Hiring a car overseas is a great way to get around, it gives you a special kind of freedom and independence. Not only do you get the luxury of being able to plan your trip entirely around you, you have something that will easily carry your stuff from place to place. If you’re like me, and travel with a bunch of camera gear and laptops that are quite heavy, then this will be a saving grace. When I was in France a couple of years ago, we hired a car and were able to easily customise our trip around, it was a lot of fun. We stopped in small seaport towns on the way to Honfleur and it made the trip so much more special being able to be spontaneous. Here are a few tips for car hire overseas:
Photo Credit: Michael Zimmer
1) If You’re Visiting NZ or Australia, Buy Instead
New Zealand and Australia offer quite open working holiday visas, for 1-2 years depending on your circumstances. Lots of people flock here and spend an entire year working and a few months on the end of the trip traveling around. Car hire in New Zealand and Australia is really expensive, especially compared to the cost of buying a cheap, old Japanese car. It’s quite easy to sell these cars on. If you arrive in either country a bit short on cash, you could look at buying a car with a car loan. There are lots of companies that offer this service, such as YesLoans. That way instead of just wasting money on rentals, you actually have something you can on sell when you’re ready to leave.
2) Be Careful of Toll Roads
When we were in France, we didn’t realise how many toll roads there would be and how expensive they would run. I believe on our trip we spent around 30 euros on tolls. That really adds to the price. Many navigating systems will allow you the option of skipping toll roads and taking the more scenic route. If you’ve got some spare time, we suggest it although you’ll wind up spending a little more on petrol.
Photo Credit: David DeHetre
3) Be Aware of Hidden Costs
Read the fine print properly. Often there are numerous extra charges that are added into the rental fee which really bumps the price up. Our car hire in France had a lot of additional fees that we weren’t expecting that pushed the price up. There was also a pretty hefty deposit taken from our credit card which was well above our standard credit card limit so we actually had to put money onto our credit card to cover it. These are all things to be aware of before you arrive at the car hire place, so you’re properly prepared.
4) Check the Car Thoroughly
It’s important to check that everything on the car works properly, because when you return it you will be responsible for anything that isn’t working properly. Check the mirrors, window wipers, indicators and look for any bumps or scratches on the car surface. Record everything and if possible show the car hire person so that you can make sure they are aware of what was there before you actually took possession of the car. Repair bills can be quite hefty, so take a few minutes to thoroughly inspect the car before you drive off.
Thankfully nothing went too badly with our car hire in France. We were a bit shocked by the additional fees and giant deposit that they took, but all in all it was a hassle free process. Car hire can turn a trip into a real adventure, but can be a serious nightmare if you don’t spend a little time planning and checking it over.
