- Introduction
- Benefits of hiring a car
- 1. Use comparison sites
- 2. Get insurance for your hire car
- 3. Make sure you have the correct driving documents
- 4. Familiarise yourself with driving laws and legal requirements
- 5. Research road rules
- 6. Download Google Maps
- 7. Check if there are toll roads
- 8. Check you are allowed to take your hire car across borders
- 9. Take video evidence of your hire car
- 10. Drive safely
- Useful Links for hiring a car abroad
Introduction
Hiring a car abroad for your holiday is a great way to explore more of the country you are visiting and ultimately gives you freedom. We hire a car on almost all of our trips and have driven across many countries. In this blog, you will find my top tips for the best way to save money on car hire and insurance. Also essential advice about researching laws and making sure you have the correct documents you need for driving abroad.
Benefits of hiring a car
Hiring a car on holiday means you don’t need to book transfers or rely on others for transportation. Generally, hiring a car abroad saves you money, especially if you are a family or group. Car hire companies usually provide the things that are legally required to drive in their country so you don’t need to worry about extra equipment. We enjoy exploring and find that having a car means we can travel to more places.
Despite the positive benefits, driving abroad is not the same as driving in your home country. Check out these essential tips for hiring a car for you to consider before you book.
Some of my content may contain affiliate links for companies I use and love and recommend to awesome readers like yourself. If you take action, (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small amount of pocket money (at no extra cost to you), so I can buy a coffee while creating more helpful content like this.
1. Use comparison sites
To find the best deals use price comparison sites like: zest, rentalcars, argus or Skyscanner.
Reviews
Make sure you read the reviews before booking your car. Some car hire companies have excellent customer service but some are dreadful. Sometimes there’s a good reason why a company have the cheapest prices and it’s not for good reasons. It is vital you read others’ experiences before you commit.
2. Get insurance for your hire car
You have 2 choices for taking out hire car insurance:
1. Private insurance
If you are going to be hiring a car on more than one trip, it is less expensive to take out annual insurance. This is usually much cheaper than car insurance from the car hire company. If you have your own insurance, you will need to pay upfront for any accidental damage and claim back costs from your insurer.
Our favourite car insurance companies are Cover For You and Holiday Extras.
2. Car hire company insurance
Insurance purchased from the car hire company is more expensive but less hassle.
3. Make sure you have the correct driving documents
Check the requirements for the country you are driving in. Often you will need to have an International Driving Permit. You can get this from the Post Office. Some countries expect you to have your passport as well as a driving licence and permit – check on their Government’s website. Additionally, when you pick up your car it is often a requirement to bring with you the same card that was used during the booking process.
Government websites
Each country has their own government advice website. You can find tips on other websites but personally, I only trust the official government websites to ensure I have completely up to date information.
4. Familiarise yourself with driving laws and legal requirements
Find out the driving requirements for the country you are travelling to. There are often different driving laws and legal requirements. For example, in France it is a legal requirement to carry hazard warning signs and you must have winter tyres or snow chains if the weather is wintery. Check that your car hire company provide these, especially if you are travelling across borders.
Car seats
Depending on the age of your children, car seats can usually be hired from the car hire company. As our children got older, we purchased Bubble bum inflatable car seats. They were really handy, easy to pack and ideal for travel.
5. Research road rules
Research the driving rules and familiarise yourself with road signs. Which side of the road do they drive on, which lane do you need to be in when turning left or right?
6. Download Google Maps
Make life easier for yourself: Navigating unfamiliar roads, whilst driving on the opposite side from what you are used to isn’t easy straight away. Download Google Maps for the areas you will be travelling to and purchase an E-sim if necessary or buy a sim when you land.
7. Check if there are toll roads
Check to see if there are toll roads and find out the cheapest way to pay for these. Car hire companies will try and upsell you toll road gadgets but it is usually cheaper to source toll road passes yourself.
8. Check you are allowed to take your hire car across borders
If you are travelling to different countries, make sure it is ok for you to take your hire car across the border. This isn’t always the case. For instance, it is not a problem to take a car from France to Switzerland but you are not usually allowed to take your hire car from Corfu to Albania.
9. Take video evidence of your hire car
When you pick up your hire car, take a video all around the car and take photos of any scratches or damage. If you have a dash camera, take it with you. Car hire companies often try and blame you for any scratches, and if you are involved in a crash it is common to blame the tourist – have your evidence – just in case.
10. Drive safely
When driving abroad it is more important than ever to drive safely. Plan your journey carefully. Never be in a rush or get angry. You don’t know the nuances of driving habits and courtesy in unfamiliar countries. Above all – be patient.
I hope you’ve found these tips useful. Have you driven abroad? What is the most important piece of advice or tip you would give?
Useful Links for hiring a car abroad
Remember, always check out official government website for the most up to date information about the specific country you are driving in.
Leave a Reply