A hired car can be a lifesaver if you are travelling away from home for business or a holiday. The rental vehicle will allow you to move around the area conveniently and with optimal flexibility. Moreover, you can reduce your total travel costs because you will not need to rely on taxicab service. Unfortunately, this does not mean that hiring a vehicle is cheap. You must pay the standard hire rate for the car, and you will also be charged for additional services included in the rental package. If you are planning on hiring a vehicle for the first time, you should use the below tips to minimise your rental expenses.
Insist on the Basic Package There are different rental packages that you can choose when hiring a vehicle. In some cases, they are beneficial because they incorporate multiple add-ons which would cost more if purchased separately. However, if you are working with a small budget, they might increase your costs unnecessarily. Therefore, you should choose the basic rental package without additional features or services included. If you are interested in one of the special packages, you should ask for a cost breakdown so that you can calculate the value.
Choose a Designated Driver You should avoid having multiple drivers handling your rental vehicle. In simple terms, you should choose one driver for the trip if you are travelling in a group. Typically, if you register an additional driver for the rental car, the hire company will charge a standard fee for each of the individuals. The charge is intended to cover the extra insurance expenses. Therefore, you should decide on the driver as early as possible.
Use Navigation Applications Driving in a new area can be challenging. Therefore, most car rental companies offer satellite navigation options with their vehicles at an additional cost. These devices are handy for providing reliable directions around the area of interest. Regrettably, the fee attached to this feature can be high and will increase your total expense significantly. Therefore, you should consider using a smartphone navigation application for maps.
Check the Car Condition Finally, you should check the condition of your vehicle before signing the rental agreement. This inspection process should help you identify any blemishes and scratches which might have been caused by past users. If the details are included in the rental contract, there will be no source of disagreement or unexpected damage charges. In addition, you should keep your paperwork safe until the transaction is finalised.
I'm Norman and I live in Australia. I am car crazy. I have always loved cars so as soon as I could learn to drive, I took some lessons and got my licence. I thought that learning how to drive would be the most important part of owning a car. While knowing how to control the machine is useful, it is also vital that car owners understand how to maintain and modify their auto. I am not an auto mechanic or any other kind of industry professional, so I decided to spend as much time as I could hanging around in my local repair shop and auto dealership so I could learn the tricks of the trade. I hope you like my blog which details all of my top tips.