SMARTER COMPARISONS, BIGGER SAVINGS
4.76/5 based on 7890 reviews.
4.76/5 based on 7890 reviews.
Hiring a car is a great way to make the most of your holiday but can you find the car you need and the protection you want at the right price?
We talk through ways of finding great deals and extra savings on your car hire and how to get cover for your excess, tyres, and windscreen for less.Car hire rates go up and down according to supply and demand but the best deals tend to be achieved by booking early. To make sure you win - no matter what prices do in the future - consider booking through a rental company who offer free cancellation up until 48 hours before you pick up – then you can switch if a better deal comes along. Many companies through our car hire comparison service can offer free cancellation.
It's not all about the headline rate. On comparison websites a few pounds can make the difference between a car being seen and selected, and not. This has encouraged strong competition but also means car hire companies try to quote the lowest figure possible and claw it back by other means.
A common tactic used to increase returns on European destinations are ‘full to empty’ fuel policies. You have to pay for a full tank of fuel on pick up - normally at more than pump price - and return it empty, "giving” the rental firm any fuel left in the tank.
Avoid this trap by choosing a car with a fairer fuel policy. This is normally ‘full to full’ or ‘same to same’. The car is provided with a full tank and you must return it full too. This means you are only paying for the fuel you actually use.
Another area where there are big differences in charges between suppliers - and sometimes even for the same car via different brokers - is for additional drivers. Be aware that a ‘free additional driver’ package may not be the cheapest. Sometimes a lower base price option is cheaper even when adding on the additional driver charge.
Expect younger drivers, normally 21-25 year olds but under 30s on some cars, to attract a surcharge both as main driver and additional and these surcharges can be steep – over £10 per day. But there is variation both in the charges and the age ranges to which the surcharges apply.
There are a small number of companies which insist that drivers over or under specific ages must purchase their in-house excess protection policy so factor this into the total price too.
Once you've found the right combination of car, fuel policy, additional drivers and are happy with your cancellation options, you can book the car. At this point you will probably be offered excess waivers or excess waivers including tyre and window cover. You may also be offered them at the desk on pick up, so understanding the cover you already have and what the rental company may offer you puts you on the front foot!
Waivers are typically provided by the car hire company itself. They are not insurance products – they mean that the company have ‘waived’ your responsibility for that damage. Car hire company waivers do have the advantage that the car hire company may not insist on as big a pre-authorisation on your credit card as they otherwise would, and mean the car rental firm will not bill you for damage covered by the waiver they offer.
The downside is that these policies often cover less than independently bought excess insurance. Check what each waiver offers. They may only waive the excess amount. Sometimes you may need to buy separate waivers for the tyres or for the glass elements of the car. You may also have to purchase towing cover separately. You could find that in total you pay about 5 to 10 times the cost of an independent car hire excess policy.
These policies can be bought through the MoneyMaxim car hire excess insurance comparison service for just £2 – £4 a day. MoneyMaxim also offer annual policies from under £40 p.a.
Car hire excess insurance works on a reimbursement basis. If you chipped a windscreen, for example, you would need to pay the car hire company for the repair cost and then submit a claim with your excess insurer to get the money back.
The advantage of car hire excess insurance is that not only is it almost always a lot cheaper than the waivers you can buy at the desk but they can also cover many areas all at once – the excess, wheels, glass, roof, underbody, towing, misfuelling and admin fees to name a few!
For European hires, cars normally come with a Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Waiver with an excess to pay should your car be damaged or stolen. The damage waiver normally excludes damage to wheels, tyres, windscreen, roof, interior and underside of the car.
Be aware that Zero Excess waivers offered by brokers may still leave you with responsibility for these parts of the car so do read your car hire terms carefully to see which insurance ‘gaps’ you may want to fill. You can buy an excess insurance policy to cover your windows and tyres without needing the ‘excess’ part of the cover.
Check to see if any special requirements you have are excluded. For example CDW cover can be withdrawn if you take the car on a ferry meaning that while it's on board you are responsible for the full value of the car. Fortunately MoneyMaxim can help. Get a quote for a Worldwide car hire excess policy and look for the Worldwide Insure Deluxe policy. If you are in doubt please contact our customer service team.
For most (but not all) rentals though a UK site, you are likely to find Collision Damage and Theft Waivers included in the price. They often have a zero excess (or deductible) too leaving just the vulnerable wheels/tyres/windscreen/underside areas needing cover.
However, as the locals would normally switch their standard car insurance over to rental vehicles it is possible – particularly when booking locally in the US or from a US website - for cars to be hired without these waivers. In this case purchase a full CDW insurance policy to avoid paying much more at the desk.
You will also need to ensure that you have liability insurance with your hire – that’s the equivalent of what we call third party cover in the UK. You legally need the state minimum to drive the vehicle but we can offer SLI policies which can top up any primary liability insurance provided by your rental firm to $1million.
If you wish to increase your liability cover you can buy an SLI policy through the MoneyMaxim car hire insurance service.
Many destinations (eg. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) will normally include CDW and decent third party insurance but always check what is included. Both New Zealand and Costa Rica hires can have excesses on their third party cover so do look out for this. Many excess insurance policies for worldwide use come with greater levels of cover than European ones albeit at slightly higher costs. If you do need CDW or SLI cover (see USA section above), then check that the policy offers this enhanced level cover worldwide as some are restricted to the Americas.
When it comes to saving on your car hire and your car hire insurance, knowledge is key. Both your rental car and the cover for your rental car need to fit with your needs. Hopefully by using our comparison services for both car hire and car hire insurance and with the information we have provided here you can be more confident you are getting a great deal.
We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to show you personalized content and targeted ads, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. By browsing our website, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.