Renting a car abroad: useful tips

Choosing a car: online or on the spot?

The first advice we'll give you is that it's better to book a car online. And the earlier, the better, especially in high season. Otherwise, there is a great risk that you will have to choose from the remaining options (usually not the most budget-friendly).

Do not limit yourself to the sites of rental companies, look also at aggregators (Carrentals, Rentalcars and others), which usually offer more favorable prices. An important nuance - among such services there may be hitrets, with vouchers of which clients are later denied rent, so it is important to read reviews in advance.

It happens that, having ordered a car in advance, the client does not receive it upon arrival (accident, organizational problems, failure in the reservation system - there are a lot of possible reasons). In this case, the hirer is obliged to provide a car of the same or higher class with a similar type of transmission at a predetermined price.

Is there a difference between network and local rentals?

Local agencies have three advantages over networkers:

• prices are lower;
• low or sometimes no deposit;
• less strict requirements to the driver - they can turn a blind eye to the young age or recently received driver's license.

There are also disadvantages:

• limited number of points where you can get and hand over the car;
• clients are more likely than in the offices of international companies to encounter "money trickery";
• there are few cars, the regularity and quality of maintenance is questionable.

A big name is no guarantee that everything will go smoothly either. Many international companies expand under the franchise system, so locations of the same chain in different parts of the world may differ greatly in terms of service. In any conflict situation, make a complaint directly to the head office - well-known brands usually value their reputation and stand up for the client.

What does the cost of car rental depend on?

The attractive figure you see on the website usually includes only basic insurance and a certain (rarely - unlimited) mileage. There are many additional options for which you will have to pay:

• comprehensive insurance, which removes liability from the renter regardless of the amount of damage;
• additional payment if the driver is under a certain age or has little experience (insurance for such clients is more expensive);
• the "second driver" service - the possibility to drive the car in turn. In this case the insurance covers both drivers;
• rental of a car seat (up to 10 euros per day), navigator, etc..;
• traveling to another country;
• picking up and returning the car at different points (so-called one-way rental);
• exceeding the maximum mileage (on average 20-50 cents for each additional kilometer).

If initially you were offered one price, but in the office, they call you a different one, ask the manager about the reason for this. Almost any service can be refused if you don't need it or if the cost is not satisfactory.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

Don't forget that an additional amount can be withdrawn from your card even after returning the car (for example, for excessive mileage or crossing state borders). All these nuances should be spelled out in the contract, which should be read carefully, so that later you do not complain on the Internet about greedy renters!

What are the insurance options?

• TLP (Third Liability Protection) or TPL (Third Party Liability) - third party liability insurance.
• CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) - car insurance against damage (except theft). Such insurance implies the presence of deductible - the amount (from several hundred to several thousand dollars or euros), which in case of damage to the car will have to pay you (the rest will be covered by the renter). If the cost of repairs is less than the deductible, the renter pays for them in full.
• TW (Theft Waiver) or TP (Theft Protection) - insurance against theft, also with a deductible.
• WWI (Wheels and Windscreen Insurance) - covers damage to the windshield, wheels, rims and headlights that is not covered by the basic policy.
• PAI and SPAI (Personal Accident Insurance and Super Personal Accident Insurance) - Driver and passenger health insurance. If you have a travel insurance policy, you don't need this type of insurance.

Only basic theft and damage insurance is usually included in the rental price. To eliminate the deductible and pass on all costs to the insurance company, you need to buy full insurance: Super Collision Damage Waiver or Super Loss Damage Waiver. You can do it at the time of booking or at the rental company's office. It costs from 15 euros per day and is ideal for inexperienced drivers, those planning to drive on dangerous roads or those traveling to a country with a poor driving culture.

A more budget-friendly option: before concluding a contract with the renter, take out Car Hire Excess Insurance - to insure the deductible (for example, Rentalcover works with Ukrainian citizens). In case of an accident, you pay the repair costs within the deductible, collect documents (police report, rental company's report with a list of damages, invoice) and send them to the insurance company, after which the spent amount will be compensated.

What are the requirements for a driver?

There are two parameters by which you will be evaluated:

• Age. In most European countries you can rent a car from the age of 19 (Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Finland) or 21 (Poland, Czech Republic, France, Hungary), some companies raise the threshold to 25. Renting a sports car is often only available to those over 25 years old;
• length of service according to the driver's license. The most common options are: 1 year and 3 years.

Some agencies increase the rental price or deposit for drivers under 25 or with minimal experience, as these categories of customers are considered high-risk and insurance for them is more expensive.

Do I have to have an international driver's license?

To be on the safe side, it is advisable to get one.

In the countries that have signed the Vienna Convention (most members of the European Union), theoretically you can drive a car with only a national license, but in practice, many rental companies refuse to work with those who do not have an international driver's license.

In a number of countries, the owners of Ukrainian driver's licenses who have been in an accident have had difficulties. In particular, in Greece and Italy there are cases when a tourist from Ukraine was recognized as the perpetrator of an accident only because his document was considered invalid (although this is not true at the legislative level). In a number of countries-participants of the Geneva Convention, both international and national certificates are required at the same time.

There are two drivers: what should I do?

Make sure you inform the hirer before signing the contract. If the driver at the time of the accident is someone who is not supposed to be there according to the documents, the insurance will be invalid and you will have to compensate for the damage yourself. The second driver must meet the same requirements as the main driver; adding another person to the contract usually entails additional costs (at least 1-2 euros per day).

What is a deposit?

Most renters charge a security deposit, the amount of which depends on the chosen model and is stipulated in the rental conditions (from 200 to 3000 euros). This amount is most often frozen on the driver's card (only small agencies work with cash) and unlocked within a month after the return of the car. Experienced travelers advise using credit cards with a long grace period to avoid losing the ability to dispose of personal funds for a long time.

How and when to pay for the rental?

Payment is usually made in the office of the renter, after the car inspection and signing the contract. The amount is withdrawn from the same card, but in some cases it is possible to pay in cash, which sometimes turns into trouble for the client - first they take money from him without issuing a receipt, and then they write off the amount from the card, the details of which were specified during booking. Demand a confirmation of payment and don't hurry to throw it away!

When returning the car, you will compensate for additional expenses, for example, the fee for exceeding the allowable mileage (sometimes it is not limited, but more often a daily limit is specified in the contract) and fines written out during the rental period (sometimes the notices come several months after the end of the trip).

What kind of card do I need to rent a car?

Usually, renters require a credit card. Above we told you why this option is beneficial for the client - this way you part not with your own money, but with the bank's money for a month (for this purpose the credit limit must exceed the deposit amount). The operation of blocking funds does not entail the accrual of interest.

An important point - most debit embossed (with embossed inscriptions) cards of Ukrainian banks abroad are equal to credit cards. You can make sure of this by using one of the specialized services, for example, www.bincodes.com/bin-checker (enter the first 6 digits of the card number, BIN, in the appropriate field). Keep in mind that the card must be issued in the name of the main driver.

Car rental agreement: what to pay attention to?

Most often the cause of negative feedback and spoiled vacation is banal inattention. Our people are not used to reading documents before signing them, and in vain. Carefully study all points, especially those that are typed in small print. Some companies, for example, withdraw the prepayment from the card at the time of booking, and you can refuse the car without losing this amount only within a certain period of time. The ideal option is a contract where you don't have to pay anything until you arrive in the country and receive the car. This means it is best to find a rental company that does not ask for credit card details when booking.

It is also worth paying attention to what is written in the contract about fuel. If the car was given out with a full tank, you should return it in a similar condition (keep the receipt from the last gas station). If you forget about it, you will have to pay the tariff set by the renter (of course, not the most favorable). By the way, in the East the approach is opposite - you get a car with almost empty tank. Back, as a rule, you come back with a certain amount of gasoline, which you give to the owner of the rental. A small thing, but unpleasant.

What should I do in case of an accident?

Call the police and contact the rental company's representative and then follow their instructions. If the damage is minor and you continue to drive the car, returning it will require you to show the officer a police report.

What to do if the car breaks down?

Call the renter and wait for a replacement car to be delivered from the nearest representative office, or go to pick it up yourself.

How to avoid ex post facto charges?

Sometimes, dishonest renters try to "pin" on the driver the damages that were present before him. To exclude this option, be sure to inspect the car, take pictures of chips, scratches and dents, and then ask the employee to document them. When returning the car, insist on a confirmation that there are no claims against you.

Since the hirer has your card details, he has the opportunity to charge your card for allegedly detected damage. To insure yourself against such actions, keep all documents related to the car rental. The rental agreement with a note that there are no claims against you will help, if necessary, to "fight off" the imposed fine.

By the way, do not throw away parking receipts. They will come in handy if the municipality mistakenly decides to fine you for violating the rules.

We hope that our advice will help you rent a car abroad without nervousness and unnecessary expenses. Don't forget to study the traffic rules of the country you are going to, the rules of parking and use of toll roads. Have a good car trip!