Posts Tagged ‘Rental’

Too Old to Drive a Rental Car?

February 14th, 2011
Cars

As the population in Australia gets older, the problem of renting a car both in Australia and overseas becomes more of an issue. Most car companies will have some kind of restriction if the older generation is looking to rent a vehicle. Whilst you may think that as someone that has been driving for 50 years or more, car rental companies can see you as a major risk to their asset

The Senior Driver Surcharge is payable by senior drivers over &/or between a specific age. This depends on country and/or car rental company. It is just the same as our car insurance companies here in Australia charge a higher premium if you have a driver aged 21 years on the insurance.

The reason why it is charged is because the car rental company sees senior drivers as high risk and they get charged a premium to have senior drivers covered by their insurance company. However, other car rental companies just restrict the driving age so they don’t have to get additional insurance.

To give you a few examples on how it differs between suppliers, let’s take a look at Car Rental in Ireland. One car rental company has a maximum age of 74 years with no surcharge payable. Another car rental company charges a EUR29 incl Tax /day fee for drivers aged between 70-74 years. And, a third car rental company doesn’t charge a surcharge but they require additional documentation from driver’s aged between 76-79 years, as follows -

Car Rental ? Why You Should Book Before You Go

February 11th, 2011
Cars

A few days ago, I came across an online discussion about whether you should prepay your car rental before you travel or wait until you get to your destination. I found a comment that I just had to respond to, but since the conversation ended back in 2006, I decided to reply via this blog instead.

So what exactly was said to make me feel this way, I hear you ask? Brace yourselves!

“Under no circumstances should you prepay (if you make a change or cancel it will be a real hassle and will probably cost you quite a bit of money)”

I gasped. Oh the misconceptions and myths out there!

So I’m setting the record straight. Here’s why you should prepay your car rental before you go.

No Cancellation or Amendment Fees
Firstly, if you cancel it will not cost you hassle or money! At DriveAway Holidays, we do not charge amendment or cancellation fees. Very occasionally, suppliers will charge fees (and we will pass it on to the consumer) but generally this only happens if you cancel within a 72 hour period and applies to selected suppliers in selected destinations only.

Purchasing Power
With 20 years experience in the car rental industry, DriveAway Holidays’ relationship with reputable suppliers means we can offer you lower prices on car rental overseas than if you were to walk in off the street. Plus, we have a Price Beat Guarantee, so if you happen to find a cheaper rate, we’ll beat it!^

Car Rental Faqs – Part 1

February 9th, 2011
Cars

Q. Why take a ‘driving holiday’?
A. A drive holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide on where you travel and what you see and do. You are in charge of how much time you wish to spend at a particular attraction. You have the independence to move around as much or as little as you like. A drive holiday allows you to discover so much more as a car will allow you to drive through the little villages in out of the way places.

Q. How is car rental charged?
A. Car rental is based on 24 hour periods and charged accordingly. If you pick up a car at 9am on Thursday and return at 9am the following day, this is one 24 hour period and therefore a one day booking.

Q. Is it cheaper to pre-book my car rental or should I book when I arrive?
A. Pre-booking will save you money almost every time! With a wholesaler like DriveAway Holidays, you receive the benefit of our purchasing power. Our prices with the major car rental suppliers are considerably lower than walking in off the street in a foreign country to rent a car. In addition you are pre-paying in Australian dollars so the risk of fluctuations in the currency are reduced.

Q. How does a prepaid rental work?
A. The booking is made in advance, paid for and a voucher is issued. The voucher is then used as payment when you go to pick up the car from the supplier.

Cheap Car Rental Cyprus – 3 Things You Ought to be Aware of Before Handing Over Your Hard Earned Cash

January 18th, 2011
Cars

Sourcing a reputable and low-cost rental car company anywhere in the world is not an easy task and finding cheap car rental Cyprus is no different. Although there is an abundance of rental cars in Cyprus, the rental prices can be high and/ or the cars can be a little worse for wear if you don’t do your homework. So, the next time you hire a car for your Summer Holiday in Cyprus, just be extra vigilant.  Most rental companies have a good reputation; however, there are a few questionable ones out there.  If you take note of the pointers below, it should save you a headache.

 

1- Drivers

 

Because driving in any nation where the streets are tight and old and the drivers a little less law-conscious is dangerous, you need to make sure that everyone that could potentially be driving your car is listed and that they are all insured. So, check that everyone who wants to drive the hire car is named on the agreement and is eligible to drive it under the rental company conditions.

To hire a car in Cyprus, the minimum age is 25 or must have held a clean driving license for at least 3 years.  If any of your drivers are under 25, find out if they can be included as a named driver on a policy in your name.

Car Rental Faqs – Part 2

December 30th, 2010
Cars

Q. What does “car type” or similar mean?
A.  Car rental companies can never guarantee a specific model or car. When renting a car, companies will give you an idea of what you can expect – you may get the car type that was advertised or you may get one similar in size or model.

Q. How old are rental cars?
A. Depends on the car rental company. Larger suppliers like Hertz and Avis carry cars on their fleet that are about 3-4 months old. Smaller companies can carry cars up to 4 years old.

Q. Can baby seats be requested?
A. Yes, the majority of car rental companies do carry baby or booster seats and can be requested before collection.

Q. What happens if my rental car breaks down?
A. Most car rental companies should include 24 hour roadside assistance in the rental rate. If you do break down, help is only a phone call away.

Q. Can I pick up a rental car in one city and drop it off in another?
A. This is known as a one way rental. It depends on the supplier and the country – sometimes a fee will apply. Ask when booking!

Q. Can cars be driven into countries other than the country the vehicle is collected in?
A. In most cases, yes but conditions and restrictions do apply. In Europe, there are restrictions about travelling into Eastern Europe and some vehicles cannot be driven in Italy. In the USA, cars cannot be driven into Mexico. Always check at the time of booking.

Hybrid Car Rental from DriveAway Holidays

December 28th, 2010
Cars

As people become more aware of environmental issues and conscious of their actions, demand for hybrid cars, to buy and rent, has risen.

A hybrid car is a car which can run on two or more fuel sources – most commonly an engine and an electric motor powered by batteries. The motor and batteries help the engine work more efficiently which means you spend less on fuel and emit fewer emissions.

The Toyota Prius is probably the most well known hybrid car. It first went on sale in 1997 and since then, more than 10,000 Prius’ have been sold in Australia. The Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide website rates all new vehicles based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions and fuel consumption. The Prius is currently the top performer in all 3 with a fuel consumption of 4.4L per 100kms.

To give you an idea of what this means – a Hummer H3 Adventure has a fuel consumption level of 13.2L/100km, Toyota Rav 4′s fuel consumption is 9.6L, a Mercedes Benz C Class C180K is 7.6L and a Honda Civic 1.8L sedan has a fuel consumption of 7.2L. According to Toyota, a Prius has up to 50% less consumption than a comparably-sized family car and that one tank of fuel could theoretically get you over a whopping 1000km!

While hybrid cars are still quite expensive to buy – a Toyota Prius 1.5L petrol/Electric combination CVT will set you back ,400 (from www.toyota.com.au), renting one may be within your budget.