There are many occasions when we consider renting a car on our vacation getaway. A vehicle gives great freedom when it comes to moving around tourist sites, especially if our accommodation is outside urban centers or far from airports, bus stations … Renting is an option that more and more travelers contemplate, but sometimes the experience turns into a nightmare.
How to avoid being "ripped off" with car repairs? How can I be sure of the rental conditions? Will renting a car be profitable for me? In this article we give you a few tips so that the experience does not turn out to be a "frog" …
Better, in advance
One of the most suitable ways to rent a car for the holidays is to do so previously via the Internet. In this way, you will have all the time in the world to read the contract , including small print, and be clear about the coverage, prices, bonds and everything that concerns you. Many flight and hotel packages also include the car, and sometimes they are quite well priced. Take a look at the offers and then compare them by checking the websites of the rental companies to make sure that the prices are not inflated. This option is also advisable to avoid running out of a car when you go to rent it, or having to "herd" with one that is too small or too expensive.
Transfers or rental?
If you are going to travel by plane and it is necessary to hire the transfer from this point to the hotel, it is very likely that it will be more profitable to rent a car and use it later for your trips. The hotels charge considerable amounts to pick up and take their clients to the airports, let alone the taxi drivers… There have been cases in which it is cheaper to rent a car for five days than to pay both fees. By the way: it costs the same to rent a vehicle for two days as for three, which means that renting a car for six days costs little more than renting it for three. So do not hesitate.
Comprehensive insurance
Consult all the rental costs in detail and ask for a fixed price before renting the vehicle. When it comes to insurance, don’t hesitate to hire a fully comprehensive one: for an additional 10 euros a day you will have a few breakdowns covered, which is always a piece of mind. And when you go to pick up the vehicle (by the way, you will most likely have to queue for a long time and spend as much time filling out forms …), it is always a good idea to take a few photos of the car to keep track of how it was. before picking it up. It is not going to be that they want to charge you for arrangements that do not correspond to you … And if you get a rental company with fully comprehensive insurance without excess, much better: you will not pay anything for the arrangements if you hire the fully comprehensive mode.