car hire advice please

jimbob_3

hi,

i am hopefully hiring a car this weekend, but i havent driven in a while and dont have my own car. Could somebody please help me with

a) the regs for transporting a 9 year old ie do i have to provide a seat or can i usually hire them or does it depend on his height etc

b) what is the best way to take out insurance at the car hire place since i have none of my own?

c) Can anybody recommend any cheap car hire places either in rayleigh or southend.etc..... and cos i havent got a car they must be easy to get to by public transport or be prepared to drop the car off and pick it up...

thanks

philhuff

a) the regs for transporting a 9 year old ie do i have to provide a seat or can i usually hire them or does it depend on his height etc

The correct child restraint MUST be used, whether they're sat in the front or back - in your case, that's a booster seat. I understand that hire cars (other than taxi's or private hire cabs) are not exempt, so you'll need to buy in advance, or check to see if you can rent one. Most rental companies do rent child seats and booster cushions.

The limit is 135cm in height; anything over that and a seat belt will suffice.

b) what is the best way to take out insurance at the car hire place since i have none of my own?

That's all part of the rental package, so you won't need to arrange anything. There'll be extra insurance products offered, giving you more protection at an increased cost, but you'll have to decide if they're worth it. In the UK, probably not. In the US - definitely!

c) Can anybody recommend any cheap car hire places either in rayleigh or southend.etc..... and cos i havent got a car they must be easy to get to by public transport or be prepared to drop the car off and pick it up…

Nothing specific, as I don't know the area. However, Enterprise advertise that they'll deliver to your door, and most other places will if you call and ask nicely.