Product Description
Hiring a car while on holiday is a great way to see the area you’re visiting, especially if it’s a place with lots to see and do. Car hire in a foreign country normally requires you to be over the age of 25 for insurance purposes and you’ll need to have had your driving licence for a minimum number of years – often 3-5 years. Most people arrange to pick their holiday hire car up from the airport however you can often hire one at a later stage if you prefer.

Main Players
There are a number of big names in the world of car hire and most of them will have pick-up and drop-off points at the major airports around the world. The ones to consider include Hertz, Sixt, Avis, Budget Car Rental and Holiday Autos. Each individual destination will have local car hire companies as well.

Pros of Car Hire

• Hiring a car while on holiday gives you a lot more freedom to visit the places you really want to visit, especially if they are off the beaten track.
• Small economy cars can be hired in some countries for less than £10 per day which is often cheaper than using public transport and taxis.
• You have the peace of mind of knowing you are safe from pickpockets and troublemakers that are rife on public transport in some popular European countries.

Cons of Car Hire

• Some smaller destinations may not offer a full range of car sizes and so you might have to hire a larger and more expensive one than you need.
• There are a lot of restrictions on foreign drivers in some countries which means a lot of younger travellers can’t hire cars.

Things to Consider when Choosing a Provider
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a car hire provider is the terms and conditions of use. This document that will be given to you to sign will outline such things as the excesses you have to pay should you somehow damage the car, the types of roads that the car is insured to be on (some car hire companies don’t insure their cars when driven on gravel or dusty roads), the breakdown cover that’s included and the amount of petrol that the car is expected to contain when you drop it off. You should read the terms and conditions carefully before making a booking as you could still be charged for the hire if you refuse the car at the time of picking it up.

You should also watch for providers who advertise a specific car with the by-line that you could get a ‘similar’ model. Not all makes and models are available at every airport or pick-up point so it is important that you make sure the ‘similar’ model is big enough for your needs.

BUYability Summary
Depending on the size of car you hire it can work out quite expensive to keep a car for the duration of your holiday and it might be worth looking at single or two day hire if you only want it to visit a few specific places. If you have a family though or there are a group of you travelling together then it is one of the most convenient and safe ways to get around while abroad and definitely an option worth looking at.