As you head away on business or vacation, waiting till the last minute to find a car for hire is never a good idea. Trying to find a rental at the last minute as you are leaving the airport can be disastrous to say the least. Companies pray on unprepared travelers, and you will most certainly end up paying hundreds more than you should have if you don’t know your airport hire car choices before landing.
At some airports, all the car rental counters are in one section of the arrival terminal. This certainly makes it a bit easier to find the type of car you want and can afford, and you also have the chance of going counter to counter to see what types of deals they have.
If you have any type of customer loyalty card from one of the larger rental companies, it’s always a good idea to check with them first, if they have a counter there of course. If you don’t have one of these cards you can still find a decent price if you have the time to do some research and are willing not to get pressured into anything by rental agents who say, “This is our last car, take it or leave it.”
A good deal would include things like free GPS system (a great option when driving in unfamiliar territory!), an upgrade to a larger more comfortable car, or an upgrade to an automatic transmission – in countries where stick shifts are more common this is always a nice option for travelers who just aren’t use to, or can’t, drive a stick shift.
Most companies offer free mileage, but be careful – this is not standard in many countries. Don’t drive off thinking you got a great deal and then find out when you return the car a week later that you owe hundreds more than you had planned on.
Also be careful about buying additional insurance coverage. This can be very expensive, and in some cases, totally unnecessary. Insurance coverage is a big money maker for rental companies and the rental agents will do their best to explain the horrors that await you in case you are in an accident with their car. Before committing to this expense, it might be well worth a call to your insurance company to find out what you’re already covered for out of state or out of country.
Finally – check your car over really well before getting in. Some companies are very good about charting any prior damage to the car that hasn’t been fixed yet. If there are pre-existing scratches, etc., make sure the company documents all the damage before you drive away. You don’t want to get stuck paying for dents that weren’t you fault.
Most travelers choose to hire a car when they arrive at their destination, unfortunately without making arrangements ahead of time, leading to overcharging. Upon arrival check out the airport hire car options you have. More information on http://www.airporthirecar.net