Everyone knows that driving is synonymous with comfortable, even luxurious, transport. It manages to relax people while getting them to their destination faster. All the benefits of having a car are precious not only in everyday life but also during holidays. Think how many more kilometres of scenic drives and lovely landscapes you can admire if you hire a car in the UK and spend your days travelling from one city —or even one country— to another. If this sounds like something you would love to do, follow our top 6 secrets for getting the best value for your car hire.
Secret 1: Figure Out What Your Car Requirements Are
The first thing you need to do is to know exactly what you are looking for. Do you need a city car or something more robust like a 4×4? Is a two-seater enough, or are you part of a big group where a van might be more suitable for you? Do you NEED air conditioning, or do you prefer driving with the windows down? Note down what your hire car should look like and don’t settle for anything that does not check all of your boxes.
Secret 2: Find Affordable Car Hire Options
Finding affordable car hire used to be a challenge, but thankfully, the internet has come to the rescue of travellers in need. Nowadays, you can use what we call “comparison websites”. Websites like holidaycars.com provide visitors with a list of car hire offers, along with daily hire prices, additional fees, and essential car features in specific areas of interest. This has revolutionised the car hire process because it is astonishingly effortless and quick for drivers to find the car they are interested in at the best price. Then, all they have to do is to hire it, which can also happen online on the same website.
Secret 3: Understand Fuel Policy
There are several car hire-related terms that you should know before hiring a car in the UK. One of the most important ones is the fuel policy. In simple terms, you should know if you are expected to return the vehicle with an empty or a full tank. If you don’t return it in the correct condition, you will be charged.
Secret 4: Other Fees
The fuel policy is not the only reason for extra charges. Exceeding a set mileage limit, asking for an additional driver, damaging the car, or simply being a young driver are unavoidable fees that you will have to pay.
Secret 5: Damages
As mentioned above, if you cause any damage to the hire car, you will be asked to pay for it. In order to ensure that you will not be charged for any marks or scratches that existed when you received the car, you should take a video of the car at pick-up.
Secret 6: Be Punctual
One last secret to keep in mind to save money is to return the car hire at the pre-arranged drop-off location on time. Even being a few minutes late is enough to incur additional charges.