Going on vacation abroad, you do not want to spend all the time in a hotel or on the beach, and even more so, spend from $ 40 per person on excursions, despite the fact that most can be seen completely free of charge. For this amount, it is better to rent a car and not restrict your freedom of movement. There are firms that provide car rental in every major tourist city, so renting a car abroad will not cause difficulties, but you cannot do this without important advice.

How to choose the right car: online or locally in the country?

In the first case, local stringent requirements are put forward. Except, no one is insured against unscrupulous companies, so it is important to find out the reviews in advance and clarify all the nuances of cooperation.

In the second instance car rental abroad are made out in advance online. Thus, you can save up to 15% of the cost and even in the high season you can be sure that the car of the required class will be available. You can use several available options on your own and make your choice without intrusive service. It is worth using not only the official websites of the companies, but also aggregator sites, which, upon request, provide a wide selection of cars from all our distributors in the selected country on one resource.

What determines the cost of rental

The rental price is indicated on each page of the car, the amount starts at $ 25 per day and is actually not limited by the upper threshold. For a business class car, you can pay up to $ 150 per day. For tourists, car rental abroad can be offered at a limit of $ 30-40, but it is important to understand that this is a basic offer with a limited mileage and without any additional options. If necessary, you will have to pay extra for:

car delivery to the airport –20 $;

full insurance (including protection against theft and road accidents);

driver services;

rental of a child car seat or navigator - $ 10-15 per day;

increase the minimum mileage.

But self-confident drivers, who are not the first time to rent a car abroad, confidently do without additional services. When offering a car abroad, companies can specifically hide the price, if you have been told one amount, and upon arrival at the office they require another - check the information with the manager. You have the right even refuse the cost of services.

What are the requirements for a driver?

There are some requirements for the driver who is going to rent a car. Car rental abroad is accessible to those who:

has reached a certain age (for European countries, often from 19 years, for Poland, Czech Republic and France from 21, in cases from 25 years);

has a driving license of at least 1 or 3 years.

The driver must think about his own safety and evaluate the driving experience, no one will persuade you to purchase extended insurance, which costs from 15 euros per day, but this offer is very profitable. Then you can feel completely safe, you can relieve yourself of responsibility. To shift all costs to insurance, you need to buy full insurance: Super Collision Damage Waiver. However, even in this case, there are restrictions, such as not drinking while driving and not using drugs.

Driver requirements are individual for each country and company. If the driver is younger than the established age or has little experience, it is possible to "pay extra" for non-compliance by buying a more expensive insurance or leaving a large amount of money as a deposit.

Is it obligatory to have an international driving license?

Not necessarily - most European countries have signed the Vienna Agreement. At the same time, some companies require that the experience in them exceeds a year or three - this is worth paying attention to. In practice, there are cases.

Also the list of mandatory documents for car rental abroad includes: an identity document - a passport, a credit card issued on the name of the driver with a credit limit, a confirmation voucher (when booking a car online).

At the same time, for movement in Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Ireland and Iceland, it is necessary to have an International Driver's License. If a person who is not listed in the insurance as one of the drivers sits behind the wheel, you may have serious problems, so if you are going to drive the car alternately with a friend or your soul mate, be sure to tell about it and write it down in the contract so that car rental abroad is not resulted in a large fine.

Tips for Renting a Car Abroad

It should be admitted that car rental abroad is a much more popular service than in your home country. Tourists know it's easy, fast, safe and happy to share their experiences. Here are some tips to help you choose the right company, avoid problems and get extremely positive emotions during your numerous trips:

analyze the available offers in the selected country on the websites of different companies in order to choose the best;

carefully check all the conditions prescribed in the contract so as not to overpay for unnecessary services;

follow the rental rules and drive yourself carefully;

check if there is a surcharge in case of border crossing, for resorts that are located at the intersection of two countries, this is very important;

be sure to check the car for damage and ask an employee of the company to document the deficiencies found so that they are not later attributed to you;

specify the required type of fuel for refueling - insurance may not work if the car was refueled with the wrong type of fuel;

take a GPS navigator with you so as not to overpay for rent, you can simply download it to your phone.

Assess your chances yourself and do not allow unnecessary services to be imposed, if this is not your first experience, and you are confident in your driving experience, then there is nothing to worry about - foreign drivers are more civilized and there is simply nothing to be afraid of on a flat road.

Renting a car abroad significantly expands the possibilities of a tourist and allows you to go on a long-awaited trip with pleasure. Natural parks, ruins, unique neighborhoods - everything is accessible by car, so feel free to find out about the rental conditions and calmly plan your next adventure.