To Rent or to Pack...That is the Question

When travelling to almost any major city, you have the option to rent baby/child equipment over bringing your own. I first encountered this phenomenon when we were childless and visiting friends in Florida who were traveling to the United States from England.

An important thing to note is that if you are staying at a hotel, you likely do not need to rent anything. I have yet to travel to a hotel that does not have a pack-and-play, crib, stroller, highchair or (when pushed to admit it) a carseat you can borrow. My tip is to call ahead and very kindly start up a conversation with the front desk. Most will immediately tell you every piece of equipment stored in the hotel for guest use. 

When renting an apartment or house, you may need to supply your own equipment. That's where companies like Baby's Away  and Wee Travel can really come in handy. 

The key points in renting equipment tend to be whether the company has reviews stating the equipment was clean and in working order and also the cost of renting. I found on some of my trips it was cheaper to purchase new equipment at places like Target and Ikea, then to rent for a period of time longer than 2 weeks. Its important to also consider any extra fees you might incur for flying with all the equipment you may need when doing the math. 

The absolute joy of these companies is that for a usually small fee they will delivery and set up the equipment as well as retrieve it when you have left. Now doesn't that sound better than packing it all up!