Rent a car, and own the trip. Give your trip wings of freedom by renting a car. Especially when you have a long itinerary, and you want to do it your way.. No joy is greater than hitting the road, with full control. Also some places just have very poor means of transport, which makes rental cars the top option. Road trip is best served by self-service. Renting a car also needs your attention, so we have curated some tips that might help you in your next trip.
License to Drive – The most important requirement if you plan to rent a car on an offshore trip.. Don’t worry there is International Driving License (IDL) for it. But you need to have Valid Driving License of country of your residence too. There are a total of 102 countries that were part of 1949 Geneva Convention that recognize and issue IDL. It can be easily issued at cheap prices summiting around 50$. Along with your VISA, apply for IDL too, for seamless experience ahead.
Bookings – Internet is not only home to hackers, but window to amazing offers. Make use of it. Browse and search all popular travel aggregator sites, to find the best deal. Also take a Tech Tip. Use Incognito Mode while doing so, or activate a VPN while browsing.
Where are you – This can hugely affect what you are going to pay for Car Rental. If you intend to rent the car from Airport, expect high prices than what you can pick from the city, and higher than the car rental market area with tight competition. Each airport has a good connectivity by means of transit rails, buses, shared prepaid taxis, etc. So get on it and save few hundred dollar bills.
Insured? – Never rent a car without insurance. In case of accident, theft, damage, you are going to get in financial trouble. Ensure that policy you buy has minimum of CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), rest keep it flexible to the car you are renting. A hatchback damages can’t be much, but your health can be at jeopardy, so insure appropriately. A SUV will less likely get you hurt, but if it gets hurt bills will be huge. (Normally the charges include basic insurance, do check what is the limit and on what all.).
Save as much as you can, without Compromising – A car ride can get tough, if you don’t have GPS, satellite Radio, Speaker Phone, Comfortable Car Seats, etc. Most of these can be tackled with a smartphone or specifically shaped pillows. But if you feel the alternatives can ditch you in long run or long trips, its better to pay a little extra. Always enquire about their tariffs.
If you are late – be very peculiar about your planning and timeline. See if your journey is not running late, if you feel so then extend your rental booking well in advance, which will cost you less than the late fee which you are going to encounter while dropping off.
If you see a dent or not – This is unlikely going to happen that you see a dent, but if so, then take pictures of it and share on WhatsApp with dealer. This will act as a proof. Not only dents, anything that might raise eyebrows, or even in general take pictures of entire vehicle..
Gas it up – At time of taking the car, insist on a full tank, and when returning you do a full tank. This will eliminate any differences or extra charges that you might face due to gas levels. Also ask well in advance, about any cleaning charges. Normally dealers don’t charge you for this, but they can.
Drop Off Charges – There is usually no point in a two way return trip if you are going on a linear long journey and the end point has an airport. Two way return journey will cost you less than if you drop the car at a distant location. To pay the least, choose a rental company with huge network that includes the destination of your trip.
Familiarity – Especially when you are in a foreign country, the mode of operation of vehicle can differ a lot. Make sure you will adapt it easily, if you feel any hitch it’s better to drop the car rental plan, or choose a car that is more familiar. Point is you must be comfortable driving the car.
Call me a ‘Transporter’ Fan – Well guys this might sound creepy, but give a thought on checking the vehicle thoroughly, if any illegal item is not contained in it. Because once it’s in your possession, you will be responsible for all what you carry. Especially if your itinerary goes through high crime rate areas.
