Do you like being independent while traveling? Do you want to visit only selected places? If the answer is "yes", renting a car during the holidays will be the best solution. If you want to rent a car safely and enjoy visiting beautiful places on your own, you should remember a few important rules.
The rented car gives us the opportunity to be independent and guarantees convenience, because the direction and time of visiting can be perfectly adapted to our needs and plans. It's also a great solution when traveling with children. The rented car allows you to take a break at any time and adjust the journey to the rhythm of the child's day.
- Before renting a car, you should pay attention to a few details that will ensure a safe transaction and will help to avoid stress at the destination. At first, it's good to check opinions about the rental company, the amount of own contribution, the place where the car is collected, and whether the price includes an unlimited number of free kilometres – says Tomasz Kaczmarek, Marketing Manager Central-Western Europe z eSky Group.
It's worth thinking about renting a car already at the planning stage. When booking a car for a few months before the trip, you can count on better prices and more available cars. You can use the internet search engine, for example, the search engine available on the eSky website. It allows you to compare car prices from many rental companies in the selected location.
eSky gives you some useful tips that are important when renting a car:
- time of collection and return of the car – it's good to check at what time you will be in the place where you want to collect and return the car. The delay may result in additional fees, because the rental company may treat this as the beginning of the next day of rental. The best solution is to plan the time of collection and return of the car - 1 hour after your arrival and 2 hours before your departure.
- place of car collection – some rental companies allow you to collect the car at the airport terminal, and other companies have their cars outside the airport where you can get by a free bus. If this option is available – it's worth choosing a rental company that has its cars at the terminal, it will shorten the time of collecting the car.
- number and age of drivers – drivers aged between 35 and 65 years shouldn't expect any additional costs. A younger driver should be prepared for a higher rental price. You should also pay attention to the number of drivers allowed. Usually one driver is included in the standard charges, for each additional one you have to pay extra.
- facilities and equipment - child seats, navigation, additional insurance, chains for wheels, air conditioning, luggage storage - you should pay attention to these additional factors when choosing a car. Depending on the number of passengers and the route, you should choose a car that will provide comfort and safety.
- unlimited kilometres, insurance, fuel policy – the rental agreement should contain an unlimited number of kilometres. The fuel tank should be full when collecting and returning the car. It's also worth paying attention to the insurance included in the price. Typically, the car has standard protection with its own contribution in the case of damage and protection with its own contribution in case of theft.
- deposit - when collecting the car, the rental company will block the deposit on the main driver's credit card. If the car is damaged or stolen, the rental company will charge the appropriate amount. If you don't want to pay a deposit, you can buy additional insurance during the booking or while collecting the car directly at the rental office.
When collecting a car, you must have your passport or ID card with you, a printed confirmation of your booking and the same credit card that was used to pay for the rental. The card should be issued in the name of the main driver. You should also pay attention to the condition of the car – before leaving the parking, take photos of the car (inside and outside), if you notice scratches, dents or damage to the upholstery - report it. You should also check whether all devices in the car work - air conditioning, lights, radio - and whether the car has a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.
When returning the car, you must request confirmation in writing that there is no damage - then you will receive confirmation of unlocking the deposit on our account. Take the confirmation with you and keep it for the next few months after the return - just in case.