Renting a car in a foreign country
Blonde and Brunette are highly allergic to group tours so in most countries we end up renting a car. Brunette is the queen of the rental car bargain so she has contributed her tips and things to generally be aware of when you’re arranging a rental.
General stuff to know in advance:
- It can be difficult and more expensive to rent cars with automatic transmissions so if you can drive a “stick” plan on doing just that.
- An exception we make is in countries where they drive “on the wrong side of the road” which for us is the left side. In that case we try to rent automatics because our brains are busy enough not running off the road, into pedestrians, other cars and wildlife that we don’t have the extra mental capacity to also be shifting with “the wrong hand”. With any luck you’re brighter than we are.
- In the U.S. most rental cars are now non-smoking but it’s best to clearly specify that in advance. Assume nothing!
- If you plan to be driving from place to place with your luggage sometimes sitting in the car while you sightsee, get a car with a trunk (boot) so the luggage can’t be seen. People who live in big cities are used to this sort of precaution but others may not be.
- Find out if an International Driver’s License is required in the country where you will be driving. We can’t find a single website that has that information all consolidated so do a search on the country (or countries) where you will be driving. Basically if you have one no one will ever ask for it. If you don’t you will probably be the one poor sap who can’t rent their car once they get there! You can easily get an International Driver’s License in the U.S. at any AAA office – even if you aren’t a member. You have to have (or pay them to take) a passport sized photo and show them your driver’s license. For about $25 (maybe more if you aren’t a member) they create a totally useless International Driver’s License. We always get them and never need them. Let your risk tolerance be your guide about what you do!
Things to think about before reserving your car:
- Know that where you pick up the car can have a significant effect on the price. If you get it at the airport you will probably pay more, maybe a lot more, than if you get it off the airport property. Most rental companies will shuttle you to to the offsite location. If you literally drive away from the airport you’ll undoubtedly pay extra fees and taxes.
- If you don’t want to get your car when you first land, then go to your hotel and pick the car up when you’re ready to use it. But before you reserve it do a Google maps check to be sure they have a pickup location that’s convenient to your hotel so you don’t run up a giant taxi bill going to get the car.
Note: If you only are planning to get a car for a day for a specific purpose or destination it can be easiest to just rent it through your hotel. They almost always either have a relationship with a car company or they may have a concierge who can help you. Remember to tell him/her what your requirements are before the car is delivered!
Doing your research
- Before leaving home all your credit card company and ask what insurance coverage (if any) they provide in the country where you will be renting the car. Many people assume they are covered and most are right, but not all! Some countries aren’t covered by any of the card companies. It used to be the “I” countries; Ireland, Italy and Israel. But don’t make assumptions – call.
- Use a credit card that does not charge you foreign currency conversion fees. Those fees are a massive ripoff and can add considerably to your bill. Capital One has a no annual fee Visa card with no currency conversion fees, British Airways has one now with a $45 annual fee but no conversion fees and more are starting to follow suit. If your card company does charge the fees, get another card that you use for travel that doesn’t charge the fees.
- Go on one or more of the major travel forums such as Frommer’s or Fodor’s. You register (free), search on the country you’re interested in and post a question seeing what helpful tips others can give you about driving at your destination or rental car companies they have had good or bad experiences with. This is well worth doing even if you aren’t all that budget conscious. Just because a company or brand you’re used to is good one place doesn’t always mean they are good another place. They may be a locally owned franchise, noted for charging people later for damage they didn’t cause or all kinds of possible delights or better yet, they may be great!
- Now do a Google search for “car rentals in Cairo” (if you’re out of your mind) or whatever location where you plan to rent the car. Almost always one of the options will be a consolidator who represents several different companies and will give you price comparisons.
- For example, if you type in “rental cars Barcelona” this site will come up as an option and will give you prices on at least half a dozen different companies after you enter some basic info (where you want to pick it up and the dates).
- Be sure that whatever company you select does not charge you extra to use a credit card and that they don’t add fees for their services. Unless the only way to get a fabulous rate is to fully prepay, make a reservation that can be cancelled without a penalty.
- If you are planning to pick the car up one place and return it to another be very careful to understand the drop-off fees for doing so as they can vary widely. For instance, we rented a car in Athens (off the airport property) had it a week and then turned it in in Lefkada. The drop off fees for doing that ranged from 750 euros to what we ended up paying which was about 200 euros! If you are dropping it off in another country the fees can be so high you would be better off turning it in right before you leave Country A and then renting another car in Country B. (Sometimes a quick train ride can save you a fortune.) Also not all companies allow you to take their cars across borders.
- Back to the consolidators now! Some of them let you complete a booking online, others have you submit a form and they respond and the larger ones have toll free numbers. We often call because we always have a million questions, generally about drop-off fees, and it’s easiest sometimes to ask an actual human being.
- Another thing we do is contact some of the companies mentioned by the consolidator directly to see if there is a fee difference. If there isn’t, or it’s lower, than we book directly with the car company instead of the consolidator. It tends to be easier to handle issues directly rather than through a third party where everyone says it was the other guy who gave you bad information or whatever.
- Ask if you qualify for any discounts, AARP, AAA, Former Felons Anonymous, etc.
- Be sure you get the quotes in writing; verbal quotes are useless.
- When you make the booking ask if they will be putting a hold on your credit card for the period of the rental. Most do and it seems to hover around the 300 USD level but ask. If it’s an amount that could affect what you have available for spending, then put it on a credit card you don’t plan to use much on the trip.
- This can be unnerving but they often take the card they’re putting the hold one and make an impression of it on an old-fashioned credit card charge slip and have you sign it. Then they give it back and/or tear it up when you return the car. We don’t like that but haven’t had problems with it (yet). For this purpose the charge will never go through unless something bad happens so it doesn’t matter whether or not you use the credit card that doesn’t have currency conversion fees.
- Print out your reservation and take it with you when you go to pick up the car (or at least be able to retrieve the email on your phone). We always compare and have found discrepancies that were not in our favor but the printout always prevailed.
When you pick up the car:
- Walk around it with a representative from the car company and be sure they carefully notate and you both initial for any pre-existing scratches, scrapes or other damage. We’re so paranoid we even take pictures of the damage. That also seems to send a “we aren’t screwing around about this” signal that makes us feel better and probably amuses or annoys them!
- Be sure to take a picture or write down the make and model and license plate number. The first time you park the car and leave it somewhere you will come back and see that every car in a the lot is a small white Fiat. You will then waste time and have a big fight trying to detemine which one is yours. (Even better, when you park it, take some pictures of the way you walk into town so you can retrace your steps later if you’re directionally challenged like two sisters we know.)
- Remember not to leave obvious signs that it’s a rental and you are tourists. Stash your fanny pack and sneakers, maps, the contract, etc. out of site.
Returning the car
- Some companies will come pick it up and we love those companies. But generally you will be taking it to one of their offices. Check the hours before you go as the hours you expect in your country may not be anything like the hours in the country where you are. They may close in the afternoon for a siesta, not be open at all on Sundays, etc. so know before you go. The hotel will usually call for you so you don’t have to pay for the call.
- Once more go over the car to prove you didn’t damage it or to fess up if you did. Get a receipt and keep it until your credit card statement arrives and everything matches up.
This whole write-up may have made you think that renting a car is a huge hassle. It usually isn’t, we just want you to know the steps to follow so you don’t have unexpected problems or pay more than necessary.
One more thing that can be good to know is if they have any particularly odd traffic laws (“odd” being laws you don’t have in your country, of course). In France it’s now illegal and very heavily fined to have a radar detector activated on your GPS. You can ask these things when you pick up the car and people in the travel forums may also alert you.
Drive safely and have fun!