ARE you planning on renting a car on your summer holiday?
Before you hire, there’s lots you should know: we’ll talk you through everything.
While holidaymakers might book their flights and accommodation months in advance, far too often hiring a car is treated as an afterthought.
But, like so many services, booking your car rental at the last minute could cost you far more – and worse still, you have a nightmare experience from a third-rate company.
That’s why we’ve written this guide to everything you need to know about renting a car while you’re abroad.
1. Make sure you’re eligible to drive abroad
You might have a driving licence, but that’s not enough to guarantee that you can rent a car while you’re overseas.
Lots of countries have a minimum car-hire age, and while in certain countries that’s just 18, in others it can be as high as 21, 23 or even 25.
Also, even if you are eligible to drive, if you’re under 25 you might have to pay a surcharge on top of the standard hire cost.
In most countries, you’ll also need a minimum of one year’s experience in order to hire a car.
2. Check you have all the necessary documents packed
When packing your bags for your holiday, don’t forget all the ID and other documents you’ll need to hire a car.
It will vary from company to company, but here is general run-down of the documents you will need to present when you pick up your car.
- Your driving license
- Your passport or similar photo ID if you have the older-style paper license
- A utility bill or bank statement from within the past 3 months – it needs to have the same address as your driving license
- A credit card that expires after the rental period – if you’re pre-booked, make sure you bring the same card you paid with
You also might need a DVLA code, which enables car companies to access your driving licence from anywhere in the world. This can be accessed from this DVLA webpage while you’re at the car rental office.
Depending on the country you are visiting, you may also need to get an IDP (International Driving Permit), which can be purchased for £5.50 at any UK post office.
There are a number of different types, and you can check this government webpage for a list of countries that ask for an IDP.
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