Whether you are hiring a car for a specific journey or you plan to use it for touring on a UK based holiday, a little common sense planning will save you money and help you make the most of your driving experience.

Finding the best deals

Booking car-hire in advance of your trip is always advisable, and all UK airports provide car-hire facilities. Most of these are within the arrivals hall or a short distance away, but if you are carrying heavy luggage, arrangements can usually be made to have your car delivered to you. Car-hire companies are largely flexible in arranging pick-up and drop-off points in different locations. You may for example wish to pick up a car from a city centre location and deliver it back at the airport on your day of departure.

Pre-booking your car hire is quick and easy via the internet with many price comparison websites offering some great deals but be sure to read the terms and conditions before committing yourself. Some companies are able to block book car-hire from the main car-hire firms, thereby passing on their savings to you. If you are booking flights it may also be worthwhile checking whether your airline can offer any special deals on car hire as they frequently offer substantial discounts on standard rates.

Choosing the best car for you

When selecting the best car to suit your requirements, bear in mind that you may not always get exactly the model that you order. Car-hire companies present their vehicles in a set of categories to suit all their customers from single people to large families. These categories will vary from firm to firm, but as a general rule a mini economy or compact model will provide you with a small hatchback. A medium family car or intermediate model would indicate a standard saloon, but larger families may consider the standard category offering more spacious models. For those seeking pure driving pleasure, there is always a premium category for the hire of luxury vehicles or sporty convertibles and people carriers and 4×4s are also available.

Consider just how long you are going to spend in your car and if you only plan to make short trips a compact vehicle may suffice, whilst for longer distances you may prefer something more spacious. If you are travelling in summer, air conditioning could be a priority for you. You may think that deciding on a car without air conditioning will save you money but this is a decision you may regret when the hot sun sends the temperatures soaring. If you have small children ensure that you can order child seats via your hire company and that you will have enough space to store prams or buggies. Although you will have the freedom of the open road, never forget that the car is not your property and that you will need to take great care of the interior.

Picking up your vehicle

When it comes to picking up your vehicle, you will need the booking reference and your driving licence, but check with the company in advance whether you also need to supply the paper counterpart to your licence or any other documentation. Savings can be made if you opt to take the car already filled with fuel as this can work out slightly cheaper than if you were to fill the tank yourself. If you know in advance which model you will be getting, savings can be made by checking local fuel prices and the capacity of the car and calculating the price difference. If your contract states that you must return the car with a full tank of petrol, check the location of the nearest filling station and ensure that you leave yourself plenty of time to fill up and get everything checked over on your return. If you overrun your rental period, even by an hour, you will be liable for another day’s rental payment.

Inspect your car and the insurance policy provided and declare any scratches and bumps that are not already mentioned on the documentation provided. If you prefer not to take risks, you may want to consider taking the additional damage payment. Excess payments can be very high and they can often be reduced to zero by paying a little extra. However be aware that even opting to do this may still not exclude you from liability for damage to certain parts such as the tyres or the windscreen. If you plan to take the car off-road at all, check that the insurance covers you for this or for any other non-standard conditions you may have in mind.

Finally, after ensuring that all your paperwork clearly states everything you have paid for including insurance, taxes and any additional charges, you will be able to drive away with peace of mind and enjoy the freedom of the open road in your chosen vehicle

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