Everyone wants to experience stunning scenery and blissful surroundings, whether they intend to visit a new town or city as a new resident or visitor. However, you won’t be able to explore these sights by traveling around in a mass transit system. For this reason, you should look to purchase or rent a car. But it’s extremely costly to purchase a vehicle, so the most economical way is to rent a car.
When making a road trip in Uganda, many are concerned about the liabilities of renting a car, especially from rental fraudsters that include oppressive conditions in the fine text of the lease contract.
If you have not previously rented a car, then these fears are common. Even if you already have a couple of road trips under your belt, you may still need to be concerned about paying more than you need to.
Advice to Follow Before Renting a Car
Size is important
Size is determinant in many aspects. Price, for example, is highly dependent on the type of a rental car. You can hire a car from different class and types – economic, luxurious, combo and so on.
If your trip is related to your job maybe you don’t have to take a big car. Instead choose an automobile that will make you feel comfortable and relax. If your work is stressful there no need to be the same with your business trip.
In case you set out with the idea of a family trip you better get a bigger rental car. Thus you can gather whole luggage. Moreover, it`s a myth that you will have more fuel expenses with a bigger rental car. If you happen to start a journey with more than 6 people you may consider the option with a minivan as well.
You’ll have to pay more for your kids to drive
If you’re under 25. Age is not an advantage for rental car drivers. For a long time, rental car companies wouldn’t even allow drivers under 21. Now, most do, but a hefty fee can be part of the young driver’s experience, usually a daily fee assessed for putting a young driver (under 25) on the registration, whether or not they actually do all of the driving or even drive every day.
You’ll have to pay for extra drivers
Even if all your drivers are over the ripe old age of 25, you are still likely to pay a fee for each additional driver registered when you rent the car. Think carefully about how many drivers you actually need, and designate one or two to keep from incurring expensive fees.
Shopping Around
This means comparing prices and searching for the discounts or the special offers that can bring savings with the low or special rates or the reduced prices on the upgrades. While talking to the agent, don’t hesitate to ask about the unadvertised discounts since many sites have got their own specials available.
International Border Crossing
Always be aware of the limitations in case you are cross international borders, some of the companies don’t allow their rental cars to cross international boarder or there are also required conditions that must be followed and met and seem very expensive. Before taking the rental car, check with the agent, and also obtain written approvals.
Manual or Automatic
Automobiles with manual transmissions are much more common than those with automatic transmissions. You can hire automatic vehicles, but they can be up to 50% more expensive than manual vehicles.
Advance Booking for Rent
This is usually the most cost-effective way to save money while still ensuring that you get a car that fits your requirements. While prices vary regularly, you’ll notice that they appear to rise as the rental time approaches. However, if you start searching quickly enough, you may be able to take advantage of special offers. Several online sites will also let you sign up for message alerts whenever the prices of the company you want decreases or any car rental promo codes turn up.
Insurance for Rental Cars
When you purchase or rent a vehicle, contact licensed insurance providers to see if the policy includes rental vehicles.
Make contact with your credit card issuers. Several of them can cover your car service if you are using their cards. Check to see if your credit card has leasing insurance coverage. Also, inquire about the premiums and insurance policies as mentioned earlier.
You must buy insurance at the register if none of the other solutions mentioned compensate you in the event of an emergency.
Be Wary of Paying for the Gas Bill
When renting a car, it is almost never a smart deal to pay for the fuel you will expend. The rental agent will normally charge you a service charge, which can increase costs according to how many miles you drive.
Try not to hire vehicles near the Airport
Although hiring a car from the airports is unquestionably easy, this is not really the ideal place to get the best deal. Many regions levy an extra airport car tax on leases close to an airport. Even though you’re not subject to an extra airport levy, a facility maintenance fee or a customer service cost can be applied to your bill.
For Cross Country Trips Check If You Can Buy Insurance Separately
It is also possible to buy individual policies separately that are cheaper than those offered by the rental car company. If you’re planning a cross country trip its worth seeing if you can get an overall cheaper deal by renting the car and purchasing the full insurance separately.
Check the Vehicle Carefully Before Departing
When you pick up a rental vehicle for a road trip it’s important to take photos and video of the car before departure. I would recommend emailing them to yourself to create a record. It’s especially important to take photos of any damage you see on the vehicle and ensure it is recorded on the vehicle inspection form which is completed by the company prior to departure. Make sure that any damage is recorded so that you are not held liable upon your return.
Final Thoughts
Stick to the speed limit, avoid damages, and return the vehicle on time. If you damage the car, bring it late, or fail to refuel it, all of your gains will be lost.
Conclusion
You can enjoy the convenience of having a rental car, without racking up unexpected fees, if you go in prepared. The best tip of all is to do a little research and ask plenty of questions, so you know exactly what you’re getting and what you’re paying for with your rental car.
