The flight is booked and the accommodation is paid for; now all you need to do is arrange car rental. This can be a major holiday expense, but it does not have to be. Use the following tips and you may be surprised by how little it can cost, even in peak holiday season.
A deal may sound good, but watch out for extra charges increasing the cost. Some car rental companies will charge extra for having satellite navigation in the car. Driving in an unfamiliar place can make it tempting to take this option, but the cost can be avoided. Using an app that turns your mobile phone into a sat-nav, or simply bring your own sat nav from home will help you to avoid this expense.
If you have young children, a car seat is vital for their safety as well as being mandatory in many countries. Car rental companies often charge by the day for the hire of these seats. To avoid these costs consider bringing your own car seat from home. If this is not possible, some airports have stalls that hire out car seats for less than the car rental company.
Check the company’s fuel charge policy as they can vary from company to company. Many companies will provide your vehicle with a full tank of fuel and expect it to be returned full, however, in recent years some companies will provide and charge you for a full tank, even if you do not use it all. If you are hiring for a short amount of time and for limited driving, bear this in mind when choosing your rental vehicle.
It’s a good idea to take out excess insurance; otherwise, you may end up with a hefty bill for a few scratches to the car at the end of your holiday. Car rental companies commonly provide an excess waiver option themselves, but this can be appreciable more expensive than arranging an excess policy in advance.
Car excess insurance is usually calculated per day. If you are hiring a car for a longer period, or need to hire a car more than once in the year, it is likely to be cheaper to take out an annual policy.