Renting a car is not rocket science. However, finding the right deal at the best price is a challenge for car hire newbies in the wide range of car rentals and different rental conditions. However, if you consider the following 7 tips for car rental, then hardly anything can go wrong!
1. Have a credit card in the name of the main driver
Outside of Germany, you can usually rent a car only with a credit card – the card must be issued in the name of the main driver. Even if you can borrow vehicles in Germany with a debit card or cash, the credit card is recommended. In many cases, one can save one or the other Euro when paying by credit card.
2. Read the rental conditions carefully before booking
Renting a car may incur additional fees at the mere vehicle rental price. These include, for example, fees for one-way trips, for young or older drivers, and fees for hiring outside regular business hours. Information about this can be found in the rental conditions of the individual offers. If a particularly cheap car is associated with high additional costs, it may make sense in the end to rent a slightly more expensive car, resulting in lower additional costs.
3. Book the rental car in good time
Car rent increase as demand increases. If you need a car during school holidays, you have to expect higher prices. In most cases, prices get higher as you approach the time you arrive. Special vehicles such as estate cars, convertibles and minibuses can be scarce and thus relatively expensive in the high season. If you book on time, you can often benefit from low early bird rates.
4. Pay attention to a flexible cancellation policy
Cheap, pre-paid car rental bookings can often not be easily changed. Mostly you have to cancel the booking and book a new rental car, if you want to change the rental times or the size of the vehicle with an existing reservation. Therefore, one should also pay attention to the cancellation conditions of the individual offers and choose the most flexible solution possible.
5. Thoroughly read the lease prior to signing
Before signing the lease at the place of hire, you should thoroughly read it and have any unclear passages if necessary explain. Particular attention should be paid to the insurance benefits and to the tank regulation. Misunderstandings can be cleared out of the way and subsequent complaints can be avoided.
6. Additional driver fee
Whether an additional driver costs extra depends on the conditions of the organizers. You can only display offers for which an additional driver is included free of charge with a click on the corresponding filter in the sidebar. Whether cost or not, additional drivers must always be specified to ensure full insurance cover. In the event of an accident, the insurance cover will expire and you will be left with the costs.
7. Tank filling
Already with the online booking you can secure yourself with the right tank regulation against exorbitant extra fees. Our tip: The variant “fully refuel-fully return” is almost always the cheapest. Attention: Do not forget to fill up before returning, because the owner will not only charge you for the missing gasoline, but also a service fee. Therefore, pay close attention to which tank control you have chosen and that this is also documented in the contract on site. The last step before returning your rental car should always be to the gas station. Let’s give you a receipt for security.
Furthermore, you should take a close look at the car you are renting before you drive off and check for previous damage.
