This is a good piece of advice in general to be honest, so you\u2019d expect it to apply to hiring a car. Shopping around on price comparison sites is always wise if you\u2019re after the best deal. Plus, it can tip you off to some of the more notorious rip-off merchants. For most sites, you just have to enter in a few details, and it\u2019ll bring up a list of viable car hire companies in the area. (By the way, we use exactly the same sort of simple process to find you a scrap car dealer when you scrap your car with us<\/a>!)<\/p>\n Avoid the hard sell at the check-in desk<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to hiring a car, it\u2019s always worth considering only buying the basic package. Most car hire firms, whether domestic or international, make their profits by selling \u2018add-ons\u2019. Sat navs and child seats, for example, can end up having a huge effect on your final bill, and in many cases you may not necessarily need them. In fact, we\u2019ll come onto what to bring with you in just a moment!<\/p>\n Look at the number of seats or doors on the car you\u2019re getting<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t take anything for granted, or be misled by images on the web. If you think you\u2019re getting a four-door car, take a second to make sure on the paperwork that\u2019s what you\u2019re actually getting. Look out for the tell-tale phrase \u201cor similar\u201d on anything the car hire firm supplies.<\/p>\n Select a designated driver<\/strong><\/p>\n It might be an unpopular decision at first (especially with the driver in question) but having a single driver hugely reduces the cost for hiring a car. Some firms charge another \u20ac5-\u20ac6 a day for an extra driver, which can really add up!<\/p>\n Take your own child seats, phone chargers, and satnav<\/strong><\/p>\n These are classic examples of the add-ons we were just talking about. And we\u2019re sure you\u2019ll agree; there\u2019s no point being charged extra for something you could have brought with you anyway! In terms of navigation, maps and smartphone apps are your best friend. Most reliable smartphone apps allow you to pre-download your map information at home, too, so that you don\u2019t have to worry about roaming charges when you\u2019re on holiday.<\/p>\n Make sure you\u2019ve got your documents, and don\u2019t forget your credit card<\/strong><\/p>\n Obviously, you\u2019ll need your documents in order to make sure you can legally get behind the wheel once you\u2019re at the car hire shop. And as for credit cards, almost every hire company will require a refundable deposit. It\u2019s easiest to do this with a credit card, because it then doesn\u2019t impact your holiday spending money. Now, that\u2019s not as frivolous as it might sound. You’ll always want access to plenty of money in a foreign country. Otherwise, things can go wrong that might otherwise leave you stranded.<\/p>\n As you\u2019re reading the contract, don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions (ideally, well ahead of time). Don\u2019t let the answers go unless you fully understand them. You can always walk away and find another company if you\u2019re not convinced you\u2019re in safe hands.<\/p>\n The top factors to check first are the clauses concerning:<\/p>\n Some companies (especially in countries like Spain or Greece) will charge you as if you\u2019ve used a full tank of petrol when driving, even if you haven\u2019t. They claim this saves you money, and sometimes it does, but that heavily depends on how much driving you\u2019re planning on doing on holiday. Watch out for that one! The same goes for the insurance. Checking the fine print could reveal you\u2019re personally liable for more than you initially thought.<\/p>\n Experts advise \u2013 as do we \u2013 that you get a standalone excess policy from a separate provider. Hire firms are a bit notorious for saying stuff like \u201cwithout our policy, you\u2019ll end up paying a fortune for just a scratch!\u201d Which may well be true, but you might end up paying a fortune, period. Insurance from some car hire firms can total up to \u00a325 a day, whereas other policies from independent providers can come to as little as \u00a32 a day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always a good plan to inspect the car when it first gets to you. Sure, your provider might find it a little hurtful, but it\u2019s definitely worth it just in case there are any minor forms of damage that you can bring to their attention. It would be a kick in the teeth to get charged for them later! Make sure the company is aware of it, and take pictures, too. It takes a bit of time, but as we say, it\u2019s worth it if there are problems.<\/p>\n Speaking of time, make sure you allow a little while for the vehicle to be checked when you drop it off. If you shoot off early and they uncover any damage, you may well end up being the one who gets the blame. If you\u2019re around though, it gives you a chance to argue your case!<\/p>\n When you\u2019ve checked all these boxes, you\u2019re good to go. Drive safe! It can be a total nightmare to end up scrapping a hire car when abroad. However, you can pocket a tidy bit of cash for your car if you choose to scrap your car right here in the UK. That\u2019s where we come in! All you have to do is enter in your car reg and postcode<\/a> onto our website, and you\u2019ll be looking at your very own instant scrap car quote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Holidays are awesome, but they don\u2019t half take a lot of admin in the run up. And if you\u2019re planning on renting a set of wheels while you\u2019re over there, it can be quite the headache if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing. We\u2019re here to help! Wherever you\u2019re planning on jetting off to this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":1312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n![\"young](\"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/young-family-resized.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat to bring with you<\/h2>\n
Before you sign the contract\u2026 read the fine print!<\/h2>\n
\n
When you get the car<\/h2>\n
![\"driving](\"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/driving-car-holiday-resized.png\")
<\/p>\n