The Covid-19 lockdowns caused huge-scale disruptions to numerous industries. Among the hardest-hit companies were car hire firms.

Whilst the car rental sector grew in the UK, the industry faces an ‘apocalypse’ in other parts of the world. For holidaymakers, that could mean hiring a car on foreign turf could be expensive. 

Not only that, but the cost of renting a car overseas has also gone through the roof. Car hire firms offloaded a huge portion of their fleet during the pandemic and do not have the capital to recover them.

As a result, demand outweighs supply - subsequently pushing up the prices. 

On the plus side, there are several ways you can save money on a hire car.

Rent Directly From The Car Hire Company (Except At The Airport)

Third-party travel sites make it convenient and easy to hire a car overseas when you book your flight or accommodation. However, the advertised prices on travel sites are inflated.

The best way to save money on a hire car is to go directly to the car rental and place your reservation on their website. It’s also recommended that you book in advance to ensure you secure your booking.

Don’t wait until you land to hire a car from the airport. Travellers always have to pay well over the odds to drive a car away from the airport.

Perform The Damage Inspection Yourself

When the hire car salesmen circles the car with his clip book inspecting it for dents and scratches, make sure you follow him round to make sure he records every blemish on the car.

If you don’t do this, you could be landed with an unexpected bill for damages you didn’t cause.

Collect & Drop-Off At The Same Point

Car rental firms tend to include hidden charges. One such charge to look out for is dropping off a hire car in a different location to the one you collected it from. If at all possible, pick up and drop off the vehicle from the same location.

Take Out Private Insurance

Here’s a word of caution: don’t buy car insurance directly from a car hire firm.

First of all, you will find better deals on car hire excess insurance from an independent insurance company. Car rental firms make a commission on packages they sell to their clients - which ultimately ends up with you paying more.

A second reason is that you will be able to find better terms when you purchase car hire excess insurance from an insurance company.

For example, car rental companies will typically set car hire excess at around £500. This means that you have to pay the first £500 for any damage or repairs caused to the car. And car rental firms are notoriously known for ripping people off.

When you buy car hire excess insurance from Bettersafe, you are insured up to £7500. This gives you peace of mind should you be unfortunate enough to be in an accident in which the hire car is written-off.

For more details about our car hire excess insurance policy, contact a friendly member of our team today.