Hi Debby

The following all offer fully inclusive rentals - why not check them out?

allstatescarhire
usrentacar
airlinenetwork
skycars
yescarhire
carhire3000

Edit to shorten url links as it was stretching the page allmen

Thanks so much for that! Im gonna check them out right now!

The important thing to understand is what the terminology means. Many of the problems over car hire and insurance can be put down to language and country.

If you insure your own car Fully Comprehensive then that is exactly what it is. Everything is covered. The excess typically £100 is a voluntary contribution you agree and it helps to keep the cost down.

Typically the hire company may quote in this manner which I have pasted from a site.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)*
Vehicle Theft Waiver*
Liability Insurance*
Premium Location/Airport Fee
VAT Local Tax
Road Fund Tax (RFT)
Unlimited Mileage
Break Down Assist
* Subject to deductible/excess

The important thing to take note off is the item in small print at the bottom.

"Subject to deductible/excess"

CDW is what it says - If you have a bump then you are covered - Sort off

Vehicle Theft Waiver - If it is nicked then you are covered - Sort off

Liability Insurance - You are in theory covered if anyone is injured and makes a claim against you - Sort off

SORT OFF - What it means.

CDW may cover you but you may be liable for say the first £100 of a claim - Just like the excess on your own car insurance.

Vehicle Theft Waiver - Covers you if the car is stolen - again there may be an excess but typically it does not cover your personal items in the car.

Liability Insurance - Again there may be an excess - covers you against claims by third parties - BUT - it may not cover members of your party who subsequently claim against you.

You can usually pay an additional premium that covers you for any excess. Insurance for your passengers can also be taken for payment of a premium. Remember that often they will be named on the policy so if you give a lift to someone then they may not be covered.

ALWAYS ask the question when you book/take delivery of the vehicle - make sure that the relevant boxes are ticked on the agreement. Should there be a claim then what it says on the document will decide liability. If the box is not ticked then it is not covered.

People often start to add up all the additional premiums. Just like booking a cheap flight it is the "add on" items that make car hire offers seem expensive. Many people take a chance and decide not to pay them.

Ask yourself "Do you feel lucky?"

Always ensure that you inspect the vehicle with a representative of the hire company Before you drive off and when you return it. Many complaints arise because everyone is in a hurry.

Always pay by Credit Card - Should a problem arise then you can appeal to them - A Debit card does not give you the same cover.

Bookings can often be made through agents in the UK - If you do so then you have additional protection under UK law.

In all the years I have hired a car I have always taken the cover yet never had a claim. I will be hiring cars on my next holiday and will still be taking the cover - there is always a first time. But there are a lot of people who have not and are still paying for it - Save yourself £50 and spend the rest of your life regretting it.

Sometimes booking through the TO can be an advantage. The one I use has a policy - The firms they use have to quote a price that covers all these.

Finally you must remember, if you hire a car in another country then the agreement is subject to the laws of that country - what you think it means may not mean the same to them.

Tyres and Wheels It is normal practice both here in the UK and abroad that punctures and tyre and wheel damage are excluded from the agreement. If you damage them then you have to pay for repair or replacement

Breakdowns All hire cars have breakdown cover. Here in the UK it is typically AA or RAC - In the event of a breakdown you should call them - not the hire company. The number is normally on the windscreen - check when you collect the vehicle just in case they have a different system.

Hope the above is some help.

As an update following some problems people have reported here on HT.

Always make sure you return the vehicle to where the hire company say. They may have more than one site at the airport and people have been surcharged because they have delivered it back to the wrong one.

Don't be tempted to save a few pence filling up miles before you get to the hire depot. If they think it is not full then they will charge you.

No matter how much of a rush you are in when collecting or returning the car make sure you inspect it thoroughly. That includes the spare tyre. Not unknown for the vehicle tp be sent out with a damaged spare only for you to be blamed on return. Make sure all the lights and horn work and you have the right items in case of a breakdown. Warning triangle and Hi Vis vest in some countries. At the end of the day it is you who will have to pay any fines.

fwh

Thankyou FWH, that was very informative! I just went to carehire3000, that Biqeckster recommended and found a full size 4 door Buick la crosse (or similar), fully inclusive for £230. This seems to be the best price i can get it for so i think il go for that one
Thanks again!

Cannot say if that is a good deal or not.

I see that there is a Freephone number. May I suggest that before you go ahead you ring them - Use the notes I have given and ask the questions.

Then email them and confirm the answers - if you make the booking in this country, then should you have a problem English law will offer some protection

Hope you have a nice holiday.

fwh

Thanks for the advice, il do that you've been a great help.

Debbie, I've hired through Carhire 3000 once in Orlando. I had no problems

If you click "book" and then "proceed" on their website there is then an option to e-mail you a quote. This quote may detail all the insurance/excess information.

Good Luck and happy hols

fwh,

excellent post earlier - I'm inclined to print out and keep for my next venture to the USA next year when I'll need to rent a car.

Admins might be worth stickying fwh's info in a car-hire info topic.

Mike

Stickified

MarkJ HT Mod

hi

does anyone know to hire a car in italy whether a uk license is enough or is an international one required thanks

The photocard licenses now issued in the UK conform to European standards and are accepted throughout Europe.

You may want to make enquiries if you have an old style paper license.

Mark

thanks mark, thats lucky as my hubby has recently passed his motorbike test and he had to change his old paper license to a photo license when he had bike added on

Photocard driving licences are accepted in many countries. You are also required to produce your paper licence.

When you hire a car, the paper licence validates your entitlement to drive. Endorsements are shown on the paper copy and in some cases the hire company are required to get authority from the insurance company before they can hire you a vehicle. The same rule applies when you hire a car on holiday.

Certain occupations also require insurance company approval before a car may be hired.

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is required in some countries; you can check these by going to this link.

Internation Driving permit

An IDP does not replace your normal licence and you are required to produce that at the same time.

fwh

edit to shorten url as it was stetching the page allmen

thanks for that info, another thing i would like to know if anyone knows, is there any laws regarding car seats for children, my daughter is 7, we are planning to hire a car in italy and drive into slovenia

Regulations regarding Seat Belts - Child Seats etc can be found here.

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/countries/

Please note that these regulations may not be up to date. It advises contacting asking your Tour Operator or contacting the Embassy/Consul for other countries direct if you are not sure.

Apart from the safety point of view, there is the danger that you could be prosecuted if you do not comply with the law in the relevant country.

fwh

I note elsewhere that someone is wanting to hire a car in Italy and drive to Croatia. Nothing wrong with that EXCEPT make sure that the insurance cover allows you to do so.

Ensure you have documentation that says you can do so.

Most car hire is for visitors to tour the country that they hire the car in.

For example in Cyprus a car hired in the south cannot be taken into the north. Yes people do, but the normal insurance cover does not allow it.

fwh

Another important point to consider when driving across borders is that the car may not be equipped with all the necessary extras to comply with the law in the country you're driving into. I recall enquiring about cross border travel in one European country and although the insurance cover was ok I needed to be issued with additional safety equipment (I think it was a high vis jacket) to comply with local laws.

Hi All, I've just booked my car hire for my forthcoming holiday in August through HolidayAutos.co.uk. I know they only act as a broker but am a little concerned at some of the reviews I have read (I know I should have perhaps read them first!) I have purchased their Total Damage Excess Waiver, however, am concerned that they take an imprint of your credit card and will take the excess from it if there is any damage to the vehicle and then you have to claim this back from Holiday Autos. The general opinion of many of the reviews is that they are ok as long as you don't have anything untowards happen as getting money back from them is pretty hard going. Am I right in hoping that all their satisfied customers don't bother writing reviews? Have any HT members got any first hand experiences of this company, good or bad? Thanks for any replies.

Hello, looking at hiring a car from Murcia airport for a week for 4 adults and 1 child (plus luggage!), can anyone recommend a reputable and cost-effective company, please? I've found cars ranging from £200 to £400!

Also, child seats are "not guaranteed". What is the likelihood of not getting a child seat, and if they don't have one, what do you do then?!

Thanks.

samanthatracey