Car hire tips put you on the road to a cheaper trip
LEAVING car rental to the last minute can be a cheaper but riskier way to get a good deal when heading off on a driving holiday.
Research by peer-to-peer car rental marketplace DriveMyCar has found that the cheapest car rental rates are often given to customers who book closer to their period of rental.
“This is maybe because car hire companies may have overestimated demand 60 days forward, which leads to them having more cars than they forecast,” DriveMyCar CEO Chris Noone said.
However, families with specific rental car needs may wish to monitor availability as their trip nears, particularly ahead of peak periods.
The DriveMyCar research also examined whether it was cheaper to rent at airports or at city locations, but this varies between capital cities.
If playing chicken with car availability is not your thing, there are other ways to save money on a rental car.
Mr Noone said seemingly minor costs such as baby seats, GPS systems and road tolls were all extras that would be added to your bill, so it might pay to bring your own.
Most Australians carry a personal GPS on their smartphones today.
Researching pick-up locations could also save money, Mr Noone said.
“Some car rental companies hike prices by as much as 29 per cent for the convenience of airport collection. Doing a little homework on the best place to pick up your rental is the key to saving you big bucks in the long run,” he said.
COLLISION DAMAGE
Another cost to watch is being asked to pay for a collision damage waiver.
Car companies can spring this on renters at the time of pick-up, warning that without it they will pay a $5000 insurance excess if they have an accident.
Reducing your excess to zero can cost several hundred dollars depending on the length of rental, but it can be avoided but taking out travel insurance, which usually includes rental car excess cover.
Research group Canstar’s spokeswoman Belinda Williamson said a domestic travel insurance policy for 10 days could cost as little as $49 and an average $120.
“If you compare that to the several hundred dollars you might pay for a care hire insurance excess policy, it doesn’t seem like a particularly tricky choice,” she said.
“Taking out cover ahead of time means you can comfortably say ‘thanks but no thanks’ when the rental car company puts on the pressure to take out an extra policy to cover the car hire insurance excess.”
If you forget to organise travel insurance in advance, you can buy it online using your phone or tablet computer at the airport or even outside the rental car office.