The benefits of hiring a car abroad can far outweigh the potential downfalls. You don’t have to stick to a bus schedule and you can’t miss the last train, arguably affording you much more freedom and scope on your travels. Understandably though, people can be put off doing this by some of the complexities of the car hire process; insurance and minor or major variations in law and etiquette can all make it seem not worth the hassle.
Below we’ve looked into some more useful basics to remember to help take the stress and complication out of hiring abroad and make the most of your trip away.
Valid driving licence
First of all, it’s all to easy to reach a destination having organised everything else only to realise you’ve turned up with an expired licence, one that doesn’t cover the car you’re driving or the country you’re travelling to. Please note that provisional driving licences cannot be used in any other country apart from the one in which it was issued – yes it does happen!
Etiquette
If you’re in a foreign country and have decided to take to the road, it’s important to think about etiquette. Driving on a different side of the road, driving on narrower roads, driving with more congestion or with different laws to abide by can all serve to make the experience more nerve racking. Having more to think about can increase the chance of you having an accident too which would put a dampener on anyone’s vacation! Reading up or finding about any driving etiquette before your trip commences can make the experience so much easier. Understand the traffic laws of your destination and take a look online, the driving style may generally be more aggressive or there could be more cyclists on the road – rather than panicking and putting yourself under pressure, a little advanced research can make a big difference.
Precautionary measures
Understand the level of insurance cover you have. Once you’ve decided on insurance, although a tedious process, read through the terms and conditions. Third party and comprehensive cover are familiar terms in the UK however other countries are likely to have completely different rules. Another useful tip is to carry a camera or a phone with a camera feature. In the event of an accident a picture can indeed say a thousand words! To say they could come in handy is an understatement and you could be very thankful if it comes to making a claim.
Car hire companies
A fairly abundant industry you’ve got plenty of options both of cars and price when looking into this. Unfortunately for the companies and fortunately for the consumer competition tends to be high therefore by shopping around it’s probable you’ll get a very good deal. Use online review tools as well for feedback as to what a company is like should you go to make a claim from others that have done this previously and left their comments.
Car hire insurance
Completing this can be very quick, covering you with just a few minutes spent on the phone. The coverage can also be very flexible although you can receive cost penalties not only for returning the vehicle late, but even early!
The law requires that all cars in a car hire company should be covered by an insurance policy against damage or injury to the hirer meaning that car hire insurance is an absolute must-have when driving abroad – failure to have this can get you into significant trouble with the authorities and likely put you out of pocket. The vast majority of companies won’t let you drive off without this but as much as you think about the car you’re going to hire, think about the insurance as well.
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