Planning on going on holiday this summer? If so, there’s a lot of preparation to take care of. You’ll need to purchase plane tickets, rent a hotel room, check into the various cuisine options in your destination, and hire a car for when you get there. All of this can be expensive, but there are a few ways you can cut costs, especially with car hire.
Planning on going on holiday this summer? If so, there’s a lot of preparation to take care of. You’ll need to purchase plane tickets, rent a hotel room, check into the various cuisine options in your destination, and hire a car for when you get there. All of this can be expensive, but there are a few ways you can cut costs, especially with car hire.
Reducing the Cost of Car Hire
- Plan Ahead- Did you know you could pay twice as much for car hire if you wait until a week before you holiday to book the car? Plan ahead and book at least a month in advance. The rates will be cheaper and you’ll be able to pick and choose what car you want.
- Purchase Separate Excess Waiver Insurance- The standard insurance offered by car hire firms come with large excesses, which means any damaged car parts and expenses will come out of your pocket. It may be hard to say no when you’re at the rental desk and being pushed to use these policies, but by thinking ahead and purchasing a standalone policy, you’ll save a lot more. In general, more will be covered if an accident occurs and there will be fewer exclusions.
- Check the Fuel Policy- If you’ve ever hired a car before, you are probably used to the normal ‘full-full’ fuel arrangement most rental companies offer. This means you leave with a full take and bring the car back with a full tank of petrol. These days, however, more and more companies are opting for a ‘full-empty’ policy, which allows you to bring the car back without filling the tank. Instead, you pay a fee upfront for the fuel that will be put into the car- generally at an inflated price.
- Pay Attention to Reviews- The last thing you want to do when you’ve rented a beautiful Land Rover is to find yourself sitting on the side of the road broken down. Before you choose the company you’re getting a car from, do some research to make sure you won’t spend the majority of your trip replacing Land Rover parts. If more than just a few past customers have had bad experiences with car parts breaking down or needing to be replaced, there’s a good chance the company doesn’t put much effort into the maintenance of their cars.
- Take Your own Child Seats- Will you be bringing you child along with on holiday? Instead of renting a child’s car seat, which could cost as much as £60 a week, consider bringing along your own. Most airlines will allow you to take them with you for free, especially if the child is under two years of age.
- Additional Driver Cost- Want to share the driving responsibilities? Be careful which car hire company you choose. Some charge up to £45 more to include a second driver on the rental agreement.
Are you going on holiday? Make sure to do car hiring right. Choose a company that takes pride in maintaining their car parts so you don’t have to worry about breakdowns, and one that will offer you the best services at the best prices.
