Hiring a car on holiday often feels expensive, and the companies’ terms and conditions can be confusing. British travel writer Natalie King has shared her own experience of how to cut the cost of hiring a car abroad and avoid nasty surprises at the key collection desk.
She says that despite the huge number of online price comparison services, many holidaymakers still end up overpaying. A survey she cites found that some customers pay more than they expected, and many people get muddled by the different types of insurance pushed by hire firms.
Natalie recommends looking at local companies rather than focusing solely on the big international brands. She says that extra charges and unexpected fees have most often cropped up with the large chains. For example, one of them tried to charge her £80 for a week’s hire of a child booster seat that costs around £15 in a shop. By contrast, Canary Islands firm Cicar let her choose from a range of child seats free of charge right at the car collection desk. In her experience, local firms also often either do not take a deposit at all, or limit it to a small fuel deposit that is quickly refunded once the car is returned.
Another tip is to be cautious with comparison websites. The writer notes that on these platforms the price often goes up at the booking stage, and it is not always clear which company the customer is actually contracting with. Bookings are frequently made through an intermediary, with confirmation coming from a different firm, which makes it harder to check reviews. For this reason, she prefers to book directly on the hire companies’ own websites.
Natalie also advises arranging insurance in advance. If a traveller does opt for a large international company, it is worth considering taking out a separate excess insurance policy for the hire car. This type of cover can be bought independently and often works out much cheaper than the policies offered at the rental desk. Some insurers, she says, offer annual policies starting at around £40 a year, which can be cost-effective for those who travel frequently and regularly hire cars.
The traveller also shares her own experience of driving abroad. She only started driving at 30 and never expected she would be able to get behind the wheel in another country. However, during a trip to Menorca she noticed that the roads there were relatively calm and the local drivers non-confrontational, so she decided to give it a try. She hired an automatic from local company Poppy Cars and says that driving a left-hand-drive car turned out to be quite intuitive.
To feel more confident, Natalie recommends learning about the driving culture in your destination in advance: watch road videos on YouTube, familiarise yourself with road signs and understand the etiquette. She gives the example of Spain, where drivers often flash their headlights before overtaking – this is not a rebuke, but a signal that they are about to make a manoeuvre. Knowing such nuances helps avoid misunderstandings and makes the journey safer and more comfortable.