 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Rental cars don't come with ski racks and I don't see any option to add as an Extra.
What do people do when renting?
Surely keeping in car risks car damage.
Thx
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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They're in a bag aren't they? Why will that damage the car. FWIW I know people who won't have loose skis in the car because of decapitation risk in the event of a crash etc but I've never never had a problem with interior damage to a rental car.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Some firms will rent ski racks. But not cheap. Handirack is one solution but never had an issue with the skis in a bag down the middle in an estate , and others will get them diagonally in smaller cars.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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It's a pain. If you've stuffed ski bags with other stuff (and who doesn't?) the whole lot might have to come out, and be strewn around. And that's with skis of modest, womanly, length. Usually all manageable if you have just two of you in a sensible size car. But, of course, you can't rely on getting the shape and style of car you ordered. And yes, you need to be careful with the skis to ensure they don't do damage.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When it’s just the two of us we hire a car that’s big enough to fit the ski bag in with the back seats folded down. For holidays with four adults driving to different areas we rent a minibus.
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Surely carrying outside the car risks theft? Rent a car big enough to fit stuff inside.
You can lash a bag on the roof, although that risks damaging the roof (always check the roof on any hire car for damage at pick up, in case the last person did this...).
Putting the stuff inside in the bag is the standard approach, although don't leave it there if wet or the edges will rust. If you have to take boards/ skis out, then the bit to protect is the pointy end, which you can do without a full bag, or ignore.
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Generally the best option is book early and book big. For example I booked my New Year hire car back in May and for a 7 seater I paid less than half what I'd have to pay now - and with 5 of us that means we can get in with a seat down in each back row so some decent ski space.
Outside that it's the joys of car park Tetras, working out if the random car you stop at in the car park; means things need to be in/out of bag, if seats let you slide skis under or not, if skis can go down the middle or outside the seats. With of course the option of going back to (and queueing up again at) the hire desk to see if they have anything else if they really won't fit.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Some companies will have racks as an option, I think Sixt in Munich do for example.
I've always gone with keeping them in the car but usually take a tarp/sheet/towel to put them in, or lay them in the bag. I prefer that to leaving them on the roof.
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I can't say I give that much of a crap about my car, but multiple pairs of skis (and boots, bags, poles, bikes...) get tossed in throughout the year, and I can't say they've done any interior damage. I put a tarp out first, but that's more to keep the snow and filth off the car.
If you are 1-3 people, hire an estate car and put one rear seat down, and everything should fit in pretty easily. For 4 people, you could probably get away with a big estate car, but it's a booking risk in that you might end up with a stupid SUV, that's bigger on the outside and waaaay smaller on the inside 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think photo evidence exists of one former very tall sH with his man-sized skis and himself in a rental Smart car. Where there is a will...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We got two people and gear into a Fiat 500 cabriolet. Remove front passenger seat headrest, fold half back seat, recline front passenger seat fully, put skis down the passenger side. My son in back seat behind driver. What a performance. I had booked the smallest (cheapest) car available.
How much did I save? £4 compared to next size up!
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@Dave of the Marmottes, me, Turdy and Pigeondave had a Yaris 'station wagon' one year and got all our stuff in that....Dave was a little cramped in the back though. It was only marginally longer than a normal Yaris.
By contrast, in Japan we had a Delica and it was actually pretty awkward to get our stuff in because the middle row of seats didn't fold (or so the woman at the rental place told us). The ski bags had to be manhandled a bit to fit.
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