Posted on Friday, 29 September 2023

Whether for business or pleasure, booking a hire car while overseas gives you the freedom to move about as and when you please. But if you’re not careful, the costs can mount up - and many of them are avoidable.

Here are ten tips to avoid unexpected fees and make your holiday hire car cheaper and easier to arrange…

1. Use comparison sites to find the cheapest car hire option

Using a comparison website to find a hire car is the easiest way to reduce costs. However, take the time to read the terms and conditions since they can vary; a cheaper option may not best suit your needs. Look out for things like damage excess fees and insurance overcharging. Additionally, some cheaper firms may have older models, or less choice.

Once you've picked and booked a car, the site will send you a code to give to the hire firm.

Try a few comparison sites, as certain ones are better for particular destinations.

2. Book ahead

Just as with an airline ticket, booking a hire car in advance can save you a substantial amount.

The costliest periods are Easter, the summer holidays and Christmas, but you can still make savings during these times by organising your hire car weeks or months before your departure date.

3. Fuel stealth charges

Some hire firms give you a full tank of petrol and charge you for it. This is fine if you use it all up, but for shorter trips you could be seriously out of pocket. In addition, hire companies often charge more for this fuel than you would be charged at local petrol stations.

When it comes to economy booking car hire, it's best to go for 'return as you found it' policies, or at the very least choose a car with a smaller fuel tank.

4. Watch out for excess insurance scare tactics

In most cases basic insurance will be included with your car. However, many hire firms will tell you – rightly – that you'll be liable for the excess, and offer you costly excess insurance (up to £20/day depending on the model, firm and location).

You can avoid being scared into purchasing excess cover by buying standalone excess insurance. By doing so you can usually get excess cover for a much lower price than you'll get at the hire desk.

Some unscrupulous car hire firms say they don’t accept third-party standalone cover – but stand your ground, because such a policy functions independently of the car hire company.

Avoiding a hire firm’s costly excess cover is one of the keys to economy booking car hire.

At Start Travel we offer car rental excess insurance as an optional add-on to you travel insurance cover. Simply add during the checkout process

5. Beware large credit card deposits when opting for standalone excess cover

While excess cover can help you cut costs, car hire firms will often require a credit card deposit in case you damage the car. Debit cards are usually not accepted for this.

You'll need £500-£1500 capacity on any card used for a deposit when you book a hire car.

Aside from worrying about losing this large amount (which could happen if your car suffers even a small scratch), you could lose out on currency fluctuations. This is because some firms take the deposit off your card, then return it when you bring the car back in one piece. While the money is gone, you could either lose or make money, depending which way the currency moves.

6. Inspect your car and take pictures if possible

By having photos at the ready when you return the vehicle, you will have recourse if there is any disagreement. The vast majority of car hire branches do not take photos - chiefly because of the cost of camera equipment and storage - plus the time and admin it would take.

Thankfully, most of us have high resolution smartphone cameras that can be used for collecting this evidence.

Additionally, the process of photographing your hire car may help you identify any pre-existing damage/scratches/missing kit before you drive off.

7. Sort out your DVLA code up to 21 days in advance

Some car hire companies may ask to see your driving licence information when you pick up your hire vehicle. You can do this by requesting a DVLA code up to 21 days before you pick up a car overseas.

Most hire firms don't ask for this, but it's best to be prepared, just in case. The code enables firms to check for points.

Visit the DVLA website or call 0300 083 0013.

8. Use your phone as a satnav

Satnav can cost up to £50 per week to rent from hire firms – another cost that many of us might find unnecessary.

Most phones now have GPS, so use a map service like Google Maps or Maps.me – and give the rental firm's satnav the heave-ho.

You should ensure your smartphone is well fixed to the dashboard or windscreen so you don’t need to hold or interact with it.

Needless to say, the phone should not obstruct your view.

9. Cut costs by using overseas websites via a VPN

It may be cheaper to book a hire car from an overseas version of a big brand's website - by using a VPN (virtual private network). For example, carhirefirmx.fr may be cheaper than carhirefirmx.co.uk.

While there is a cost to using a VPN, you could easily cover this with the savings you make by using an overseas website.

While this technique doesn’t usually work with flights and hotels, it can be very effective when booking car hire.

10. Get unlimited mileage for big trips

If you're planning an epic trip, make sure the terms and conditions don't outline any mileage limits.

Mileage limits that do exist are sufficient for most renters.

Some rental firms offer unlimited mileage (usually except for large or specialty vehicles), generally on the proviso that they are not driven into another country.

Are you covered for your next trip overseas?

Aside from standalone car excess insurance, it's important to protect yourself with a good travel insurance policy while overseas. 

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