People are nowadays used to renting a car when going on a vacation, because that has turned out to be a rather convenient option when you find yourself in a new setting, i.e. a foreign place. It can make your vacation much more enjoyable, which is definitely a big deal. Since you are here, I can guess that you want to use car rental services as well and that you are ready to learn more about it all and thus do everything correctly.

If you have never used these services before, then you might not be sure about how to actually do everything the right way and without making any mistakes in the process. You really don’t want to make mistakes when trying to get yourself a vehicle to drive when you are in a foreign country. It might be a good idea for you to learn how to say “rent a car” or a similar phrase in the language that is spoken in the country you want to visit, as that might save you a lot of trouble. For example, if you’re visiting Norway, I would say that bilutleie or leiebil are words that are not difficult to learn, but that could come quite in handy.

Of course, English will probably help you wherever you find yourself, since “rent a car” is a phrase that people are usually familiar with all over the world. Anyway, it does not matter which language you will speak as long as you will manage to understand the person renting you the vehicle and as long as that person will be able to understand you. Now, as previously mentioned, you seem to be ready to learn more about how to correctly use these rental services and I am going to help you out with that right now.

In order to do everything perfectly and correctly when renting a car in any part of the world, you will need to make sure that you know a few rules, as well as a few useful tricks that could make the process much easier and more straightforward. So, now I am going to give you a list of some of those rules and tricks that will hopefully help you out. If you stick with those rules and use a few of the tricks, you will most probably have a great experience with renting a vehicle in any country you find yourself in. Let’s begin.

1  Use Your Credit Card

Some people usually don’t even make a distinction between their credit and their debit card when paying for services like these. Yet, I would advise you to make a distinction, as it will put you at a huge advantage. The trick lies in using a credit card instead of a debit one, as the latter will put a hold on a substantial amount of your assets as part of the additional incremental hold policy. Plus, an authorization fee will also be charged. All of that basically means that you will spend less if you go for a credit card instead of a debit one, which is certainly a huge benefit.

2  There Is A Fee For People Under A Specific Age

If you are planning a family trip and you want to let your son or your daughter that’s under 25 drive, be prepared to pay an additional fee for that. This is because the companies that will provide you with the vehicle will see those people as a threat to their asset and they need to have some sort of a security, regardless of how good of a driver your son or your daughter may be. Of course, the age limit will differ from one country to another, which is why it would be advisable for you to check that in advance, before making any types of agreements with any of these rental companies. This way, you can avoid paying those additional fees, or you can at least be aware of them in advance.

3  There Is A Fee For The Number Of Drivers

Since we’re talking about fees, let me tell you about another one that you definitely need to be acquainted with. That’s the fee that is charged for multiple drivers. The more drivers, the bigger the cost of this service. So, if you want to avoid those extra charges, I would suggest you to choose only one person that will be driving the rented vehicle during your vacation. If you cannot do that, then you will at least get familiar with the extra fees that will need to be paid for multiple drivers.

4  It’s Better Not To Rent At The Airport

When you arrive in a foreign country and leave the airport, you’ll probably be greeted by at least one person that will be able to offer car rental services to you. People that don’t make any arrangements ahead of time usually use this option, as it is practically the easiest one. While I have nothing against this particular option, I feel sort of obliged to let you know that it will cost you more than renting at a different place. This is because you will be paying a premium for being able to pick up a car as soon as you get off your plane. If you think about it carefully, it’s no wonder that a service like that is paid additionally, but if you don’t need it, then you might want to try and avoid it by making arrangements in advance and renting a car elsewhere, i.e. outside the airport.

Here are some more things you should know when renting a vehicle: https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0411/8-things-you-need-to-know-before-renting-a-car.aspx

5  Shop Around For Your Insurance

Insurance is absolutely a necessary part of your rental process, but that does not mean that you have to buy it from the company that will be providing you with the actual vehicle. Sure, once again, this is the easiest option, but that is precisely what might make it a bit more expensive. This is why shopping around for insurance might be a much better solution for you. First of all, check whether your personal vehicle insurance covers the rental options too, because you won’t need to buy new insurance if it does. If it does not, though, try to find some other providers and only get the insurance at the rental shop if you have exhausted all the other options and if there is no better solution.

6  Bring Your Own Extras If That’s An Option

Some people might need to add some extras to the car they are renting, such as baby chairs for example, or GPS devices. The truth is that you can easily buy all of these once you rent the vehicle, but, as you might have guessed it, that could certainly cost you much more than, for example, bringing those extras from your home. This will depend on the actual prices in the country that you are visiting, but bringing some of the extras with you before leaving your home country could be a very good idea. If nothing else, it will be an easier option and I am sure that you would like that.

7  Fill Up The Tank When Returning The Car

There is another thing that you have to know before entering into these rental arrangements. Basically, you will need to fill up the tank when returning the car to the rental shop. Now, you do have the option of letting the rental shop fill it up for you and letting you simply pay for it without bothering with the technicalities, but this could actually cost more money, which is not a favorable situation. That’s why filling the tank up on your way to return the vehicle is the smartest option.