Thursday, April 30, 2009

Cheap Car Hire; The Only Way To Travel

People use car hire services all the time to get around for a number of different reasons, they may be travelling on business or leisurely touring the countryside. This is the ultimate benefit of using a hire car, the freedom to travel anywhere at any time. It is the hope of this article to give consumers an idea of how they will be able to find a cheap car hire service and get the most from their rental experience.

When choosing a car hire company there are a number of different factors that must be considered if a good deal and efficient service are to be found. The first of these factors is to consider your own needs for the vehicle. For instance if you are travelling alone it is hardly going to be a cheap option to take the largest car in the rental fleet; not only will this result in larger hire fees, but fewer miles per gallon. In this instance it would be far more advisable to opt for a small hatchback that has a small engine and hence high fuel efficiency.

When booking a hire car it is often advisable to choose a larger multinational company if renting for a short time; the majority of the time larger companies can offer lower prices for short term customers. On the other hand longer term renters may find a cheap price with an independent company where the option to haggle the price is available. However, care should always be taken with smaller companies; it is not always the case that they will have fully functional breakdown services. Ultimately it can be far safer to travel with a corporation.

Price is ultimately subjective. While the cheapest price may grab your attention it does not always relate to the best service. For instance a cheap price at the time of booking may result in a host of different additional charges when it comes to picking the car up or dropping it off. Consumers should ideally take enough time to read and fully understand the rental agreement to gain an idea of what they are paying for and what is left out.


One way to gain a cheap price for car hire services is to book in advance; it is usually possible to gain a discount if the booking is placed around six weeks before the pickup date. In addition it may be possible to gain a discount if booking over the internet, some companies prefer online bookings as these keep administrative costs down.

Hopefully this article has given an indication of some of the key considerations needed before hiring a car. Additionally it has hoped to give a few ideas on how to find a cheap service. By following this advice it should be possible to have an enjoyable rental experience.