Having a hire car on holiday could save you the hassle of sorting out transfers and offers you the freedom to really explore and get to grips with your holiday destination...
However, driving a rental car abroad can be stressful and expensive if you don't prepare beforehand. Follow our top tips to help save you time and money:
- Check that your driving licence is valid before you travel. You no longer need to take your paper counterpart license with you. We also recommend finding out whether you'll need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive where you are going, well in advance of your trip.
- Don’t forget to take your credit card with you, as you will need to leave a deposit at the car hire rental desk.
- Find out what you must legally have in your car when you are driving around your destination and check that these items are in your hire car before you set off. Not having certain equipment, such as reflective jackets, may result in fines. Check out insurance4carhire's driving guides for more information.
- Don’t forget to note the emergency number from your car hire company in case of a vehicle breakdown.
- Exceeding another country’s speed and drink driving limits, could result in you unintentionally breaking the law. Make sure you do a little research before you travel to prevent any potentially expensive mistakes.
- Before you drive your hire car away, find out whether it runs on petrol or diesel as well as how to identify this fuel in the country you are in.
- Shop around for fuel while you are away and look out for competitive prices in local supermarkets and petrol stations, rather than relying on motorway stations (as this could prove considerably more expensive).
- Do your homework on the common road signs you may see in the country you are visiting. Remembering to stick to the correct side of the road for the country you are in and being aware of road signs in a different language will help you navigate around a new place without stress and worry.
- Take out car hire excess insurance to ensure you’re able to claim for additional excess or repair costs in the event of an accident or vehicle theft. To find out more about how this can benefit you we recommend reading: What is car hire excess insurance?
Do you need to make a claim?
If you’ve suffered damage to or loss of your hire vehicle due to theft, and you’ve purchased an insurance4carhire hire car excess insurance policy, we’re ready to help.
Related Guides
A Guide to Car Hire from the Airport
There are thousands of car rental desks across airports round the world, competing against each other in small spaces. In this guide, we’ll explore whether it could be more beneficial to leave the airport before hiring a car for your trip.
A Guide to Car Hire Costs
We like to think our car excess insurance is nice and straightforward. Your car rental agreement, however, might not be so easy to understand. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to car hire costs.
Road Tripping Around the World
Take the unfamiliar route, and take on the road! We have identified some of the world’s most inspiring road trip routes for you to tackle year round, spanning Europe to South America.
