When renting a car while on vacation, your first thought might be how many passengers you will have or if you will share the driving with someone else. Then, you might take into account the refueling options and the return times to avoid penalty fees. However, you should also consider other factors like weather, safety, insurance, and how the car fits you as a driver.
These factors will directly impact your driving experience and, if ignored, can make your vacation unnecessarily stressful. So, as you plan your next self drive safari in Tanzania, follow the steps below before you drive off in your rental car:
Step one: Decide on your travel plans
Shopping for a rental car is best when you have already purchased your airline tickets because you can then coordinate pickup and drop-off times accordingly.
Though sometimes picking up a car outside of the airport may offer a discount, in my experience the cost of time and loss of convenience is not worth it. Once you know specific dates and hours of your plane tickets, go ahead and start shopping for you rental car.
Step two: Consult your Insurance Agent
Many car rental companies provide insurance packages. In turn, many insurance companies include rental cars in their packages. Prior to booking your rental car, check with your auto insurance agent to see if your policy includes coverage when driving a rental car. Additionally, be sure to list all possible drivers on the rental agreement.
Step three: Make a Reservation
Many major rental car agencies gladly accept walk-up customers, but companies sometimes rent out their entire inventory and are left unable to service new customers. To ensure that a vehicle is available to rent, place a reservation for the rental using the company’s website as far ahead of time as possible. As an added bonus, customers with reservations are usually charged a lower rate than walk-up customers.
Step four: Review basic state driving Laws
Driving activities legal in your state might not be legal in the state to which you are traveling. A good example of this is cell phone usage. Others include reporting a crash, turning right on a red light, and even headlight use. Before your trip, consider reviewing the driving rules of your destination state with a quick visit to their website.
Step five: Rent a car you know you can drive
Double check that the company has the vehicle you want. Rental companies often offer small vehicles, such as Toyota land cruiser, Rav 4, at lower rates. Many of these vehicles might not include four-wheel drive or navigation systems, car features to which many drivers are accustomed. You will need to make the decision if the bargain price is worth the reduced features, especially when it comes to safety.
Step six: Present Payment and License to Rental Agency
Upon arriving at the car rental location, the agent behind the desk will verify the reservation and request two items: a valid driver’s license and a major credit card. The driver’s license is used to validate the renter’s identification, license status, age, and address (in case the car is not returned), and the credit card is generally charged a “hold” in the amount of the rental (rental companies use this hold to ensure they will be paid when the car is returned).
Step Seven: Review the Rental Agreement
Rental agreements vary from company to company, and should be carefully reviewed before taking the keys to the rental car. Verify how many miles are allowed per day, many, but not all, companies offer unlimited mileage allowance and other nuances, such as when the car must be returned, any grace periods, and additional fees that may be incurred.
Step Eight: Review the Damage Insurance
A part of the contract that requires special attention is the loss and damage insurance. Most companies offer special insurance at the time of rental that pays for repair of any damage, though this coverage often comes at a hefty charge. In many cases, the credit card used to reserve and rent the vehicle offers similar coverages as a free benefit.
Before accepting or declining the car rental agency’s insurance, be certain to become familiar with the free benefits offered by the credit card cardholder agreement. You should also check with your own car insurance company, as many policies afford you the same protection on a rental car as you have on your own car.
Step Nine: Accept the Keys
With the contract signed, the car rental agent will offer keys to the rental car. Many companies simply assign a vehicle at random based on the class of car reserved, though some companies allow their customers to select a car from a designated portion of the lot. Before you drive off the lot, quickly review the car, both inside and out. If the gas tank isn’t full, if you see somebody damage, if something isn’t working properly, be sure to inform the rental agent. Otherwise, you might be held responsible for those problems once you return the car. If everything’s in order, off you go.
Step Ten: Check your car before leaving the parking lot
It once happened to me that when I was getting into the car, I noticed that the license plate was about to fall off.
I told the clerk about this, and he not only apologized for having a damaged car, but gave me an instant upgrade from a regular sedan, to a fabulous SUV.
Step Eleven: Return the Car
When the car rental period is complete, simply return the vehicle to the designated area. Depending on the company, an attendant may be present in the lot, or the keys may be returned to a designated drop box inside the rental office. Most car companies require that the car be returned with a full tank of gas, unless you pre-paid for the gas as part of your agreement.
Conclusion
You’d think things were simpler when it comes to travel, and to the “spontaneous” traveler, they may very well be. But for organized tourists, there are steps to avoid being overcharged for things we don’t need or we may get a fantastic deal for the same price. Contact Self Drive East Africa for more information and clarification about renting a car.