Renting a car abroad can be the makings of an amazing holiday. Forget waiting for buses or getting ripped off by taxi drivers: you can go wherever you want, whenever you want and along the way, you may take a little adventure off the beaten track and find a hidden gem.
Renting cars abroad is a pretty straightforward business – but when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong. So before you start that engine, Irish Country Living and Barry Aldworth from AA Ireland answer those all-important questions you might have on car rental.
QShould I book my car rental in advance or will I get a better deal if I just arrive at the car rental desk?
There are situations where you can get a bit of a deal at the car rental desk, especially if it is at a time in the year when things aren’t too busy. The question is do you really want to take the chance?
Picture the scene: you arrive in a hot country, kids in tow after a long flight, and you find that there are no cars available. For the potential savings, it really isn’t worth the hassle. Where it can work in your favour, however, is if you are planning a day trip to get out there and explore. If you are flexible with your dates, then it is worth popping in and asking if they have any midweek deals, for example.
QShould I take out excess insurance?
When you rent a car, you will be offered a few options in regards to your insurance. The default is the basic insurance option. For example, if you were to rent an Opel Astra in Rome for a week in August, you would be looking at a cost of €502. However, if there is any damage to the car, the excess is €1,500, while theft will see you paying an excess of €2,300.
When you go to collect the car, you will be offered excess insurance, which will basically waive that fee if something was to happen. This could cost you upwards of €150 extra on to your rental charge, so it is obviously a big bump.
However, you need to ask whether you really have the funds to pay out €1,500 if you accidentally rear-end someone in traffic. You could be very thankful you forked out for the extra insurance. Also, before you depart, get it verified that there will be no additional insurance costs when you return the car.
QWhat about taking out excess insurance before we depart?
This is the route you should be taking. You can now take out your excess insurance before you depart with companies such as AIG Insurance, Blue Insurance and AXA – and it is believed more insurance companies are coming on board to offer it as well.
You are going to get the best deals by taking out an annual policy, rather than a daily policy, and with rates from €57 per year for European cover and €68 for worldwide cover with AXA, you really are getting a better deal.
Now, be warned: the insurance company won’t always be happy with you having this insurance, after all they want to get the commission on the sale themselves and may convince you it isn’t sufficient. It will be, and AA Ireland has said it has not to this date heard of any situation where a person wasn’t covered.
However, what might happen is the car rental company will put a pre-authorisation on your credit card, in case there is any damage. In this situation, you would pay for the damage and your insurance company will reimburse you.
Different rental companies handle things in their own way so it is worth ringing beforehand so there are no surprises at the desk. It may sound a little more complicated, but it is a lot cheaper.
QWhat should I watch out for with regards to extras?
If this article had been published five years ago, we would have said to consumers take the hit and either rent a GPS or buy one and bring it with you, especially if you are nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road.
Not only do they reduce the stress on holidays, they are also key for your safety. No last-minute manoeuvres, you know well in advance what exit to take or what streets are one-way.
However, last month, roaming charges within Europe were abolished and now you can roam like at home, which means you can use Google Maps in the same way you would in Ireland.
The one thing you should consider purchasing is a phone mount, so you can see the maps right in front of you. They are as little as €20 in Halfords. If you would prefer to have a GPS, then it is well worth buying it in advance. Satnavs start from €102. Considering it costs €18.56 a day to rent one, that will cost you €129.92 per week. Just make sure the device you buy has maps for the country you are visiting.
The same goes for baby seats, which will cost you €29 a day to rent. Bring your own, but do check with your airline if there will be an additional charge. One extra that is worth taking out is insurance for an additional driver, especially if you are going to be covering long distances.
QWhat fuel policy should I opt for?
Always go for the full-tank option, rather than the full-to-empty option. The full-tank option means you take it with a full tank and return it with a full tank. Therefore, you only pay for the amount of fuel you use.
The other option means you hand it back empty, but how many times are you going to do the exact mileage of a tank? You will always have a bit left, which is money out of your pocket rather than theirs.
Make sure to fill up before you get back to the drop-off centre, as they will charge you a pretty penny to top up the tank themselves – and also try to avoid garages that are very close to the car-rental location, as their rates are usually excessive. CL
>> Car hire tips
• Always check the car before you depart and take photographs. You don’t want to be blamed for someone else’s damage.• If at all possible, avoid leaving the keys in a drop box. You want someone to inspect the car when you return it, to verify in writing that there was no damage done to the car.• It is usually better to opt for the big players in the car-rental market, rather than local operators who might not have a reputable name. Car rental is still one of the top-five areas consumers complain about. You might get better deals with the local company, but if you often rent cars when on holiday, consider joining a loyalty scheme with the larger rental company to avail of their special deals.
Renting a car abroad can be the makings of an amazing holiday. Forget waiting for buses or getting ripped off by taxi drivers: you can go wherever you want, whenever you want and along the way, you may take a little adventure off the beaten track and find a hidden gem.
Renting cars abroad is a pretty straightforward business – but when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong. So before you start that engine, Irish Country Living and Barry Aldworth from AA Ireland answer those all-important questions you might have on car rental.
QShould I book my car rental in advance or will I get a better deal if I just arrive at the car rental desk?
There are situations where you can get a bit of a deal at the car rental desk, especially if it is at a time in the year when things aren’t too busy. The question is do you really want to take the chance?
Picture the scene: you arrive in a hot country, kids in tow after a long flight, and you find that there are no cars available. For the potential savings, it really isn’t worth the hassle. Where it can work in your favour, however, is if you are planning a day trip to get out there and explore. If you are flexible with your dates, then it is worth popping in and asking if they have any midweek deals, for example.
QShould I take out excess insurance?
When you rent a car, you will be offered a few options in regards to your insurance. The default is the basic insurance option. For example, if you were to rent an Opel Astra in Rome for a week in August, you would be looking at a cost of €502. However, if there is any damage to the car, the excess is €1,500, while theft will see you paying an excess of €2,300.
When you go to collect the car, you will be offered excess insurance, which will basically waive that fee if something was to happen. This could cost you upwards of €150 extra on to your rental charge, so it is obviously a big bump.
However, you need to ask whether you really have the funds to pay out €1,500 if you accidentally rear-end someone in traffic. You could be very thankful you forked out for the extra insurance. Also, before you depart, get it verified that there will be no additional insurance costs when you return the car.
QWhat about taking out excess insurance before we depart?
This is the route you should be taking. You can now take out your excess insurance before you depart with companies such as AIG Insurance, Blue Insurance and AXA – and it is believed more insurance companies are coming on board to offer it as well.
You are going to get the best deals by taking out an annual policy, rather than a daily policy, and with rates from €57 per year for European cover and €68 for worldwide cover with AXA, you really are getting a better deal.
Now, be warned: the insurance company won’t always be happy with you having this insurance, after all they want to get the commission on the sale themselves and may convince you it isn’t sufficient. It will be, and AA Ireland has said it has not to this date heard of any situation where a person wasn’t covered.
However, what might happen is the car rental company will put a pre-authorisation on your credit card, in case there is any damage. In this situation, you would pay for the damage and your insurance company will reimburse you.
Different rental companies handle things in their own way so it is worth ringing beforehand so there are no surprises at the desk. It may sound a little more complicated, but it is a lot cheaper.
QWhat should I watch out for with regards to extras?
If this article had been published five years ago, we would have said to consumers take the hit and either rent a GPS or buy one and bring it with you, especially if you are nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road.
Not only do they reduce the stress on holidays, they are also key for your safety. No last-minute manoeuvres, you know well in advance what exit to take or what streets are one-way.
However, last month, roaming charges within Europe were abolished and now you can roam like at home, which means you can use Google Maps in the same way you would in Ireland.
The one thing you should consider purchasing is a phone mount, so you can see the maps right in front of you. They are as little as €20 in Halfords. If you would prefer to have a GPS, then it is well worth buying it in advance. Satnavs start from €102. Considering it costs €18.56 a day to rent one, that will cost you €129.92 per week. Just make sure the device you buy has maps for the country you are visiting.
The same goes for baby seats, which will cost you €29 a day to rent. Bring your own, but do check with your airline if there will be an additional charge. One extra that is worth taking out is insurance for an additional driver, especially if you are going to be covering long distances.
QWhat fuel policy should I opt for?
Always go for the full-tank option, rather than the full-to-empty option. The full-tank option means you take it with a full tank and return it with a full tank. Therefore, you only pay for the amount of fuel you use.
The other option means you hand it back empty, but how many times are you going to do the exact mileage of a tank? You will always have a bit left, which is money out of your pocket rather than theirs.
Make sure to fill up before you get back to the drop-off centre, as they will charge you a pretty penny to top up the tank themselves – and also try to avoid garages that are very close to the car-rental location, as their rates are usually excessive. CL
>> Car hire tips
• Always check the car before you depart and take photographs. You don’t want to be blamed for someone else’s damage.• If at all possible, avoid leaving the keys in a drop box. You want someone to inspect the car when you return it, to verify in writing that there was no damage done to the car.• It is usually better to opt for the big players in the car-rental market, rather than local operators who might not have a reputable name. Car rental is still one of the top-five areas consumers complain about. You might get better deals with the local company, but if you often rent cars when on holiday, consider joining a loyalty scheme with the larger rental company to avail of their special deals. 
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