What should I know about holiday car hire?

Question:

I am taking my family on holiday at Christmas and we are hiring a car. What tips can you offer regarding baggage, car seats and booking the right vehicle?

Answer:

By Bob Atkinson, travelsupermarket.com

Using car rental to get around on your holiday really is a cost effective way of packing more into your break and for making travelling around easier and more convenient for you. Thousands of people will hire cars over the Christmas and New Year period both out of the UK and also for visiting friends and relatives within the UK.

You don’t mention whether you have sorted out your car hire as yet, so let’s start with the basics.

Understand the type of vehicle you need. Factor in the number of seats together with whether you will be carrying those passengers with or without baggage. You want to be comfortable as you drive.
Use price comparison to find the best prices on car hire. Bear in mind that larger cars can cost less than more popular smaller ones, which often run out at peak times. Booking as early as possible will usually get you a better deal and nearly all prices quoted on price comparison are fully inclusive of all compulsory taxes, fees and charges for your convenience.
Once you have found the right price and car, make your booking, checking all of the small print and ensuring you print your vouchers and check your driving licence is up to date. Look out for the location of the pick up points and any restrictions on usage of the car such as off road, crossing borders etc.
For car seats it is worth checking out how much your rental company will charge you and then pre-booking the seats. Some only make a nominal charge, however some can as much as £70 a week. You could be better off taking your own car seats with you and paying any airline charge. You will then have a seat you and your child is familiar with.

Now you have your rental arranged it’s time to set off on your holiday. However, this is where you need to be really careful to ensure that you don’t fall into any traps. Our tips here are:

On picking up your car you need your rental vouchers, up to date driving licence (both photo and paper) as well as a credit or debit card (not a pre-paid card) Your card will be used to pre-authorise a deposit and to charge any extras such as fuel, car seats, etc.
You will be presented with a contract. Ensure that you read this and are aware of anything you are signing for before you add your signature.
Most car hire companies will try and get you to take excess waiver insurance. This reduces the amount that you would pay (hence the deposit on your credit card) to nil. However they charge an exhorbitant amount of money for this and you are far better taking out a policy here in the UK that is substantially cheaper and more comprehensive. See our car hire excess insurance pagefor more details.
Before you leave the desk, check the type of fuel you need for the car and the fuel policy. Most cars will be provided with a full tank which you either return full or you return empty and are charged a fee for the fuel at pick up. Also ensure you know what to do in an emergency or if your car breaks down.
When you reach your vehicle, give it a once over and ensure that any damage is recorded on your contract and the mileage and fuel are noted correctly. Load the car up and ensure that you check all of the controls before pulling away from the pick up point.
At this point take extra care and if driving a left hand drive vehicle, ensure you drive on the right. Also ensure you have a basic knowledge of road signs and where you are going as both signage and driving etiquette can be very different to the UK.

You also need to be vigilant as you return the car

Ensure you return the car as per the fuel policy, full or empty, otherwise you could face either a costly refuelling charge or you could have already overpaid for fuel you did not use.
Have the car signed in and wherever possible get someone to check the car over to ensure there can be no discrepancies related to damage.
Ensure you leave nothing in the vehicle checking all compartments and under the seats.
Once home, check your card statement to ensure you are only charged for anything extra you have taken at resort. If there is any discrepancy then take it up with your car rental provider here in the UK.