Cheap Car Hire UK
If you are looking for holiday car hire or simply need a car to bridge the gap between vehicles - a convenient solution is to hire a vehicle. Companies offering car hire usually do so for between a few hours and a few weeks, depending on your circumstances and requirements. You can generally find a well-known car hire firm near to busy city areas or near
airports – where travellers are looking for transport around their destination, but are not able to bring their own car.
Every driver is probably familiar with the inconvenience of not having their car at hand, so its no surprise that the car hire business is moving with the times and adding online reservation systems to their websites. The Internet has revolutionised virtually every industry the world over, the world of car rental is no different. Owners of a damaged or destroyed vehicle can get a replacement within hours to get them on the road again, and there’s no need for travellers to be stuck in one place for their whole vacation (or to find themselves hitchhiking). In some cases, insurance companies have contracts with car hire companies so that if a customer’s car needs to be repaired they can provide them with another vehicle as soon as the claim comes in.
It’s not just people that need moving around either, travellers and insurance claimants are a large part of the market, but the industry has also branched out into vehicles available to rent for moving house or for transporting goods. The great thing about car hire companies is that they can usually be found in every major city, and it’s no problem to find another site to return the vehicle to when you’re done with it, it’s not a case of driving it halfway across the country to return it.
Because there are so many different types of vehicles available for hire, it stands to reason that you can find a varying array of extra products on offer too. Insurance is usually as standard, but other perks such as GPS, mobile phone, in-car entertainment systems, etc, are becoming increasingly popular. There may be some room for negotiation with the company over these kinds of added extras, frequent customers could see them included in their contract for a nominal fee, after all; if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Car Hire Tips
Hiring a car for the first time can seem a little intimidating – particularly when you’re being bombarded with all kinds of paperwork; rental requirements, additional charges, penalties, optional extras, the list goes on. However, all it takes is a little preparation for you to manoeuvre the process smoothly.
1) If you can, book your vehicle in advance – the further the better, especially if you’re going to be driving at a busy time, if you’ve pre-booked, you won’t be standing around waiting for the next car to drive into the lot. Not only is it going to save you time, but it could also save you money. Lots of companies in the UK operate discounts for hiring ahead of time, and there could be some great deals on your requirements. Paying upfront – whether you’re booking online or over the phone – is also the best option, it’s invariably cheaper to pay immediately than it is to wait and do it in person.
2) Keep all your details to hand when you go to collect your hire car. Have your booking reference to hand, keep your rental agreement with you, and don’t forget the credit card you used to book, you might be stuck without it if you haven’t paid beforehand. When you first receive the car, check there’s no damage to the exterior and the interior, it’s vital that you report any pre-existing dents or scratches so that you’re not made to pay for them when you return the car.
3) Try and pick a car you’re familiar with, it saves time and will undoubtedly make you a more confident driver on routes you haven’t covered before. If that’s not possible, take some time to become acquainted with your hired car, make sure you know where the headlights are, along with the windscreen wipers and any other features you’re not sure of.
Lastly, after you’ve finished with the car, be sure to return it as per your original agreement – anything less than this can lead to extra fees. If you borrowed the vehicle with a full tank of petrol, it’s usually standard practice that you return it with the same, or be prepared to face the charges. Also, late returns are rarely appreciated and they won’t go unnoticed, as much as an extra days rental fee could be added to your booking, so keep an eye on the time to save yourself the trouble.