Do you need to rent a car to go away for the weekend or enjoy a holiday in complete freedom in France or abroad? We have looked for solutions for you that will allow you to save money on your car rental.
Book your car rental early
When it comes to car rental, getting there early saves money, as is the case when you leave by plane. Most of the time it is in your interest to book early, as rental companies aim to boost their rental services quickly. Then, over the weeks, if the number of vehicles for rent decreases, the prices will increase. Attention, as for plane tickets, this is not a universal truth, it is sometimes interesting to watch the evolution over several weeks to obtain the best price.
Avoid options when renting
When you rent a car, you will be offered a list of options (GPS, car seat, etc.). To pay less, remember that your smartphone is GPS. Unfortunately, there are few alternatives for the child seat. On the other hand, you can compare the offers of the different rental services companies, the options are not invoiced at the same price by all.
Do not forget, however, to check that the rented car has all the mandatory equipment.
Hire the right size car
If you need a city car or a compact, do not start renting a sedan, the price per day is not at all the same. Adapt the choice of your car to your needs and the nature of your stay.
Choose full/full fuel option
The rental companies suggest that you return the rental vehicle with the empty tank. In return, you prepay a full. This is a very bad idea insofar as not only the price of fuel will not be the most attractive on the market, but service fees will be charged.
Avoid the “one way”
The “one way”, in the world of car rental, is the one-way ticket. Are you picking up your car in one city and planning to return it to another? Be aware that you will be charged a high price for this. If you have the option of returning to the original agency, you can look forward to some great savings.
Investigate car rental insurance
When you rent a car, insurance is included, even if it is not very protective. It imposes an extremely heavy deductible (sometimes more than €1,000). To be better protected, you can consider taking out an additional guarantee, but this will cost you dearly. Little trick of the Bambi Destinations! There are sites that have chosen to specialize in franchise redemption for rental cars. This is the case of Serenitrip, which charges €5 per day for its insurance to supplement the rental services company’s protections and eliminate the deductible when the rental companies charge you around twenty or thirty euros per day.
Check included mileage
Some rental offers include a certain number of kilometers per day, others favor unlimited mileage. If you are sure to travel few kilometers, the first option can be considered. However, if you think you’ll be driving more than expected, unlimited mileage is a must. Why? Simply because the rental company will charge you for each additional kilometer, the price can reach around thirty cents per kilometer.
To be on time
When you rent a car, the contract indicates the date and time of return. Do not be late. If the rental agencies have a tolerance of 30 minutes to an hour generally, then they charge an additional day. This is not the solution to save on your car rental services.
Choose the right driver
Are you going together with people aged 21 to 30? Leave the wheel to the oldest among you if they have had a license for a few years. Young drivers pay much more than experienced motorists, it is difficult to envisage savings with a de facto applied increase.
Compare car rental offers
In many areas, today there are comparators. And we must admit that these tools are rather interesting. Instead of requesting a car rental quote from each professional, you enter the place of departure and return, the dates and you discover the offers of the main car rental players. It is then easy to save, you just have to compare the offers of each one, the price of the options and to reserve the cheapest car.
