Top tips for renting a car abroad

With car hire more expensive than ever, here are the best ways to avoid getting stung.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and global tourism ground to a halt, car rental companies around the world sold off their surplus-to-requirement fleets. Unfortunately, now that tourism is more or less back in full swing, those car hire companies are faced with a problem: because of supply chain issues, they can’t get their hands on enough new cars to replenish their fleets, meaning that rental cars are comparably scarce and thus prices are generally higher than they’ve ever been.

If you’re planning on hiring a car abroad any time soon, it’s almost certainly not going to be cheap, but there are a few ways to keep things slightly more affordable.

Book early

Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to booking flights or hotel rooms, it’s not always the case that the earlier you book the better. This year though, in the case of car hire, it is. Because hire cars are in such short supply, the earlier you book the more likely you are not to be subject to drastically inflated prices for the last few remaining cars.

Use an aggregator

Don’t just go with a big-name company because you recognise it. Try an aggregator site such as Expedia or DoYouSpain.com as they’ll be able to find you the best deals not just from the major companies, but from smaller, local firms that may offer similar service at a lower price.

Buy insurance in advance

All car rentals come with some level of insurance included meaning that buyers won’t have to fork out the full amount for a replacement car if the one they’re driving is stolen or totally written off. Be warned though, that even in such cases, renters are still usually liable for an excess, i.e., a certain amount that must be paid towards the cost of something happening to the car which, in some cases, can be up to €2,500. By buying extra insurance from the company known as a Collision Damage Waiver, you can reduce that excess to zero, but, even if you want that peace of mind, this is rarely the most cost-effective option and it’s worth calling an insurance broker before you go and arranging insurance from a third-party company to cover any excess in the event of an accident. There are also many websites that specialise in such cover, so do a little research before you book your hire car.

Car Rental

Book with a credit card

Even if you don’t use it from one end of the year to the next, having a credit card when hiring a car is very useful. While there are plenty of companies in Europe that will rent cars to people with just a debit card, others, particularly in places such as the United States, won’t. Using a credit card when hiring a car will give you more choice of providers and, thus, access to more competitive prices. If you’re on a tight budget, it will also avoid the hire company deducting or blocking a large chunk of the funds in your bank account as a deposit.

Check the fuel policy

Before you leave the rental car desk, enquire about the company’s policy regarding fuel. Full to full (where you collect the car with a full tank and return it the same way) is almost always the best option as you’re guaranteed not to pay for a drop more fuel than you use.

Inspect the car

A car hire company will usually highlight any pre-existing damage on a rental car before you drive it away, but it’s vital to give the car a thorough inspection yourself for other scratches, dents, windscreen chips or wheel gouges. If you find anything, be sure to take photos of it and bring it to the attention of the company immediately before you drive away as otherwise you may be billed for the damage yourself.

Check ferry prices

If you’re in the process of planning a holiday to continental Europe and you haven’t booked flights or a rental car yet, it’s worth checking the price of taking your own car on the ferry instead. Prices for flights and car hire are at eye-watering levels just now, and, while taking a ferry to Britain or continental Europe is far from cheap, depending on the duration of your trip, if you’re travelling as a family, planning on taking a lot of luggage or hoping to return having raided a French hypermarket for wine, it’s definitely worth checking whether it might be cheaper to take your own car rather than fly and hire.