Top Tips for a Pleasant Car Hire Experience
Follow these tips to avoid common car hire pitfall
Chances are, when you're picking up a car for hire, you're on holiday, and the last thing you need is something to worry about when you're trying to relax. Car hire can be a stressful experience if you're not in the know, but follow these tips to ensure that your experience is as stress-free as possible:
- Book With a Reputable Company:
This goes without saying, but make sure you book with a well-known company who has a proven track-record of providing good, dependable service. Big names like Hertz and Avis would be your first port of call, but also look out for local companies with good reviews that you know you'll be able to rely on.
- Find the Best Deal:
"The early bird catches the worm" as the saying goes, and it couldn't be truer when hiring a car. By booking early, you'll have a greater chance of nabbing that deal that could save you loads of cash. And use comparison sites like www.rentalcars.com whose extensive database will ensure you get the best value for money.
- Read the Terms and Conditions Carefully:
Take the time to look through these to ensure you're happy with what you're paying for.
- A Car to Suit Your Needs:
As much as we'd all like to hire a sports car for the weekend, remember that all this car needs to do is get you from A to B for a set period of time. It needs to suit your needs and be reliable; anything else is an unnecessary expense.
- Take Photographic Evidence:
If you're worried that the company will try to charge you for damage when you drop off the car, that was actually there before you even picked it up, take some snaps of it on a digital camera before you drive it off, which can be used as evidence just in case.
- Package Deal Haggling:
Sometimes it's hard to discern whether you should book car hire as part of a holiday package, or separately. However, most travel agents will match the price of anything similar you find, and it might give you more peace of mind to book everything at once. So make sure you enquire; if you don't ask you don't get!
- Excess Insurance vs. Collision Damage Waiver:
Often when you pick up your hire car a collision damage waiver which costs more than the original hire price is thrust upon you at the rental desk. You can avoid this by thinking ahead. Find out the cost of the CDW before you pick up the car and compare this with the cost of a separate car hire excess insurance. Car hire excess insurance is often a fraction of the cost and is designed to cover the excesses payable if you have an accident which damages a car you have hired.
- Cashback:
Cashback can be earned on car hire simply by clicking through to a car hire provider from a cashback website and then shopping as normal. For more information go to www.topcashback.co.uk/car-hire/cashback.
- Petrol:
Make sure the car you've hired comes with the petrol you paid for.
- Have fun on your holiday!
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