Best Car Hire Travel Tips

• When you are looking for the best car hire deals make sure that you compare apples with apples and always check what is and isn't included like insurance, fees for an extra driver, higher excess and limitations on how far you can drive the car. All of these extras can really add to the cost of car hire.
• If you have pre-booked your car hire travel then find out if the office for the car hire is actually at the airport. Some car hire companies require you to get a bus or taxi from the airport, which can add to the cost and is a real hassle at the end of a tiring flight.
• Get a list from each company as to which cars they have for hire and whether they are considered compact, small, medium, large of luxury. Different car hire companies will have different models of cars in each category and a car classified as small by one company may in fact be just as big as a medium sized car from another company. by doing this you will be able to get the best car hire deal for your travel dollar.
• For people travelling with babies and toddlers you may want to consider taking your own infant car seat. This can save you money on the price of car hire and means that you know how safe the car seat is going to be. If you are going to do this then just be sure that the car has an anchor point for the car seat and if the airline will let you check in the car seat without any extra charge.
• Beware of the car rental companies that want you to return the car with an empty fuel tank as you are rarely able to do this and consequently will end up paying for the unused fuel.
• Always leave enough time to fill up with petrol when you are returning your hire car. As a matter of fact you can probably fill up anywhere within 50kms of the car hire office because most fuel gauges don't stop pointing to full until quite a while after you fill up.
• When you get to your destination have one person wait and collect the luggage whilst the other person goes ahead to get all of the paperwork for your car hire travel out of the way. This will save time by beating the queues that form at the car hire counter when a large flight arrives.
• Always, always check the condition of the hire car before you set off. Especially look for any scratches, dents or chips on the windscreen, front and rear bumber. If you find anything make sure that it is marked on the documentation before you leave.
• If you find a dent, scratch or chip (especially on the windscreen) that is not marked on the condition report the car hire staff gave you then make sure that you go back to them and inform them about it. Do not simply mark it on the condition report yourself and then take off in order to get on your way quickly. The car hire staff will need to confirm it, otherwise they will charge you for it at the end of your holiday.
• The car hire staff should give you the contact details for accidents or breakdowns with your documents, but it is best if you confirm all of this with them before you leave.