A hire car offers plenty of freedom on holiday. Instead of having to follow timetables or need a taxi for every journey, travellers can explore their holiday destination flexibly and on their own. Especially on islands, in rural regions or on a road trip, having your own vehicle is often a practical solution.
However, when booking a hire car, there are a few points that should be considered. The cheapest price is not automatically the best deal. Insurance policies, excess, fuel policy, mileage limits and potential additional costs can make a significant difference.
Anyone who looks into the most important conditions and compares different offers before the trip can avoid unpleasant surprises when collecting or returning the vehicle.
Book hire car as early as possible
Especially in popular holiday regions, it can make sense to book your hire car before the start of your trip. During the peak travel season, demand often increases significantly. Particularly sought-after vehicle classes such as small cars, automatic vehicles, family cars or larger SUVs can then quickly be fully booked.
Early booking also offers the advantage of a wider selection of vehicles and providers. This not only makes it easier to compare prices, but also allows you to check which services are already included in the offer.
Anyone who looks for a hire car only after arriving at their holiday destination may have less choice and have to make do with the conditions available locally.
Do not focus solely on the cheapest price
When searching for a hire car, people's eyes often go first to the daily or total price. A particularly cheap deal can seem attractive, but it is not necessarily the best choice.
What is crucial is which services are included in the price. An initially somewhat more expensive offer can work out cheaper in the end if, for example, comprehensive insurance cover, unlimited mileage or a fair fuel policy are already included.
Before booking, it is therefore worth comparing the rental conditions carefully. Particularly important aspects include:
- Insurance cover and excess amount
- fuel policy
- permitted mileage
- Amount of the deposit
- Additional charges for extra drivers
- Regulations for young or older drivers
- One-way fees
- Cost of child seats or further accessories
- Conditions for cross-border travel
The pure rental price should therefore always be considered together with the services included.
Check the insurance cover
Insurance cover is one of the most important aspects of car rental booking. Damage to the vehicle can quickly become expensive without sufficient protection.
Depending on the offer, different insurance terms and conditions may apply. Comprehensive insurance with or without an excess is frequently included. If there is an excess, the renter must pay a specific amount themselves in the event of damage.
Anyone who wants to keep financial risk as low as possible should check whether an offer with no excess or with the lowest possible excess is available.
It is also important to note the exclusions from insurance cover. Damage to tyres, glass, the undercarriage or the roof may be treated differently depending on the tariff. Here too, it is worth taking a close look at the respective rental conditions.
Check the fuel policy
The fuel policy can also affect the actual cost of the hire car.
A frequently offered and usually easy to follow variant is „take full responsibility, give full commitment“. This means you receive the vehicle with a full tank and also return it fully refuelled. Therefore, you only pay for the fuel that was actually consumed.
Other models may provide for a tank of fuel to be paid for in advance. Depending on the provider, unused fuel may not be fully refunded.
Therefore, it should already be checked at the time of booking which fuel policy applies and whether additional service fees may apply.
Take mileage limit into account
Not every car hire deal automatically includes unlimited mileage. With some tariffs, only a certain number of miles are included in the rental price.
For travellers who want to use the hire car merely for short trips around the hotel, a mileage limit may be sufficient. However, those planning a road trip or wishing to cover greater distances should, where possible, look out for an offer with a sufficient number of miles or unlimited mileage.
Additional kilometres may otherwise be charged for separately after the return.
Do not underestimate the amount of the deposit
When picking up the hire car, many rental companies require a deposit. This is usually blocked on a credit card and released again after the vehicle is returned in proper condition.
The amount of the deposit can vary considerably depending on the provider, vehicle class and insurance coverage. Therefore, you should find out about this before you travel.
It is also important to know which payment methods the rental company accepts locally. With some providers, the credit card must be issued in the name of the main driver. Debit cards are not accepted everywhere.
Anyone who only notices these requirements at the car rental desk may, in the worst-case scenario, experience problems when picking up the vehicle.
Collection directly at the airport or outside?
Many travellers collect their hire car directly after landing at the airport. This is particularly convenient as the journey can be continued immediately.
However, not all car rental offices are located directly in the terminal. Some providers have their office outside the airport grounds and offer a shuttle service to the rental office.
Therefore, it should be checked before booking where exactly the vehicle pick-up takes place. The opening hours of the rental location are also important – particularly in the event of a late arrival or potential flight delays.
Anyone who only needs their hire car a few days after arrival can also check whether a branch at the holiday destination is a sensible alternative to collecting it directly at the airport.
Include additional driver at the time of booking
If the vehicle is to be driven by several people during the holiday, additional drivers generally need to be registered with the rental company.
Depending on the offer, an additional driver may already be included in the rental price or may cost an extra fee. Unregistered persons should not drive the vehicle, as this can lead to issues with insurance cover in the event of damage.
However, for longer journeys or round trips, an additional driver can still be useful. This allows multiple people to take turns driving.
Note minimum age and potential young driver fees
The minimum age for hiring a vehicle is not the same everywhere. Depending on the country, rental company and vehicle class, different requirements apply.
Additional charges may apply for younger drivers. Furthermore, the selection of certain vehicle classes may be restricted.
The length of time someone has held their driving licence can also play a role. Some hire companies require the licence to have been valid for a certain period of time.
Therefore, particularly younger travellers should check these conditions before booking.
child seat, navigation and other extras
Additional equipment can significantly increase the rental price. This includes, for example, child seats, navigation systems or other extras.
Those travelling with children should check in advance which legal regulations apply at the holiday destination and whether a suitable child car seat can be reserved with the rental company. Especially during peak travel season, availability can be limited.
With navigation devices, it is also worth considering whether your own smartphone with a navigation app is sufficient. However, anyone wishing to use mobile data abroad should check the respective roaming conditions beforehand.
Inspect the vehicle thoroughly upon collection
Before the first journey, the hire car should be carefully checked. Any pre-existing damage such as scratches, dents or damage to the wheels should be noted on the handover protocol.
It is advisable to also document the condition of the vehicle with photographs or a short video. In particular, the sides of the vehicle, bumpers, wheels and windscreen should be clearly visible.
If any damage is not listed in the handover protocol, it should be reported to the landlord before departure.
The fuel level and mileage should also match the information in the documents.
Proceed with care when returning as well
Not only the collection, but also the return of the hire car should be documented.
If possible, the vehicle should be returned during the rental station's opening hours and inspected together with a member of staff. If returned outside opening hours, creating your own photographic record is particularly advisable.
In addition, the agreed fuel policy should be adhered to. Anyone who has to return the vehicle with a full tank should keep the fuel receipt for at least some time.
It is also important to allow enough time for the return – especially if you have to catch a flight afterwards.
Compare car rental deals before booking
Prices and services can vary significantly depending on the destination, travel period, vehicle class and provider. Therefore, it can be useful to compare different car hire deals before booking.
About our partner CHECK24 travellers can compare car hire deals for numerous destinations and contrast the respective terms.
Partner link: If you make a booking via a correspondingly marked link, we may receive a commission. There are no additional costs for you.
Important: Before completing the booking, the specific conditions of the selected car hire offer should always be checked. The information provided by the respective broker and rental company is authoritative.
Head off on holiday well prepared and flexible
A hire car can make a holiday significantly more flexible. Beaches away from the well-known tourist spots, smaller towns or sights outside the usual excursion routes can often be reached particularly easily with your own vehicle.
However, the crucial thing is not to look exclusively for the lowest price. Insurance cover, excess, security deposit, fuel policy and potential additional fees should be considered before booking.
Anyone who compares the conditions at leisure, checks the vehicle upon collection and keeps the most important documents creates good conditions for a relaxed journey at their holiday destination.
And while the hire car ensures flexibility at your destination, a relaxing trip ideally begins even before departure: with myParkplace you park your vehicle near the airport and travel comfortably to BER Airport with our shuttle service.