Hiring a car on holiday can be a minefield so we’ve put together a guide to follow and not only will you avoid making some common travel mistakes but it will also save you some money.

Size

As you will only need to hire the car for a week or two you need to be practical about the size of car you require. Is a big family car an absolute necessary when a smaller hatchback would do? And do you really need a convertible? The price on even the cheapest deals can almost double if you upgrade to larger, sportier car, so my advice would be to only rent what you need. Once you find a deal that suits you don’t hesitate in booking it as these deals can change and the prices can go up.

Fuel

Always check the fuel policy as the most cost effective arrangement is ‘full-full’ this means that you pick the car up with a full tank of petrol and you return it with a full tank of petrol. This means that you will not be paying the car hire any inflated fuel costs to refill the tank. However please be aware that many hire firms, especially in Spain now insist on a ‘full-empty’ arrangement. This means that you have to pay upfront for a full tank of fuel, often this can be at prices higher than the standard fuel charges. You are also not reimbursed for any fuel that you don’t use. Check company websites that use the ‘Fair fuel Policy’.

Extras

Try to take your own child car seats, chartered airlines do not charge a fee to take a child seat with you. Car hire companies can charge up to £80 for one week’s hire, considering that boosters seats costs as little as £8 to buy you can see how overpriced the car seat hire deals are. The same can be said for satnav’s they can cost around £78 for one week’s hire yet you can buy a satnav that covers both the UK and Europe for between £50 – £60. If you are feeling particularly adventurous why not just use a good old fashioned road map.

Essentials

Before you get in the car and drive it away always check the car for dents and scratches if you come across any record the damage and take photographs to support this. Ensure you point this out to the hire company and get them to make a record of it so that when you return the car, you have proof you haven’t caused the damage.

Insurance

Check the insurance documents properly as most car hire insurance policies only cover the car and theft as standard not if the car is damaged. Check how much the excess is as many firms offer you excess waiver insurance when you collect the car. You can also check so see if your travel insurance policy provides any car insurance and to what level.

And Don’t Forget…

Finally make sure you understand rules of the road and check if you need any compulsory equipment. You may be required to carry a reflective jacket, first aid kit or a warning triangle. If you’re worried about driving on the right hand side of the road you could always holiday in Cyprus, Malta, Jamaica, Bahamas or Kenya as they drive on the same side as us. Most importantly, have fun exploring.