Travel Car Seats: Flying, Taxis and Rental Cars

<p>A car seat is awkward to take on holiday and the one piece of gear you shouldn't improvise with. Rules differ for planes, taxis and hire cars, and they change at borders too. This guide explains each situation so you can decide whether to bring your own seat, rent one or plan around not needing one.</p>

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules come from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), GOV.UK, the European Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), New York City’s official services and rental company websites. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by country and sometimes by state, so check the rules for wherever you are driving.

A car seat is one of the most awkward things to take on holiday, and it’s the one piece of gear you shouldn’t improvise with. The rules change depending on whether your child is on a plane, in a taxi or in a hire car, and also change at borders. A seat that’s legal at home may not be legal where you are going. This guide explains how those three situations differ, so you can decide whether to bring your own seat, rent one or plan your transport around not needing one.

Quick answer

• On a plane: the FAA says the safest place for a child under two is a government-approved child restraint or device in their own seat, not on a lap. Check the seat’s label before you travel.
• Boosters and carriers: the FAA doesn’t allow them during taxi, take-off or landing. A booster can be useful on arrival, but it won’t work on the plane.
• Taxis: rules vary widely. In the UK, and in many places, children can travel without a seat in a licensed taxi if none is available, but that’s a legal exception, not a statement that it is safe.
• Rental cars: reserve a seat in advance and confirm it. Availability isn’t always guaranteed, and fit isn’t checked for you.
• Bring your own if you will drive a lot and the seat is legal at your destination. Otherwise, look at the rental option or plan around public transport.

Decision table by situation

Flying with a car seat

The FAA and AAP are clear. The FAA says the safest place for a child under two on a plane is in an approved child restraint system, not on a lap. The AAP notes that turbulence is a leading cause of injury in flight. What you need to know:

• Check the label. US-approved seats should say “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”. The FAA also recognises certain foreign approvals. Read the current FAA page if your seat is from outside the US.
• Buy a seat for your child. The FAA says that’s the only guarantee you can use a child restraint on board. Children under two can usually travel on a lap, but that doesn’t mean it is the safest option.
• Measure the seat. The FAA says that if the seat doesn’t fit, the airline must try to find another seat for it in the same class. The AAP suggests a window seat for a rear-facing seat, so nobody has to climb over it, and says to avoid exit rows.
• Don’t assume a booster or carrier works. The FAA bans booster seats, backless restraints and carriers during taxi, take-off and landing.
• Harness alternative. The FAA-approved CARES harness is for children who can sit upright, weigh 22 to 44 lb and are up to 40 in tall. It’s for aircraft only and won’t replace a car seat in a taxi. Air Canada lists its own limits of 10 to 20 kg and up to 100 cm. The FAA warns about counterfeit versions.

If you check the seat instead of using it on board, it travels free on many airlines. Delta doesn’t count strollers and car seats as baggage. easyJet allows up to two items of child equipment free per child, which can include a car seat. Remember that checked seats can get damaged, so inspect it at the other end. Our guide to flying long-haul with a 12 to 18-month-old covers seat choices in more detail.

Taxis and ride-hailing

Taxis are where the law and safety advice part ways. In each of these examples, being allowed to travel without a seat doesn’t make it safer:

• UK: GOV.UK says that if the driver of a taxi or minicab doesn’t provide the correct child seat, children can travel without one. They must sit in a rear seat. Children aged three and over wear an adult seat belt, and under-threes travel without a belt.
• EU: Directive 91/671/EEC lets member states allow children in taxis to travel without a child restraint, but they must not sit in the front seat. National rules differ, so check before you travel.
• New York City: NYC311 says a child restraint isn’t required in a taxi or for-hire vehicle, but you are encouraged to bring your own. New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission publishes a list of car services that provide seats on request.

Practical options include pre-booking a transfer that provides a seat and telling them your child’s age and size, bringing a lightweight seat that installs quickly with an adult belt, or using trains and metros where possible. If a seat is supplied, inspect it and install it yourself. Ride-hailing apps vary by market and vehicle, so don’t assume a seat will arrive.

Rental cars

Rental companies generally offer seats, but read the small print:

• Avis says it makes every effort to honour requests for accessories, and it excepts infant and child safety seats reserved 24 hours before pick-up from the general no-guarantee wording.
• Enterprise says seats aren’t available at every UK branch and are subject to availability.
• Sixt says it can’t ensure your chosen seat will be available at every branch, but works to have it in stock.
• Europcar asks customers to request a child seat in advance to guarantee availability.
• Hertz says availability and costs vary by location in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Book the seat when you book the car, keep the confirmation, and call the branch a day or two ahead. When you collect it, check the seat matches your child’s size. Check the date, look for damage, and make sure you have the instructions. You may need to fit it yourself, since staff may not be able to help. The AAP says to avoid a used seat unless you know its full history, and a rental seat is one whose history you cannot see, which is one reason some families prefer to bring their own.

Age and size: what applies where

• UK: children must normally use a car seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Only EU-approved seats may be used, marked with a capital E in a circle and “R129” for height-based seats or “ECE R44” for weight-based. Height-based seats must be rear-facing until a child is over 15 months.
• EU: the directive sets child restraint requirements for children under 150 cm, and lets member states allow an adult belt from 135 cm. The European Commission notes some countries are stricter, so check each country you will drive through.
• US: laws are set by each state. The AAP recommends rear-facing as long as possible until the seat’s height or weight limit, then a harness until at least four years old, then a booster until the belt fits, typically at about 4 ft 9 in and 8 to 12 years of age.

One important consequence: a seat sold only in the US may not carry an E mark, so it won’t meet UK rules, and possibly not those of EU countries. A UK or EU seat may not carry the US aircraft label either. If you are crossing between these regions, check the label against both before deciding to bring it.

Common mistakes

• Using a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag. The AAP says never to do this, and GOV.UK says airbags must be deactivated before a rear-facing seat is used in a front seat.
• Using a seat after a crash. The AAP says not to use a seat that’s been in a moderate or severe crash, and some manufacturers recommend replacing it after any crash.
• Forgetting expiry dates. The AAP says to check the date of manufacture on the label and the manufacturer’s recommended lifespan.
• Bulky coats under the straps. Thick clothing compresses in a crash. See our cold-weather packing list.
• Practising only on arrival. Learn to install the seat with a seat belt, not only with ISOFIX or LATCH, because not every car you meet will have them.
• Long stretches for young babies. The Lullaby Trust says to avoid long journeys with young babies where possible, take regular breaks, and not leave a baby asleep in a car seat for long periods.

Shopping by category

These Amazon searches cover the main types: lightweight travel car seats, car seat travel bags, car seat travel carts and travel booster seats. We haven’t tested these products and don’t rank them. Before buying, check that the label covers both the vehicle and aircraft use you need, and that the seat is approved for the country you will be driving in.

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Next steps

Planning to drive? Read long car journeys with kids. Comparing kit? See best travel strollers by trip type.