Fuel surcharge on cars – a reality
Far-sighted motorists with extensive travel experience know: the most reliable and cost-effective way to get a car of the desired class right at the arrival airport is to pre-book it with one of the largest rental companies, which have offices in almost all air harbors around the world and at many major railway stations in Europe and America. Booking a car just a day in advance or the day before is already considered early booking, and therefore costs less than when you need it "here and now."
The market leaders in rent-a-car services – or simply, car rental, - companies Hertz, Avis, Europcar – accept orders online, by phone, and, of course, at their offices. By filling out a simple form on the website, you can be sure that a reliable car of the chosen class, with low mileage, will be waiting for you at the arrival point. Less quick passengers on your flight may end up empty-handed or, at best, settle for what is available. For the convenience of the "plane-to-car" connection, they will have to pay a high price.
Picking up a car at the airport significantly increases the rental cost: you will have to add 12% of the total amount just for airport fees. Still, if you planned to get a car directly at the airport, do not rush to abandon the idea upon hearing the final figures. Arriving on a weekend, you risk being left without personal transport altogether: all city offices of rental companies are closed.
Discounts and special rates
When booking in advance, the size of the discount directly depends on the tourist season. If you order a car in April at "spring" prices, you can enjoy good savings in July – up to 30%. Another way to save is to book a car simultaneously with a plane ticket. Many airlines work closely with rental companies, and you can reserve a car together with the purchase of a plane ticket on the carrier's website. The rental cost is often lower than that of the rental companies. You can also rent a car through the travel company that is sending you on the trip. Tour operators are often regular partners of rental companies and enjoy discounts and preferential rates from them. By offering car rental as part of their services, the travel company usually does not charge exorbitant fees for this.
Special rates are also available from the rent-a-car operators themselves, and you can and should use them. All of them apply only with advance booking. The difference between a special and a basic rate can be 25-30%. The most affordable is the weekend rate (Saturday night keep). Holders of plastic cards from major payment systems (AmEx, Visa, Diners Club, Eurocard/Mastercard) and frequent flyers of major international airlines have their own privileges. Some companies have special offers for government employees of ministries and departments, law enforcement and military personnel, and journalists.
Credit card required for rental
When picking up the car at the airport, you will be asked to present the "booking number," an international driver's license, a foreign passport with a visa, and, of course, a credit card. Without a credit card, it is impossible to rent a car from a network rental company; having a credit (not debit) card is a basic requirement of rental companies, as it is the only way to protect themselves from insolvent customers. When processing the rental, a deposit from €250 to €1,500 will be blocked on your account, depending on the class of the vehicle. The blocked money will be returned later, but it will be available at least a week, or even three weeks after returning the car. Large companies are also very attentive to the age of customers – those under 25 will be denied a rental, as will those with less than one year of driving experience.
But if you pass all the checks, you will undoubtedly be satisfied – the level of service of Hertz, Avis, Europcar is worth the money. Among the advantages of renting from major market players are the ability to pick up the car in one city and drop it off in another, full insurance (as a rule, the rental cost includes insurance for accidents, civil liability, and theft). A reputable rental company can deliver the car to the hotel, offer additional options – child car seat, satellite navigator, mobile phone, winter tires, and can install mounts for a bicycle, skis, or snowboard. If the car you chose is unavailable, they may kindly offer you a car of a higher class for the same money.
Doubtful benefits
Smaller companies also operate successfully in the car rental market. There will always be a customer looking to save money. The main trump card of small rental companies is low rates. The cost of services from "local" lessors is much lower than that of their world-famous colleagues, the difference can reach 40%. A second plus is that credit cards are not required here, and the main payment is in cash.
In Europe, a deposit of €100 to €300 will also be taken in cash. When handing over the car to you, the manager will generally not be interested in much – that is the nature of such rentals. All issues will arise when returning the car. If, upon receiving it, you did not record the fuel level in the tank and the numbers on the odometer, did not point out a scratch on the rear fender, did not clarify what the insurance covers and whether it exists at all, then expect problems and be prepared for additional costs. At the time of returning the car, it may "unexpectedly" turn out that the car, for example, has insurance with a large deductible, and is not insured against theft at all. For information: a deductible is the amount that you will have to pay out of your own pocket in any accident; it can be €100 or €1,000.
In most small companies, the daily mileage is limited, and you have to pay for each additional kilometer. As a result, the low rental price later grows to astronomical proportions. For example, this summer in Greece, renting an economy class car cost €40 per day. But you could only drive 300 km for that money, and the fee for each subsequent kilometer was 20 euro cents. So you had to count unwillingly.
There are also a few other inconveniences of renting from local rental companies. You cannot return the car in another city – small companies do not have the ability to transport cars back. Their model range is small, the cars offered have been in trouble more than once and can unexpectedly break down or stall without reaching the destination.
Rental Leaders
All four world leaders in the car rental market – Hertz, Europcar, Avis and Budget – have the same operating principles: the latest model range of European, American and Japanese cars, individual approach, high quality of cars, flexible discount system, minimum rental period – one day. The requirements of multinational companies for customers are standard: age – at least 25 years (for some inexpensive models, 21 years is allowed), an international driver's license, driving experience of at least one year and a mandatory credit card.
True, the age of the driver is treated differently in different countries. Economy and compact class cars are rented from age 21 (for a surcharge) in France and Switzerland, from age 20 in Finland, and from age 19 in Austria. Luxury cars and minibuses can only be rented from age 30 in Italy, Great Britain and France. The driving experience must be at least three years.