Family holiday hire vehicles

By Jonathan Clarke

When choosing a hire car for family when on holiday, it's vital you pick the right kind of car that'll suit your specific needs.

As you're travelling with your baby, a two-seater sports car will be totally impractical, as will many smaller cars. You'll need a safe and practical family car that has plenty of room on the back seat and plenty of room in the boot.

At HolidayExtras.com, we can help you find a great price on a hire car at many top holiday destinations. While our selection is wide, you'll want to pay particular attention to the family-suitable cars. Here are some handy tips for what to look out for in a hire car.

As we recommend putting your baby on the back seat, we advise hiring a car with at least five doors. Having to squeeze a baby seat and baby into the back of a three-door hatchback can be difficult, so the extra doors eases access to the back seats.

• Make sure you've got enough room for all your luggage. Some cars may have five seats but will only have small boots. You'll have a lot of extra bags for baby, so ensure your hire car has ample storage space.

• A sunroof is nice in the hot weather and is also a great way to get a bit of fresh air in the car. If you're headed somewhere warm, it can be difficult to keep baby cool. Many cars will come with big sunroofs and/or air conditioning and it's a nice extra to look out for in the heat.

• Some of our hire cars are available with a sat-nav upgrade. Satellite navigation could prove invaluable in a foreign country. Look out for this on some of the larger cars such as the Citroën Berlingo.

• Many cars will have the option to add child booster seats. We recommend using your own baby seat for the plane and a hire car, but additional booster seats could prove handy for any other children.

• Ensure you travel with, or hire, a suitable baby seat. Laws can vary by country, so it is worth checking before you travel.

Book your car hire with HolidayExtras.com and enjoy hassle-free transportation throughout your holiday. After all, we take the hassle, you take the holiday.

Remember to book your airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges with HolidayExtras.com.