8 International Airport Car Hire Tips

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CarHire4Less is your discount car hire specialist. May we suggest a few car hire tips for you to consider, which will make your car hire experience more pleasurable and affordable. 8 international airport car hire tips stand out and are worth taking note of. Some may seem rather obvious, but one may not think of them when you need to most. Here are our 8 international airport car hire tips:

1. Always look for the CarHire4Less counter at the airport! We operate in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East, the Caribbean, Dubai, the South Pacific and many other places. We offer car rentals in alliance with partners like Avis, Alamo, Hertz, Budget and Europcar through 5,000 offices in 98 countries.
2. Read the terms and conditions carefully when you hire a car, and ensure that you know what is included in the rates. These may vary according to location and the vehicle hired. Unlimited mileage, local taxes and airport surcharges may not always be included. Ensure that the car hire you select includes all the important items such as:
   • theft waiver
   • third party insurance
   • bail bonds (where needed)
   • collision damage waiver liability cover
   (All of these are included in CarHire4Less’ rates)
3. Ascertain which items are not included, and add them if you require them. The following are usually not included:
   • additional non-mandatory insurances
   • PAI (personal accident insurance)
   • insurance exclusions (make sure which these are!)
   • out of hours charges
   • fuel
   • garaging, traffic fines, congestion charges and tolls
   • additional driver’s charges
   • one-way rental charges (where these are applicable)
   • young driver’s charge (where applicable)
4. Furnish your car rental company with all your flight information, like flight number and arrival time, to ensure seamless car pick-up. The car rental company needs this information to ensure that your rental car is ready and waiting when you arrive, so keep them updated at all times.
5. Take into account that there is likely to be a cancellation charge if you are unable to honour the collection date at the airport. Cancellations are usually required in writing and no refunds are normally given for rentals that are ended early, no shows, late collections or cancellations that were made after the date the rental had started. (If you know beforehand that a possibility exists that you might have to end your rental early, rather take out Interruption Protection Insurance, available from CarHire4Less at R100 per rental. This will ensure that you get a refund of the unused portion of your rental.)
6. If you move your return flight to a later date and you have to extend your car rental to a later date than that stated on your voucher, keep in mind that you will be charged for the extended rental locally and at the local daily rate, which may be higher than the rate you had initially paid. Rental periods are calculated in 24-hour units, based on the pick-up and drop-off dates that appear on your voucher; these will be confirmed at the time of booking.
7. Make provision for special requests. A child seat should be requested in advance and you will have to install it yourself. These are mandatory in most countries, so keep it in mind if a small child is travelling with you. Other special requests may include roof racks and ski racks.
8. Ensure that you are aware of the driver’s licence requirements at the time of booking your rental car. An international driver’s permit is usually required for international rentals. No refunds are usually given for non-compliance or non-disclosed licence endorsements.

These 8 international airport car hire tips can serve as an additional checklist when travelling overseas and will help you make your car hire experience as seamless as possible. Contact CarHire4Less for more information.