Car Question...

Hey I am back...

I had reserved a really great full SUV for less than $130 for a week for a family of 5, and now that I definitely have an extra person (child) coming and a adult(maybe still up in air)...regardless I need a Minivan. I reserved that for $320 also(is that too much???). I am keeping both reservations just in case, but is there any place that has cheaper minivan prices or is it still too early?

Since we are on the subject on question answering...regarding car seats...I want to bring that on the plane with me for my 6 yo (is that ridiculous...she has to wear it b/c she is only 42lbs and 43inches, so here in MA it%26#39;s mandatory...even the 10 yo is small for her age) okay i went off subject for minute...But my question is do i need a carseat for fl, should I bring my own and use it on the plane and car, rather spend the extra money and renting on (oh yeah, I am bring a stroller also)...but is this too much stuff, I don%26#39;t want to over do it like last year when I was carrying everything off the plane (stroller, luggage, huge stuff animals that I won) all by myself.

thank you for listening...

Car Question...

Bring you car sea. Its the best option. Renting a car seat is expensive $9 per day.

What you realy need to consider is the amount of luggage you will be carying to and from the airport. The SUV sounds great, but did you check to see how many peices of luggage it can hold. I prefer a full size car to an SUV.

I find Mini-van rates extreamly high. You can probible get 2 intermediate cars for the price of a minivan.That is if you have 2 people willing to drive. Again look at cargo space. A mini-van may carry 7 people but can it hold 7 suitcases at the same time?

Car Question...

The mini van price does seem a bit steep to me. I believe from another post of yours I saw you%26#39;ll be going in 4 months. What I do is I usually book a vehicle early and then watch for specials and discount codes. Click on the specials or deals button on individual car rental company sites and also check out www.mousesavers.com discount codes. I don%26#39;t know your specific dates, but on www.dollar.com I put in 8/7-8/14 and put in a discount code of kiss2 and it%26#39;s coming up $249 ($311 total with tax). I think you will still get a better deal than this as the time draws nearer.

We always bring our own car seats for money saving and the comfort factor. I purchased a special car seat luggage bag and we have always just put the car seat in with the checked luggage. For a short time when we needed two car seat and travelled one was in the luggage bag and one was just in a clear plastic bag provided by the airline. I%26#39;ve even seen them not in bags on the luggage belt. How would your year old be in a booster seat? These are a lot less bulky and lighter. I have a soft cheapy garmet bag that I stick my 5 year old son%26#39;s booster seat in along with other stuff such as a bag of pool toys and check it. We used to bring the stroller when the kids were smaller and check it in at the gate, but now that the youngest is 3 we just rent at the parks.

According to the Department of Transportation of Floriday site: ';All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer%26#39;s integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).';

Thank you Kobolus and LoveVacations,

I am looking for a car seat bag holder and also an umbrella stroller holder. I was just going to let her use the car seat on the plane to give her added height...is that a good idea. With the stroller, i bought it a Walgreens on I-drive for 25 and it came in real handy (rather than pay for strollers at the parks), so that is definitely coming. The mini van, I know. I am renting with National b/c Dollar.com does credit checks and driving record checks, where that national only does driving record. but the price I reserved is 319, but i called and spoke with a guy there and he told me to keep both reservations and the day that I get there try and see if they will upgrade my SUV that holds 5 for a Mini for free (depending on the person and if they have extra%26#39;s, he said they usually do it) but if not then use the other reservation...that way i am safe on both sides but to check for deals starting in late May early June...

is there anything else that I should consider?

Hi, regarding the car seats. Well, I know what you mean about all the luggage, etc...it%26#39;s enough to make you feel like a mule. However, I just got back from Hawaii, and took 2 seats - one booster for my 6 year old (sounds like ours are the same size!) and one regular car seat for my 4 year old. On the way there we checked the booster seat and used the toddler seat and regretted it. Because it sticks out farther, my 4 y/o had no leg room and complained her legs were sore. (It worked great when we flew a year earlier, but being that much taller this year made it difficult) On the way back we checked both seats and my daughter was much happier. I know they say for safety re: turbulence it%26#39;s better to use child seats, but the plane seats just don%26#39;t have enough room. The airline provided heavy plastic bags for both seats so we really only had the luggage hassle from the car to the check-in, and baggage claim to the car. It%26#39;s not that bad. And we gate checked the stroller both ways. (And I got my 6 y/o to push the stroller for a while when I was too bogged down with it all! Put %26#39;em to work, they can do it, lol!)

Definately take the seat because the rental car places charge too much, even if they have them available (not usually guaranteed). And regardless of the law, it%26#39;s the only safe way to go. I spoke to someone whose kid was brain damaged because he was in a regular seat and the seat belt didn%26#39;t engage during the accident. Not worth it!!

Have fun on your trip!

Personally I wouldn%26#39;t bring the car seat on the plain just to give your daughter height. One less thing to lug on the plane.

I forgot this in my last reply, but a lot of minivans have child seats built right in them, however I%26#39;ve never been able to find out the answer as to whether or not they%26#39;re built in or not until we were physically in the vehicle. We%26#39;ve also found them to be not very comfortable and used our car seats/booster anyway.

Thanks everyone for you ideas,

I am going to bring the car seat (which is a full reclining car seat that can disconnect to a booster), the unmbrella stroller, and i just purchased online @ walmart.com a 3 piece kids luggage set (pulley, backpack, and accessorie pouch) for my daughter that she can pull. I will bring one large suitcase (i don%26#39;t think I will need any extra bags since we will have a w/d in both suites) but i guess I can hook my lil girls suitcase onto mine if she get tired of pulling it, and place the car seat in the stroller and let her push that...sounds good?

Great news you guys...remember how we just stated that prices for Minivan rentals were way too high, well through this membership I am in, I got it for 169 for a week and an extra day at 27 dollars...so with all tax it was 224.00...you cannpt beat that!

Great job, that is a fantastic rate. What code sid you use? I hope you have a great trip.

I found a Car Seat bag in either welmart or target. Had wheel on it so you can pull it and it had straps so you can carry it as a back pack. Because there is so much space in the bag, I use those space saver bags and compressed some clothes and then threw them into the car seat bag. Worked great for me, just don%26#39;t put anything in there that can break as the seat will be tossed around.