Carseat rentals in Germany

July 27, 2009 8:28 AM

Renting a carseat in Nuremburg, Germany without renting a car. Anyone with knowledge about this?

Am flying into Nuremburg Germany and staying 1 week about 45 min away with my 13 month old daughter. We aren't renting a car, but will be in cars, so I am wondering about the possibility of renting a carseat there. Anyone have any clue how I would go about doing this? Thanks!!!

posted by dublin to Travel & Transportation around Nuremberg, Germany (8 answers total)

Your best bet is to take your car seat with you. Rental of car seats can run up to $50 a day...which is 5x what you'd pay for even the best one you can buy. (50x7) If you bought a ticket for your daughter, then you can take the car seat on to the plane and put her in it on the flight. If you didn't, and you plan to hold her for the whole flight, most airlines have either no charge, or a very small charge to check the seat.

Also, as an aside; I don't know how you feel about binkies (pacifiers); some people are opposed to them...but at that age, the binkie is your best bet for air pressure changes not making your daughter miserable. (Bottles are the same, but you can't pop a bottle or nipple in her mouth for the entire flight.)

Have fun!
posted by dejah420 at 8:41 AM on July 27, 2009

Response by poster: Amazingly, she already has traveled extensively and handles ear pressure changes quite well. We are traveling in Europe for more than 2 months, and I am desperately attempting to pack as light as possible. I will be on my own with her and don't think I can handle stroller, suitcase, her, as well as a carseat so would prefer to rent a carseat. Seriously it costs $50/day? In Germany? Other countries we are traveling in I am renting a car and including a carseat with the car is $50/week additional, so not too outrageous. I need to find out about how to rent a carseat without renting a car though...
posted by dublin at 8:47 AM on July 27, 2009

We bought this car seat and something similar, though I can't find the exact one, to this carrying bag for travelling with our kid. With free delivery to the store Walmart was the cheapest place to get it. We wanted something relatively cheap that we didn't care about it getting banged around. I don't know about the safety rating, but my wife's mildly obsessive about that, so I imagine it's high. More importantly, the seat is pretty light and I was able to sling it over my shoulder and maneuver a stroller and suitcase on wheels. The bag also has room to slip in a few other little doodads like toys, a coat for the kid, etc.
posted by IanMorr at 9:07 AM on July 27, 2009

You may want to try calling the local ADAC office - I can't find anything about that area specifically, but sites from ADAC offices from other regions mention that they rent child seats (it seems to cost about €5/day for non-members). You can search here for an office close to where you'll be staying.
posted by eendje at 9:08 AM on July 27, 2009

I found a company in Berlin that rents them out for 2.50 €/day 12.50 €/week.

I don't know if they would be able to ship it to Nürnberg though.

There is also a company in Hamburg and Cologne.

Good luck with your travels - if you need any further help in translating a webpage/calling a business just let me know.
posted by mathiu at 9:10 AM on July 27, 2009

If you're going to have a stroller anyway, have you considered the strollers that have the car seat as an integral part? They're big, heavy duty strollers, but I loved mine, and my very large son didn't outgrow the car seat part until he was about 3, and even then, the stroller without the seat was plenty big. Plus, those strollers have a ton of onboard storage, so you can put diaper bag and whatnot under the seat while she's in it.

I know it seems like more hassle than it's worth, but if you've got your own seat with you, you don't have to worry about getting one for the whole trip. I can't tell you the number of times I rented cars with car seats, only to find that the rental place didn't have car seats. I ended up having to sit in an airport while my husband went out and bought a car seat the last time we went somewhere. That way, you're not trapped somewhere trying to figure out how to safely move your daughter. You're always covered.
posted by dejah420 at 9:37 AM on July 27, 2009

Have you considered trying this, this, or this?
posted by oceano at 10:27 AM on July 27, 2009

Any point in ditching the stroller and "wearing" her in one of those baby-backpacks? I've seen them for up to three years of age, and they usually have legs you can extend if you want to leave the baby down somewhere.
posted by Iteki at 1:33 PM on July 27, 2009