can't install seats |
| Hertz | From $13.99 a day | Not stated | Not stated |
From each company's own website, checked November 2026. Prices vary by location: check yours when you book.
The math
Two kids for two weeks comes to about $170 at the Avis and Budget caps. That's more than many basic convertible car seats cost.
What you can't check on a rented seat
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against using a car seat whose history you don't know: a seat that was in a moderate or severe crash shouldn't be used again, and every seat has an expiration date set by its maker. At the counter, you can't see a seat's crash history. If you do rent one:
- Find the label with the date it was made and the model number, and check it hasn't expired.
- Look it over: no cracks, no missing parts, straps not frayed.
- Ask for the instructions, and plan to install it yourself.
- Reserve it ahead and confirm the day before you fly.
Bringing your own
- It can fly with you. For a child under 40 pounds, the safest seat on the plane is their own car seat, if its label says "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft." Boosters and travel vests can't be used on the plane.
- You know it. You know how to install it, and it's the seat your child is used to.
- Light travel seats exist for exactly this. See what to look for in Traveling on the Go.
In-between options
- Baby gear rental services such as BabyQuip have local providers who deliver car seats, cribs and strollers to your hotel.
- Uber Car Seat In New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Miami, Washington DC and Atlanta, Uber offers rides with a car seat for children 5 to 65 pounds, for $10 on top of the fare, one seat per car. Uber's page. Fine for the ride from the airport, not for a week of driving.
Our take
- A short city trip, no driving: Uber Car Seat, or a taxi with your own seat.
- A week with a rental car: bring your own seat (it can fly with you), or rent from a baby gear service that delivers.
- Renting at the counter: reserve it, check the label and date, and plan to install it yourself.
General guidance, not safety certification. Follow your car seat's manual and your pediatrician's advice.