Top 10 Tips For Hiring A Car

I've travelled around almost all of Europe and many states in the USA...and I hire a car everywhere I go...here are some of my recomendations and thoughts.

I've decided to compile a Top 10 Tips For Hiring A Car (from my experience):

1. Always Make Sure The Price is INCLUSIVE
   • I don't know why, but car-rental companies always try and 'add-on' additional costly items...like damage waiver, tyre protection, additional insurances, etc.... This can easily double the cost of hiring a car. Make sure the price is fully inclusive of damage protection and local taxes.


2. Make Sure There Are No Mileage Limits
   
   • This really annoys me! Some companies tell you the vehicle has unlimited mileage, when in fact in the terms and conditions there is a maximum of 300 miles per week!! If you're like me a travel a fairly big distance when you're taking a break, then 300 miles per week is just too little.


3. Always Hunt For The Best Price
   
   • Car rental is very competitive, check out the best prices at all the local companies. Some good online websites are http://www.holiday-rentals.com/, http://www.budget4u.co.uk/(if you're in London) - I have found Budget good for my London rentals, and I use Holiday Rentals when I'm going abroad. I now use Budget as 1car1 aren't around any more.


4. Damage!!
   • Have you ever been stung for damage you didn't do? In Italy, they stung me badly! When you take the car out, always go round the car with a representative from the hire company. Some companies just give you a sheet of paper, and then you have to go round the car yourself - that's fine too... - but always make sure you check the car properly. Also - When I'm renting, I always take the Damage Excess option, meaning that if the car does get damaged, I don't pay anything towards the repair costs...It only costs a little bit more per day, and potentially saves hundreds/thousands.


5. Fuel - Check The Fuel Return Policy
   • When you pickup the car, make sure you understand how the fuel should be on return of the vehicle. Sometimes the companies say bring it back at the same level, and if so, take down the level before you set off. Some companies offer you a full tank when you pickup the car - I ALWAYS TAKE THIS OPTION, especially if I'm at an airport! I don't want to worry about filling up the car when I'm rushing for a flight! Often if you return the car with less fuel than you took it out with, they will charge a big premium to fill it up!


6. Rent Reputable!
   • Renting with a reputable company like Budget, Avis, National, Sixt and Enterprise means that you can be *relatively* confident that the car you get will be good, and they'll act in a professional manor - i.e. no nasty hidden charges. Having said that, Sixt in Portugal once tried to overcharge me for a car...Generally the more reputable the better. There are some good independents, but be careful.


7. What Size Of Car?
   • Check carefully on what size of car you are getting - I had an incident in December where I booked a 7-seater. They gave me a Toyota Corolla Verso - yes, it was a 7 seater, but the 2 seats at the back were for toddlers, not fully-grown adults! If you're an American renting in London, or in fact anywhere in Europe then make sure you get an Automatic (unless you are OK to drive a manual, or stick-shift). In Europe most rental cars are manual transmission.


8. The Deposit
   • Ask the car rental company what the deposit is on the vehicle - very often they hide the deposit until you come to pay, and then they'll ask for 2000 Euros! Yes, I've rented in Spain where they've asked for a 2000 Euro deposit for a large car!!


9. The Excess
   • Always ask the car rental company what the excess is - You should always take the 'damage excess' option to make sure that you have a small or non-existent excess. The excess is what you pay if you damage the vehicle. Also remember, if the car is damaged whilst you are renting it, but you didn't do the damage (perhaps it was hit whilst parked), then you are still liable for the damage costs.


10. When Renting In Icy Countries...
    • About a year ago I hired an Audi A3 from National in Sweden. I was heading down the ramp onto the motorway at about 30mph when the car started to go sideways (yes, I was getting excited...but more importantly, I was getting very close the crash-barrier...and I wasn't looking to get intimate with any other metal!!) About 5 minutes later, I stopped at a service station to see what was wrong with the car, because although Sweden is cold in the winter, on this day it was very warm. The tyres had metal ball-bearings in them to give better grip in the snow. Nobody told me!! Moral of the story: Check the tyres when driving in a country that has very cold weather.

Hope you found this useful!