Holidaymakers who depend on the local cab drivers, the local public transport and the local reliability and punctuality can quickly lose money and nerves. Getting into the car in the wrong direction by mistake, arriving at the wrong destination due to communication problems, waiting in vain at a secluded stop at night – and the long-awaited relaxation is already in danger and the vacation begins with nerves.
Travelers who get into the car at the airport, which will be all theirs for the duration of their vacation, have a clear advantage here. With a rental car, the most picturesque viewpoints, accessible only via mountain passes and serpentines, as well as the most remote bathing bays can be reached, and even after an evening visit to a restaurant or bar in the next largest town, a safe return to the hotel is guaranteed. A relaxed vacation is thus preprogrammed. However, only if certain things are taken into account when booking the rental car and stumbling blocks are avoided. In the following, we explain in detail what vacationers must pay attention to in order to avoid being ripped off and to keep a frown line-free forehead and vacation relaxation.
In order to board the plane that will take you to your vacation destination and your rental car in a relaxed state, here are our offers for overnight stays in an airport hotel.
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Before going on vacation with a rental car – what to look out for when booking, contract conditions and co. To note
Taking advantage of a "full-empty offer" and giving the rental company fuel as a gift, saving on insurance and paying a lot more in the event of an accident – these are just some of the things you can avoid. We have the best tips for renting the vacation car.
Book in good time before your trip
H3 book in good time before the trip
the question of when vacationers should book a rental car for their vacation is basically answered adequately in two words: well in advance. This means that the rental car should be booked in good time and conveniently from home, and not at the last minute at the vacation destination.
Only those who book in advance from germany can choose the rental car provider and thus the rental conditions and also have a choice of vehicles and car categories. If you don’t want to harm the unspoiled nature and the people in your perhaps rather secluded vacation destination with engine noise and exhaust fumes and want to move silently and without pollutant emissions through the country, you can possibly get hold of an electric car and try out the associated driving experience as a test for a possible new acquisition in your home country. Regardless of the type of drive, early bookers can be rewarded with favorable early booking rates and are the offers of german websites subject to german law.
Taking what is left of expensive or unusable cars from a local provider and having to drive them in at the law in force in the vacation destination, on the other hand, can be uncomfortable, costly and – in the case of disputes that have to be settled on the spot – nerve-wracking.
Renting for the right duration
A rental car will take you to the most beautiful and remote places of the vacation destination. © marcinjozwiak / pixabay.Com
Many travelers think it makes more sense to rent a car for two or three excursions during the vacation week and to spend the rest of the vacation, the beach and hotel pool days, without a vehicle. A possibly expensive mistake. Often the prices of several individual daily rentals together are higher than the price of a weekly rental or a multi-day offer. And the money for this mistake you then rather spend for luxurious undertakings at the vacation place, here you find tips for luxury journeys.
For a round trip of several weeks within europe, long-term rentals or so-called auto-abos are the better choice. The finn.Car subscription for one month, for example, is available from 678 euros for an opel crossland X and 5,000 kilometers included.
Regardless of whether the trip lasts ten or 80 days, it is always worthwhile to compare several daily rentals and the car rental for the entire vacation period.
Make sure you have adequate insurance cover
The unanimous recommendation in terms of insurance for a vacation with a rental car is: fully comprehensive insurance without deductible! While partially comprehensive insurance does not cover all damages, the renter must pay for damages up to the agreed damage amount in the case of fully comprehensive insurance with a deductible. Scratches and small dents caused by parking bumpers and the like. then on the holidaymaker’s account. The savings from a low-cost offer with a deductible can quickly become a thing of the past.
stiftung warentest also advises fully comprehensive insurance without a deductible when insuring a rental car for a vacation. At the same time, the consumer organization makes it clear how important it is not to forget the even more important passenger car liability insurance. The liability insurance covers the damages that the vacationer causes to others, regardless of whether it is property damage or even personal injury. Liability insurance policies taken out in the country of vacation are often too low in coverage. Another reason to book the rental car from germany and to take out insurance with a sufficient liability sum from the outset.
Good to know: the liability insurance for your own, domestic car could already cover damage caused with a foreign, insurable vehicle and thus also with a rental car abroad. This type of additional cover, which is usually based on europe, can often be found under the name "mallorca policy". And: if the rental car bill is paid with a credit card that includes fully comprehensive insurance, the insurance does not have to be booked separately.
Do you need additional insurance?? Roof, glass, tire and underbody damage are not covered by some fully comprehensive insurance policies. The inclusion of this damage at extra cost can be just as useful as theft and passenger insurance. After all, the coverage amounts of possible local accident opponents are usually much too low. In any case, if you want to take out additional insurance, you should also do so immediately from home. The costs here are considerably lower than abroad. In this way, travelers also avoid the risk of being talked into paying expensive insurance when they pick up the rental car at their vacation destination.
Choose a full-full tank arrangement
Empty the tank completely before returning the rental car? A difficult undertaking… © publicdomainpictures / pixabay.Com
Pick up the rental car with a full tank of gas at the beginning of your vacation and return the car with an empty tank at the end of your vacation. such a full-empty or full-empty regulation sounds quite tempting. However, only vacationers who prefer a convenient deal to a cheap one should take advantage of this offer. If you return the rented car empty as agreed, you will pay a lot more. Firstly, because no one empties the tank to the reserve level before handing over the vehicle and thus gives the remaining fuel to the rental company as a gift. And secondly, because the rental company may charge higher prices for the fuel and may also assess a handling charge.
the full-full or full-full option is definitely the better choice. Here, the rental car driver only pays for what he has actually used and can also go to the cheapest gas station shortly before returning the car. The vehicle should be delivered with a full tank of gas. For missing liters – and certainly not at the best price per liter – additional payments must be made.
Do not set a mileage limit or set a sufficient one
Before signing the rental car contract, it is important to carefully consider how many kilometers will be driven on vacation. Every extra kilometer driven costs the overcharged driver a lot of money. These unnecessary extra costs can easily be avoided.
Additional equipment and special requests that can be avoided
If you have a navigation app on your smartphone, you don’t need a GPS system as an optional extra. © dariuszsankowski / pixabay.Com
Child seat, GPS system, one-way rental, automatic, an additional driver who has not yet reached the lower limit of the age specified by the provider for its rental car drivers – all these special features and special requests cost extra. It may be cheaper to take a booster seat, plan your trip so that you can pick up and drop off your rental car at the same location, keep your family out of the car while you’re on vacation, and use a free navigation app like maps.Me., which also works offline, to be downloaded to the smartphone in advance.
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During the vacation with rented car – that is with takeover, traffic ticket and co. To note
Get into the rented car without checking beforehand, ignore fines – please don’t do it. We explain the mistakes that should not be made in order to save your own money.
Check the condition of the rental car and have it logged
Once the destination is finally reached, many travelers can’t wait to explore the surroundings or head for the accommodations. Unfortunately, it is still often the case that the rental car is picked up quickly, the luggage put in, the radio turned on and the car driven off immediately. In the midst of all the anticipation, few rental car drivers think of the possible consequences. Any defects and damage to the car for which the previous renter is responsible, but which the current renter did not notice and record when picking up the car, could become a costly problem when returning the car after the vacation.
It is therefore safer to check the vehicle scrupulously before loading, getting in and jetting off – ideally in the presence of a local car rental employee. Scratches, dents and other conspicuous features should be recorded in writing and confirmed by the other party. If no employee is available, preliminary damage can also be recorded by photo.
Take care of the rental car
no matter how many problems the car may have, it is inappropriate to treat the rented vehicle carelessly. Off-road driving, for example, is taboo. The car may only be driven on paved roads. The rental car companies make regular inventories of their cars. A new dent will be noticed and will be charged at the time of delivery. If the rental car is very dirty at the end of the vacation, it is cheaper to have it washed. The cleaning charged by the landlord will certainly be more expensive for the traveler.
If the rental car is dirty: it’s better to wash it yourself than have it cleaned by the rental car company! © sasint / pixabay.Com
Pay fines without fail
With the usual speed limits in the country – the ADAC provides a map of the speed limits in europe – and parking regulations, vacationers can lose track of what is going on. The unknowing traveler will quickly get himself a parking ticket. However, the mistake of not paying promptly or even forgetting to pay should not be made. If the police in the country where you are on vacation first have to contact the rental car company and then the rental car company has to contact the former renter, high processing fees will be incurred in addition to the fine.
you are going on a long distance trip with a change at one of the global hubs, for example dubai? check out our great deals for a relaxing stay in an airport lounge here.
After the vacation with rental car – what to consider when returning the car
Too bad, the vacation is coming to an end. Now is the time not to get sloppy. There are a few last things to pay special attention to before you can successfully close the "vacation rental car" chapter without incurring additional costs.
Return the rental car on time
Risking the rental for another day by delivering the vehicle later than agreed – this does not have to be the case. We advise to allow a time buffer for the trip to the car rental and return the car within the deadline. The prices for the additional rentals that are otherwise called are based on the usual table and are not based on the cheap rate with early booking discount that might have been grabbed at the time of booking. Even an accident after the agreed delivery date can be expensive. After all, the additional insurances are also valid only until that time.
Have the return protocol drawn up and checked
When returning the car to the local car rental company, make sure that the staff there record the correct condition of the car and, ideally, keep a log of their own. In this way, and bearing in mind the thorough protocol when receiving the vehicle, the rental company cannot subsequently charge for alleged damage.
We wish you a good trip for every upcoming vacation with rental cars and finally we recommend you this ADAC checklist for the rental car booking.
And for all those who want to travel to the airport by car, here’s a hot tip: for worry-free parking, just check out our offers for airport parking.
