A Handy Guide to Hiring a Car - 2) How to choose a hire company

How to choose a hire company?

As mentioned in my pre-amble, websites such as localised forums, TripAdvisor and TrustPilot will give you some idea about the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the various companies that hire out vehicles. I personally, have had good service from the high cost, mainstream brands as well as the low-cost budget brands.

Cheap does not always mean Cheerful, but it also doesn’t have to mean it is a Horror Story!

I have had the pleasure of hiring a vehicle for €0.08 per day and had a wonderful experience, YES, just 8cents per day! But I did work hard for it!

You should first consider the location of the hire company.

If you are flying into the airport and don’t want the hassle of trekking with your family and belongings then you need to consider a hire company that is located within the airport grounds, walkable from the terminal in which you arrive. You are likely to pay extra for a hire company that is located on the airport grounds.

There are other options. Some hire companies operate a pick-up and drop off service. They either pick you up and take you to their off-site location, you collect the car, enjoy your trip, return the car and they take you back to the airport. Another version of this is where they will drop off and collect the car from an agreed location and this could even be the place you are staying. Once again, I suggest using a forum for the area you intend to visit as there are lots of local people who are willing to give help and advice.

Very often, the most perceived option for the cheapest hire is to locate a car hire company who are located away from the main transport links such as airports and train stations. I would suggest you look at the overall cost for this though as you will incur other costs such as taxi or public transport costs and you need to factor in your own time also, this comes at a price!

Other terms and conditions to consider

Before making a booking also, consider what size of vehicle do you need? Think about the luggage space needed - including passengers! Be realistic about the pick-up and drop-off time, how many miles/kilometres will you be doing – diesel/petrol and auto/manual? Who will be driving, more than one driver? All these decisions can impact on the price you will pay.

Mileage

A lot of hire companies offer unlimited mileage, but not all! Do not assume! Check the T&Cs

Fuel Agreement

I always recommend you select/request a contract where you pick up the vehicle with the fuel tank full and you return it with the fuel tank full. This way you know exactly the cost of the fuel you have used.

By returning the vehicle not full (or not at the agreed level) you will be subject to a higher cost per litre for the hire company to refuel and generally a service charge on top also.

Insurance

‘General Insurance’ for the vehicle is included in the price of the hire.

What is NOT normally included in the hire cost is Collision Damage Waiver. This is also known as CDW.

CDW insurance is NOT mandatory, but I highly recommended that you have it!

Written by