Holiday car rental tips

Renting a car on holiday can often make the difference between whether your holiday is filled with joyous excitement or monotonous, resort driven boredom. A car allows you to see aspects of your holiday destination that you would be otherwise unaware of and gives you the freedom to do what you like, when you like.

Despite all of these evident plus points, car rental is often fraught with potential landmines just waiting to be stepped on by your size nines....

So, here at 'The Travel Source' we've pooled together all of our expertise to formulate this quick and easy guide to what you should be looking out for when renting your car.

First things first. Establish what sort of car suits your requirements best. You certainly will not need a gas-guzzling 4X4 if you're going to be doing most of your driving around the windy back roads of Barcelona with your other half. You should only be opting for anything bigger than 3-door if venturing out with the family or if you are planning on driving the length and breadth of the South of France!

If you know that you require a car before you leave for your destination, then shop around online for the best price first. Searching for the best deal online also provides you with an idea of what you should be paying for your vehicle when you get to a dealership abroad.

If you are buying abroad, be sure to check for any hidden costs that the retailer may try to implement into your deal. You may think you are getting a good price, but come the end of your tenure you may find extra costs for mileage and insurance so read all small print before signing. If you have purchased prior to arrival, make sure that the car you pick up from the airport matches the one you have agreed upon. If it isn't, the company has breached it's half of the agreement and you could recoup any extra costs.

Watch out for the method in which you are going to be charged for fuel. Most retailers provide you with a full tank and expect you to refill upon finishing your rental agreement. But there are some firms who will ask you to pay for your fuel upfront. This is an often expensive ploy as the price of the fuel can be inflated and you will find that you are paying for a full tank which you are unlikely to use.

Insurance is another potential stumbling block. The standard insurance that comes with your car is likely to have a monumental excess in the event of an accident and is unlikely to cover you for very much. The retailer is unlikely to actually tell you very much about your policy for these very reasons. They may offer you a policy that provides more but once again you will incur more costs. The best way to avoid any insurance issues is to drive safe and ALWAYS drive within your limit. The worse thing that you could possibly do is charge up a mountainous 'B' road on your first day of driving. Get used to your vehicle before attempting anything a little more risqué and you will find that all driving challenges will quickly become a breeze,

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Traveling by Car Sucks

I just drove 600 km in a single go, which took me almost six hours. Usually it wouldn't take so long, but after both the person in front of me and the person behind me were pulled over, at the same time, by two different cops, I decided I could take a hint, and I slowed the heck down.

You know, I could have flown this same distance in about forty five minutes? Of course, it's the cost that's so prohibitive: if you're traveling a (relatively) short distance, it still makes more financial sense to go by car.

Traveling by car has a whole host of disadvantages, though, noteably:

1. It's boring, and if you're tired, you start drifting off.

2. The aforementioned cops.

3. It's slow.

4. The roads sometimes suck (although today, thankfully, they didn't).

5. If you live where I live, deer constantly run across the highway in front of you, scaring you out of your wits (OK, by "constantly" I mean once. Still).

It has some advantages too, though:

1. Price

2. Traveling on your own schedule

3. It's far easier to travel with pets

4. The scenery is slightly more interesting (or I assume it is, if you don't live in the middle of a barren wasteland)


Hmm. Maybe traveling by car isn't SO bad, after all. What do you think? I guess a lot depends on whether you like to drive. I don't particularly, and I do like to fly. On the other hand, if I have enough new music to listen to, driving isn't that bad -- so thank heavens for the iPod!