Car hire with a baby
Whether you're landing in Málaga to join a cruise or picking up a car at a UK airport, a baby needs a proper car seat from the moment you leave the car park. You can hire one with the car or bring your own. Here's what the big hire firms and booking sites say, with links so you can check.
Everything below comes from Europcar's, Avis's, SIXT's and Rentalcars.com's own websites and from GOV.UK, checked October 2026. Prices and stock change, so check before you book.
Key facts
Short answer: every big hire firm we checked rents rear-facing baby seats, but stock is limited, so add the seat when you book rather than asking at the desk. For UK hires, Avis charges £12.99 a day (charged for a maximum of 10 days) and Europcar charges £15.70 a day (up to £154.70 per rental). Abroad, prices vary by country and branch. If you book through Rentalcars.com, a seat you pay for when you book is guaranteed, but one you only request is paid for at the desk and isn't guaranteed. You fit the seat yourself, and a rear-facing seat only goes in the front with the airbag switched off. Most UK airlines carry your own car seat free, which can work out cheaper on a longer trip.
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I hire a baby seat with a hire car? | Yes. Europcar, Avis and SIXT all rent seats for babies from birth |
| How much is a baby seat with Avis in the UK? | £12.99 a day, with a maximum of 10 days charged (Avis) |
| How much is a child seat with Europcar in the UK? | £15.70 a day, up to £154.70 per rental, and £84 if it's lost, stolen or damaged (Europcar tariff guide) |
| Is the seat guaranteed if I book it? | Europcar and SIXT say adding the seat online when you book is the way to make sure you get one. On Rentalcars.com, it's only guaranteed if you pay for it when you book |
| Who fits the seat? | You do. Europcar says you're responsible for fitting it correctly using the instructions provided |
| Can I bring my own car seat? | Yes. Avis says bring all the fittings you need, and not all its cars have ISOFIX points |
| Can my baby sit in the front? | Only in a rear-facing seat with the front airbag switched off. SIXT says the same for its baby seats |
| Do I need a seat for a taxi abroad? | It depends on the country. See our car seat rules in Europe guide |
Hire firms compared
| Hire firm | Seat for a baby | UK price | Booking the seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avis | Baby seat, 0 to 13 kg (birth to about 12 months); infant seat, 9 to 18 kg (about 9 months to 4 years) | £12.99 a day per seat, maximum 10 days charged | Add it under "Choose your Extras" when you book, or call reservations. Seats are at most locations; check with yours before pickup | Avis UK |
| Europcar | Child seat for ages 0 to 7 | £15.70 a day, up to £154.70 per rental; £84 if lost, stolen or damaged | Add it when you book online; seats may be limited at the counter if not pre-booked | Europcar UK |
| SIXT | Baby seat, rear-facing only, up to 1 year (40 to 85 cm); toddler seat, 6 months to 4 years (61 to 105 cm) | Charged per day, usually with a daily cap; the price shows before you confirm | Add it under "Add-ons" when you book or later in "Bookings" | SIXT UK |
The UK prices are for hires in mainland UK. For a hire in Spain, Italy or anywhere else, the price is set locally: Europcar says availability, pricing and rules can vary by rental country, and SIXT says a different country can mean a different rate. You'll see the seat price when you add it to the booking.
Avis
Avis says it stocks baby, infant and child seats, and you add them under "Choose your Extras" after picking your car and cover. You can also add a seat to an existing booking by calling Avis. Its baby seat is for babies from 0 to 13 kg (birth to about 12 months) and has a five-point harness and a sun canopy. Its infant seat is for children from 9 to 18 kg (about 9 months to 4 years).
In mainland UK, each seat costs £12.99 a day and Avis charges for a maximum of 10 days, so a two-week hire costs the same for the seat as a 10-day one. Avis says car seats are available at most of its locations, and recommends reserving one when you book and checking with your hire location before pickup.
Bringing your own seat: Avis says that's fine, but bring all the fittings you need and check with the branch, because not all its cars have ISOFIX points.
Europcar
Europcar rents a child seat for ages 0 to 7 and a booster cushion for older children. It recommends adding the seat when you book online to make sure you get one, because seats may be limited at the counter.
Europcar's UK tariff guide (updated 30 September 2026) prices a child seat at £15.70 a day, up to £154.70 per rental. If the seat is lost, stolen or damaged during the hire, you pay £84 to replace it. Europcar also says that while it supplies a seat to suit your child's age and weight, you're responsible for fitting it correctly.
SIXT
SIXT's baby seat is rear-facing only and is for babies up to 1 year, from 40 to 85 cm tall. Another SIXT page describes it as for babies from birth to 15 months and 0 to 13 kg, and says that if it goes on the front passenger seat, the airbag must be switched off. Its toddler seat covers 6 months to 4 years (61 to 105 cm).
You can add a seat under "Add-ons" when you book, or later in "Bookings" on the website or app. SIXT charges extras per day, usually with a daily cap, and shows the price before you confirm. One SIXT help page says adding the seat online guarantees it and that seats added at the counter depend on local stock. Another says SIXT can't promise every seat will be in every branch but will do all it can. Either way, book it in advance. SIXT also says many of its branches have priority pickup for families, welcome packs and kids' corners.
Booking through Rentalcars.com or another broker
When you book through a broker, the seat comes from the hire company on the day. Rentalcars.com's terms explain the difference that matters:
- If you pay for the seat when you book, you're guaranteed to get it at pickup.
- If you only request it, you pay at the desk, and the hire company doesn't guarantee it'll be there.
Rentalcars.com's terms also say it's your job to make sure every child has an appropriate child seat if they need one. If the booking only lets you request a seat, contact the hire company before you travel to check it'll be there.
Hire a seat or bring your own?
Hiring one saves carrying a seat through the airport, and the firm supplies a seat for your baby's age and weight. But you won't know the model until you collect the car, you have to fit it yourself, and stock is limited.
Bringing your own means a seat your baby is used to and that you know how to fit. Most UK airlines in our guides carry a car seat free on top of your baggage: easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 count it in their two free baby items, and BA, TUI and Virgin Atlantic carry one free too. See car seats on planes for each airline's rules, and our best infant car seats for travel if you're choosing one.
A worked example, using the UK prices above: for a 7-day hire, an Avis baby seat costs £90.93 (7 x £12.99) and a Europcar child seat costs £109.90 (7 x £15.70). For a 14-day hire, Avis's 10-day maximum means £129.90, and Europcar's comes to £154.70, its maximum. Prices abroad will differ.
The rules where you're driving
GOV.UK says children in the UK must normally use a child car seat until they're 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Height-based (R129) seats must be rear-facing until your baby is over 15 months, and you must switch off the front airbag before fitting a rear-facing seat in a front seat (GOV.UK).
GOV.UK's driving abroad guide says that if you hire a car, it's your job to check it has the equipment you need, including a suitable child seat. Its Spain travel advice says car hire firms in Spain can provide child seats if you tell them you need one when you book. Every European country we checked requires child seats, but the age and height limits differ: our car seat rules in Europe guide compares France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. In Italy, Italian-registered cars carrying a child under 4 in a child seat must have an anti-abandonment alarm, so ask the hire firm about it when you book.
At the hire desk
- Check the seat is the one you booked and suits your baby's weight and height.
- Look for the approval label: R129, or ECE R44/03 or R44/04.
- Fit it yourself, following the instructions that come with the seat.
- Rear-facing seat in the front? Make sure the passenger airbag is switched off, or use the back seat.
- Check the seat for damage before you drive off, since a lost or damaged seat can be charged (£84 with Europcar in the UK).
- Plan breaks: the Highway Code suggests at least 15 minutes every two hours, and the Lullaby Trust says car seats aren't for sleeping in once you arrive. Our road trips guide has more.
A greener way
If you're heading to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, the train needs no car or car seat, and under-4s travel free on Eurostar: see Eurostar with a baby. Driving your own car to France? Eurotunnel Le Shuttle with a baby lets you take your own seat and all your kit. For a cruise, sailing from a UK port avoids the flight and the hire car: see fly-cruise with a baby for both options.
Back to road trips with a baby.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Avis UK: Child safety in cars (seat types and mainland UK rates), Can I bring my own child seats?, Guide to car seat rules (availability by location)
- Europcar UK: Can I rent a baby seat or child booster seat?, UK tariff guide (updated 30 September 2026)
- SIXT UK: Child and baby seats, Which child seat do I need?, Adding extras to an existing booking
- Rentalcars.com: Terms and conditions (extras, and child seats)
- GOV.UK: Child car seats: the rules, Driving abroad, Spain travel advice: safety and security
- Country rules, airline car seat rules, the Highway Code and the Lullaby Trust: as listed in car seat rules in Europe, car seats on planes and road trips with a baby
Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
