At Bettersafe we care about you and your finances. From car hire excess cover to travel insurance and even gadget cover, we help to protect our customers against costly, unforeseen expenses when things go wrong.

With the costs of living rising including fuel and other travel-related purchases, we’ve compiled some top tips to help you keep the costs down when you hit the road this Easter.

Car Hire Excess Insurance 

Let’s start with our speciality - car hire excess insurance. One surefire way to spend much more money than you need to is to have to pay the excess charge placed on an insurance policy by your car hire company when you arrive at your destination. 

The insurance policy itself may not be extortionate but the excess that you need to pay in the event of damage to your car hire vehicle can be as much as £2,000! Typically car hire companies set the hire car excess insurance at £500. Compare that to a Car Hire Excess policy with Bettersafe. Our annual policy for UK and Europe typically costs £37.99 and with our flexible pay as you go option you can get cover from £2.45 a day, but this comes with a £10 minimum.

Our policy covers you for up to £7,500 in case of an accident or damage. If you haven’t got your cover sorted, get your quote on our site. 

To help you save this Easter we have a 10% discount available on our car hire excess, travel and gadget policies. 

Watch our handy video guide to car hire excess insurance here:

Other ways to save on car hire.

Avoid common car hire company rip-offs. Unfortunately, some car hire companies are notorious for adding inflated prices.

• Refuel the car yourself to the same amount of fuel that was in the tank when you got the car.

• Check the car before yourself before you leave the car hire site. List any marks, scratches and dents. Take photos on your phone as evidence so that you cannot be charged for pre-existing damage on your return. Do the same when you return the vehicle. Watch our checklist video.
• Avoid unnecessary add ons such as overpriced GPS and toll transponders. Of course, this requires some planning ahead. Make sure you have appropriate GPS technology with you by bringing a device or a display unit for GPS on your phone. Here’s a great guide on what to do at the car hire desk.

Travel insurance

Don’t ruin your holiday memories by travelling uncovered. It pays to plan for the worst just in case something goes wrong such as theft, loss of property or something like an illness or injury. Check out our travel cover here to make sure you are adequately protected. 

Did you know that we now offer travel insurance with Covid-19 options? You can get a single trip cover or buy an annual policy. 

Gadget insurance 

Love your gadgets? Then it pays to protect them. Insurance on your prized gadgets such as your mobile devices, phones and smartwatches can save you a lot of money if they need to be repaired or replaced. Find out more here.

Plan Ahead and Shop Around

Sometimes last-minute bookings mean inflated prices. For example, exchanging your currency at the airport is likely to be much more expensive than it would be if you ordered your currency online and could compare the rates on offer. It’s more convenient too. Rather than queuing at the airport for the pleasure of overpaying, you can have your currency delivered to your home.

Here’s a handy list of things to check before you travel.

• Mobile phone tariffs. Check the rate for calls, texts and data for your destination country. Some operators offer travel bundles so that you don’t rack up enormous bills when you use your phone and other devices on your holiday. Remember to ask for Wifi when you check-in.
• Data roaming. Be sure to check data roaming charges and switch data roaming off if you need to. This includes EU destinations as some operators have started to bring back roaming charges since Brexit. 
• Check the luggage allowance. So many people get caught out by overpacking and having to pay more as they check-in. 
• Food and drinks can be expensive in-flight, it pays to take your own.
• Currency. Shop around for rates and check options for prepaid cards that you can use at your destination.
• Reviews. One of the best ways to ensure that you get a good value on your holiday is to get tips from people who have been there. Use websites like Tripadvisor to research where to eat, tours and entertainment.
• Freebies. Some museums and exhibits offer free entry on certain days. Check before you travel and plan ahead to avoid long queues. Check for bundle deals on site tour tickets and discounts for group bookings.
• Public transport. A little research before you travel on the best ways to get around can save you significant amounts of cash on private taxis.
• “When in Rome…” The old saying is a good tip for tourist destinations where there are “tourist traps” close to monuments, galleries, museums and other popular locations. If you can see a famous monument as you eat your lunch, you are most likely paying inflated prices and the food may be of poor quality too. Instead, try to get some local information from people who know the area well. Do as the Romans do and have a great holiday!