Top tips for booking your holiday car hire

Top tips for booking your holiday car hire

by Harry Lawrance

Hiring a car for your holiday this year is a great way of getting around and exploring the area. Having a car available to you on your holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to schedule your own trips and excursions at times that suit you. It also allows you to see some of the sights that you might not see if you were to stick to the well trodden tourist routes.

If you've never hired a car before, the following holiday car hire tips should come in handy...

* To be sure you get the right hire car at the right price, check travelsupermarket.com to compare cheap holiday car hire deals from over 25 websites.

* When booking your car hire, if you are travelling to a country where the weather is expected to be warm, don't take it for granted that your rental car will have air conditioning. Make sure that it is included before confirming your booking. If you require extras such as child seats, these can usually be ordered as an extra at the time of booking.

* Generally the minimum age required to hire a car is 21, but in certain countries, some companies will require the driver to be older. The driver must also have held a full driving licence for at least a year. Before you leave for the airport, make sure you have packed your driving licence (both the photocard AND the paper counterpart) as you may be required to produce it.

* When you collect the car, be sure to check for any dents, scratches or marks. If you find any damage, report it to the car hire representative to be sure that they are aware of it. If they are unaware of the damage, you could end up footing the bill when you return the car. Also, if you have paid for a full tank of petrol, be sure to check the level before driving away.

* Before driving, familiarise yourself with the driving laws in your destination country and with the car (for example where the indicators, lights etc are). Plan your route and bear in mind that the signs may be written in a foreign language.

* When the time comes to head home, be sure to return the car at the time specified. Most car hire agreements are made on a 24 hour basis so if the car is returned late, you may be charged for an extra days hire.