We are renting a car in Malaga, Spain for a week. We have a 7 and 10 year old. Do they really have to have car seats? Also, any recommendations on car size would be great. This is our first trip so I am not familiar with car sizes. We will be going straight to the hotel for a week, and will use the car for day trips. One day we will have another passenger with us. Also, do the GPS come with them or is it better to bring a Garmin with Europe data? Also, cancellation policies? We are using points for the hotel, and free air tickets, which are changing quite a bit. I would like to have a flexible cancellation policy so if the airline cancels our flight, we can scrap the whole trip if we need to. Thanks for all the help!!!!

Don't know the age/size of kids needing car seats in Spain - but the auto rental companies will be able to tell you. If you need a car that will hold 3 adults and 2 kids you will have to go for midsize up - since many smaller cars have only 4 seats. If you go to the web sites it will give info and examples of cars.

For instance, in Spain, a Ford Focus (and you know how big that is) is a midsize car - they offer 3 sizes that are smaller and 4 that are larger. Do you think 5 people and luggage will fit in a Focus? Not unless they're all very petite.

We are just back from Spain and rented a Peugeot Partner. It is not much to look at but great for lugging the gear and family around. The back seats are stadium style so the people in back (in our case me with baby in carseat) can see out all around. Also the sliding side door made it great for getting carseat in and out.

Not sure about the ages of your child and the carseat.

Children younger than 12, and/or smaller than 1.35metres (4ft 6") must use a booster seat. Older children must use a seat belt.

You may be able to hire a GPS system with the car, but if you already own a GPS then it could be cheaper to download the specific country maps you require.

Forgot to add you can usually hire the booster seats for the kids with the car.

If the car rental website gives you some makes and models as examples (they almost always do) you can find out more about them here: http://www.parkers.co.uk/

You are better off bringing your own GPS if you already have one... you'll be familiar with how to work it. Be sure to get European maps before you leave home.

Rob

Streets in Malaga and most of the villages and cities in the south tend to be a narrow and parking is at a premium, unless your hotel offers parking.

As far a car size goes, if you plan on visiting the white villages, then you do not want anything larger than a compact (Renault Megan, Opel Astra, Volkswagen Golf, Kia Cerato, Renault Scenic Wagon or Peugeot 307 wagon - all available through Auto Europe/www.autoeurope.com). All of the compacts will accommodate 4 adults. The Renault Scenic Wagon will accommodate 5 adults.

Hopefully you do know how to drive a manual shift, otherwise the rental will be a little more expensive.

Yes, the children will need booster seats, which can be added to the rental. GPS is also available through the rental agency.

Child support seats are obligatory throughout Europe. The rules have been applied in every country of the EU. I have read that fines of a round €150 can be applied to the non use of child seats.
This is a website for the UK but as I said it is the same rules. (In case you do not read Spanish)
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm.
Note you cannot use your American child seats here in Europe as they are not made to the same regulations.
If you are all bringing large suit cases then you will need a large trunk. However if you can only drive an Automatic then your choice of hire car is going to be limited, usually to larger and more expensive brands.
Do not forget your IDP either.

All I know is that the car hire companies charge a fortune for car seats. I mean come on travelling with kids is enough stress as it is, they should give it to us parents for free.

Why should they give you car seats for free? They have to buy the seats and maintain them just as they do the cars. If you can afford to travel with kids and hire a car you can afford to hire child seats also.

I question the comment " you cannot use your American car seats in Europe".

I highly doubt there would be any problem whatsoever. In fact, I even bought my kid's car seats in the USA to bring back.

I cannot confirm that if you were stopped, the police would not investigate the origin and certifcate of your carseat, but again, I HIGHLY doubt it.

I will call the traffic police again in a few days,( office closed for holiday now) if I can't see one on the road to ask, as I am very intrested in their reply. I have had numerous clients also bring carseats when they MOVE here, and they have been used, always assuming that was OK.

You can use any car seat regardless of origin when it is certified according to EU norm ECE 44/03 or 44/04.
The police will probably not check the existence of the cerfication logo on an American car seat used over here at a random spot control or when issuing a speeding ticket, but in case of an accident, I'd be surprised if there was no investigation. The fines vary from member state to member state, but I'd be more concerned that in case of an accident the insurance companies will try to decrease their liabilities or compensation for medical treatment of the child if an illegal car seat had been used.

If I understand the current law in Spain correctly, persons traveling in the back seats which are smaller than 1.35m have to use proper certified devices (which I translate to either car or booster seat, whatever is applicable according to weight/height), while those 1.35m or taller must use either the regular seat belts or a proper car seat/ booster seat.
Source: RACC website
http://tinyurl.com/dn9eak

Maybe some native Spanish speaker can verify this better than me.

Thanks for the help. lincasanova, please let me know what you find out. I would love to bring my booster for my 7 year old. My 10 year old is taller than 1.35m, so I am I correct to assume she can just use the seatbelt?

It is not if you are stopped by the police I too will doubt if you will have the seat inspected, but if you have an accident, then they investigate why the occupants were injured then it will come to light what you were using.
Expansion on the other point I made:- I also suggested that an American seat would not be useable, because the fittings are not the same, or at least that is what I have read. What we need is an expert child set engineer to pass on their wisdom on this subject.

I hope this clears things up.

I just need a booster, which doesn't have any fittings. Are the boosters different in Europe?

I'm not an expert child car seat engineer so take my opinion for what it's worth.

There is no "special" item on a Spanish booster seat that could ever possibly differentiate it from an American one.

The one I rented for some visiting friends the other day was only held onto the back seat by the seat belt itself.

BTW.. the rental on a full carseat and one booster was 3 euros/each per day, so depending on what your agency is charging might be the way to go.

Hertz is charging 6 euros a day for just the booster. I am trying to save where I can. Has anyone rented from EasyCar?

EasyCar is nice if you want to drive around advertising a rental car company. It's another UK based car broker. Besides, you'll have to pay the CDW. It's unavoidable. And they also charge for the booster seat (€5.71 to €6.29/day - depending on the type of seat). They push the Zero Risk Option insurance will cost you an additional €6.99/day, depending on the type of car. If you had the Amex Premium Car Rental Protection, the cost would be $24.95 total for full coverage.

Hertz and Avis can be pricy, but have you checked Auto Europe. As it appears you're coming from the States you will find it to your advantage to rent through Auto Europe.

This is a good topic - I just realized that my 10yo DD will need a car seat (called a "booster cushion" in EU lingo, suppsoedly) when we visit Italy later this year. I'm actually one of those careful parents who, in the U.S., goes by the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other safety experts, rather than the lower standards of state law, so I'd like to comply. (She's still in a booster seat.)

Looks like, for kids 22-36 kg but under 12yo, they must use a "booster cushion." Those kinds of things are available for $20 at Target, so depending on how long you'll be renting the car, buying may be cheaper than renting. I'm going to see if I can find out if any U.S.-manufactured "booster cushions" are certified with the EU regulation label. (And I've rented car seats before - they're often dirty and in poor condition. I avoid renting them where possible.)