Renting a car gives you the freedom to go wherever you please when you're away for a weekend or a week. It can also be useful in many other situations. However, arranging a rental car can sometimes bring stress and uncertainty. We would like to take as much of that away from you as possible. How can you rent a car with peace of mind? The tips in this blog will give you a good overview of the things to look out for when renting a car.
Tips for hiring a car
Keep the following tips in mind when you're going to rent a car:
1. Check if you are adequately insured.
Always pay close attention when hiring a car how the car insurance is arranged. We recommend taking out comprehensive or all-risk insurance, so you don't face unaffordable, unforeseen costs if you accidentally hit a wall or have an accident. Many car rental companies operate with an excess, but you can choose to waive this amount with additional insurance. This way, you can take to the road with peace of mind. After all, you won't have to pay anyone anything if you were to have an accident with the car.
2. Check the car for damage beforehand
One of the car hire tips you should definitely take to heart is to always check the car you're hiring for any damage before you drive away. After all, you've surely heard the horror stories of people who have had to pay for damage they didn't actually cause.
Imagine this: you rent a car for a day, drive it very carefully and calmly, and then return it neatly to the car hire company. Upon arrival, you are pointed out a significant scratch on the rear of the car. You hadn't even noticed it, but it certainly wasn't caused by you! You are absolutely certain the scratch was already there. Nevertheless, you are held responsible for this damage and must pay for it. At a moment like this, you have no leg to stand on if you cannot prove that you did not cause this damage.
It is therefore important to always check the car for scratches, dents, etc. before you leave. If you discover any damage, take a photo of it with your mobile phone. This way, you can always show later whether certain things were present or not.
3. Choose the right car
Before you choose a rental car, it's important to determine what you'll be using it for, how much luggage you have, and how many people need to fit. If you're travelling with four or five people and have a lot of luggage, opt for a slightly more spacious, luxurious version. It might seem appealing to go for the cheapest, and therefore smallest, option, but nobody enjoys being crammed together and having to struggle to fit their belongings in.
Please help Choosing a hire car Also consider other important factors such as the type of fuel, the type of driving license required, and the transmission type (manual or automatic). Take all these factors into account when choosing the right car to avoid unnecessary costs and problems.
4. Book on time
It may seem logical, but our next tip for renting a car is to book in good time! Many people put off this task until the last minute, which carries a number of unforeseen risks. For instance, your chosen car may no longer be available or prices may suddenly be a lot higher. To avoid these kinds of situations, we therefore recommend booking a rental car well in advance.
5. Compare prices
Before you immediately agree to the first hire car you find, it's wise to compare different providers and their prices. You don't need to be an internet expert for this. List the different car rental companies and their prices, and choose the provider with the best value for money. This way you can save tens of euros in just under half an hour.
6. Read online reviews
To be absolutely sure you are dealing with a trustworthy car hire company, it is best to check online what other customers have to say about the company. This is because a provider's website can often present a very rosy picture. The reviews of a car rental company gives you much more valuable information.
7. Take road maps
In this modern age, we might almost forget, but road maps can be very useful at times. Especially if your navigation system (and your smartphone) runs out of battery or fails, you'll be glad you brought a road map as a backup.
8. Consider an ANWB membership
It's also clever to ANWB membership to close. Should anything go wrong on the way, you will be helped quickly if you have an ANWB membership. No extra costs will be charged for this. When you call on the rental company for assistance, it is always questionable whether extra costs will be charged.
These were our car hire tips
We hope we've helped you get off to a good start, both literally and figuratively, with our car hire tips. Do you have any other good tips about hiring a car? Or do you have any questions? Leave a comment below and help others choose the best rental car.
Once you've hired a car to discover the beautiful Heuvelland, you might also want to know where you can park for free in the beating heart of South Limburg, Valkenburg. You can read more about that in our blog. free parking in Valkenburg.
2 responses
I have good experiences with car rental but still have a question. Do I always have to take documents with me, such as the registration certificate, or can I leave them in the car? I mean, if I park the car somewhere and it's broken into, isn't it a problem if the documents are gone? And is roadside assistance included as standard with you, or do I have to arrange this myself? I am not a member of roadside assistance and don't want to be.
Dear Tanvir,
Thanks for your reply, good questions!
With our hire cars, you'll receive a copy of the registration document. This can be left in the car. You'll also receive a copy of the rental agreement, which you can use to demonstrate at any time that you have hired the car.
For within the Netherlands, breakdown assistance is included as standard with our rental cars. If you are travelling abroad, you can use your own breakdown assistance membership, or take out an international breakdown assistance insurance policy with us when you collect the car. So, you don't need to become a breakdown assistance member.
Warm regards,
Adrem Car Rental
Frits Pieper