More and more people prefer to refuse package tours and travel on their own – this is understandable, it’s nice to feel that you are your own boss, where you want, you go. Another thing is that for complete independence of movement you need transport, and public transport is not always convenient, and daily taxi trips can hit your budget hard. If you drive a car, then the most comfortable option for exploring the country would be to rent a car on vacation. Today we will tell you a few secrets on how to save money on car rental without sacrificing the quality of your vacation.
Book in advance
There are several obvious advantages to booking a car online. Firstly, a predetermined price will save you from the typical situation in Asia, when tourists are overcharged several times on the spot. With Europe and America it’s even more interesting – periodically check the prices and look at different dates, it may turn out that on the second or third day of your vacation a cheaper car will be available than on the very first. In addition, by filling out the booking form from your country, you will be aware in advance of all the necessary documents: international driver’s license, Russian license (may be required),
foreign passport, credit card (there may be special requirements, for example, only VISA or only MasterCard).
In fact, according to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968, all participating countries, and there are 150 of them, must recognize the national driving licenses of each other’s citizens as valid, but rental companies may have their own internal rules in this regard, so international licenses are superfluous they won’t.
Vary the rental period
Many companies offer discounts for long-term rentals, and the cost of a week’s rental can be significantly lower than six days. True, it is not always easy to deceive large market players; check whether the contract provides for penalties for early returns, because if so, the costs may cover the savings. There is still room for maneuver, but with some risks, for example, if you are flying out in six days, you can try to negotiate with the hotel that the car will stay in their parking lot for one extra day, and then the rental car will pick it up. If parking is paid, then, of course, you will have to remember school mathematics.
Car size matters
Larger cars not only cost more, but they also get better gas mileage, so unless you’re carrying a lot of luggage, get a smaller car. Of course, within reason – you shouldn’t cram into it like sardines into a can, after all, you’re on vacation and relaxing.
Plus, cars with manual transmissions are usually cheaper than automatics, so if you don’t have a problem with the stick, this is an additional way to save money. If necessary, find out in advance whether the car has special racks for oversized luggage, such as skis, snowboards or surfboards, as you may be asked to pay an additional fee for them on site.
The meeting place can be changed
If you definitely decide to rent a car for the entire duration of your vacation, this does not mean that you need to get behind the wheel straight from the airport. After a tiring flight, it may be difficult for you to find your way around a foreign country, plus, if the rental company does not have its own counter at the airport, you may be charged more for delivering the car there than for a transfer to the hotel. It’s better to calmly get to the city and relax. If you arrive in the evening, pick up the car the next morning, so you will also save on one day of rental.
When you still need to pick up the car immediately upon arrival, send the flight details to the rental company in advance so that in case of a delay, the car will be held for you.
Border Crossing
In Europe, this practice is very common: rent a car in one country and return it in another. With a single zone without borders and a wide network of rental stores of one company, it’s easy, but not everywhere in the world such comfortable conditions await you. Check in advance with the rental company’s policy regarding crossing national borders and even internal regions, states and regions to be sure that you will not face unexpected expenses. For example, in Southeast Asia there is a well-established ferry service between the islands, but to get on board you need not only a license and documents for the car, but also written permission from the owner of the vehicle.
Two drivers are better than one
The more kilometers you travel, the more interesting the road trip is. To prevent your vacation from turning into a tiring race, it will be better if several drivers in the car can change, giving each other a rest and admiring the views from the window. When concluding a contract, you need to include all potential drivers in it, since in the event of a breakdown or accident, insurance coverage may depend on this. Sometimes they may charge a fee for an additional driver, but it is better not to save on this. Check age restrictions; Many rental companies allow people over 21 years old to drive, and some only allow those over 25 years old.
Find out all the insurance details
Insurance is the widest field for fraud among car rental agents. To avoid an unpleasant surprise, check all the insurance details in advance: the amount of the deductible, coverage, insured and non-insurable cases. Thus, in some companies, “full insurance” may unexpectedly not include mirrors and glass.
It may turn out that you actually have insurance, you just don’t know about it. In many banks, servicing your credit account already includes insurance if you pay with this particular card. Also, check with the company that insures your own car to see if it is possible to extend your insurance to rental cars.
Pay with a credit card, not a debit card
Often, when concluding a contract, the insurance company blocks a certain deposit on your account in order to withdraw it as a fine if something happens. More funds are always frozen on debit accounts than on credit accounts. This advice is useful not for saving, but in order not to be left without money on a trip, because the return of such a deposit can take up to a month.
Don’t spend money on GPS
When concluding a contract, you may be offered a navigator as an additional paid service. Its price varies up to $10-15 per day, which, of course, is much more expensive than a local SIM card with Internet and Google maps, which work great all over the world.
Ask about discounts
Nothing works better than a direct question. Find out what preferential categories of clients this rental has; often discounts are given to participants in an airline’s bonus program or employees of a company that is a corporate client. Sometimes a simple comparison with competitors’ prices helps; employees can give you a discount without always checking whether there really is a similar machine somewhere at a lower price.
Carefully inspect the car before and after
Before you get behind the wheel of a rented car, carefully inspect it together with the rental employee, record all scratches and flaws, so as not to prove later that you are not the culprit. Check if the headlights, turn signals, wipers, horn work, and if the windows open. These are little things that can then, firstly, cause inconvenience on the way, and, secondly, cost a pretty penny when returning the car. Record the level of gasoline, and before giving the car away, fill up the same amount at a city gas station, otherwise you will be asked to pay for the shortage significantly higher than the market price.
Follow the return conditions
Many car rental companies follow a 24-hour system, where if you’re an hour or two late returning your car, you’ll be charged for the full day. Check the rental company’s policy in this regard in advance and make your plans accordingly.
When traveling, pay for purchases with a OneTwoTrip loyalty card, and up to 10% of the order amount on OneTwoTrip, as well as up to 2% of any purchases paid for with the card, will be returned to your account.
