If you are planning on going on a vacation, you have certainly started making a to-do list with all the things you need to prepare, plan, organize and purchase in order to have a great time and prevent getting stressed out about something.
Those lists are usually quite long and complex, and this is exactly the reason why people prepare for going on a vacation for at least a couple of weeks.
Why? From getting the right clothing, accessories, gadgets to making reservations, planning on visiting interesting amenities and figuring out what activities to indulge in – all of this is a part of the process.
Although it sounds complicated and energy draining it is exactly what makes vacationing so special and enjoyable. It is all about anticipation of the most amazing couple of weeks in the whole year. Besides booking a hotel or an airbnb, purchasing tickets for museums and exploring nightlife, there is one thing that many people can’t spend their vacation without. That is – a car.
While many people avoid driving a car on their vacation because they spend most of their time driving to work commuting or travelling by car, there are certain people that cannot imagine their life without a car and without being able to move to one place to another with ease (and not having to rely on public transportation buses trains etc). It has been proven that some of the best adventures often happen spontaneously and there is nothing spontaneous about waiting for a bus to come and adjusting to other people’s plans.
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Having a car is especially important if you are planning on traveling somewhere where transportation infrastructure is not that advanced or if you’re planning on traveling throughout the whole country from city to city. If that’s the case you’ll definitely need a vehicle, because it’s the only way you can explore all the places you want in a matter of hours or days, and make plans according to your preferences and your liking.
However, not many people want to drive thousands of miles using their own car, if you want to save it from potential repairs or simply – make it last longer. Maybe you’re using your car only for commuting to work and your car isn’t suitable for longer road trips, especially the ones abroad. Finally, maybe your car is completely new and you don’t feel that comfortable driving it to some foreign, unknown country where everything is uncertain and new. On the contrary, your car might be old or might need repairs and might stop somewhere along the way, which is definitely something you want to avoid. These are only some of the logical reasons why people choose to rent a car on their vacation, rather than using their own car. Of course, there are always reasons such as wanting to drive the car of your dreams in the country or city of your dreams, so you rent a car and make your wish come true.
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When renting a car abroad, there are certain things you need to know. One of the first things you need to decide is – whether you want to book a car when you get to your destination or you are more of a type of person who likes to prepare things beforehand. According to adremlimburg.nl, it’s more convenient and much safer to book a car beforehand, in advance. What’s the reason behind this? The answer is simple. If you want to spend less money on your car rental, then you should book everything before you even enter the county. If you choose to rent a car at the counter, don’t be surprised if you end up paying a tremendously higher price than you thought you would.
This is common practice, and it is the same case with tickets for certain museums etc. If you get them at least a day before, you will save a lot of money, and probably – time and energy as well. By investing a couple of minutes into the research about available rental companies in the country or the city you’re about to visit (or in your own city), you will be able to pick the best option for both your budget and your preferences when it comes to the brand, type and the category of your car rental. Not to mention that you can always find coupons, discounts, or simply make sure to book as far in advance as you can.
Other than making a car rental reservation beforehand, there are certain tips and tricks you can use to save money while providing yourself with a much needed travel tool for vacationing:
1. Don’t Be Afraid Of Making Multiple Bookings
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Even if you’ve compared all the available rental companies, it still doesn’t mean you need to make the final decision right away. One of the very useful things you could do is making multiple bookings and then cancelling the ones that turned out to be worse than others. This way, you will ensure that you have a car in any case, but you will also be able to pick only the best of the best, when it comes to the vehicle and the price. As long as you cancel it on time, it will never be a problem.
2. Take Advantage Of Your Primary Car Insurance
One of the biggest turn offs for people when it comes to renting a vehicle are the insurance fees that need to be paid. However, if you play smart, then the insurance will not be a problem for you. What can you do about it? By consulting your bank about the options that go with some of your credit cards, you can easily cover a part of your insurance, or in other words – your primary car insurance. Some cards even include the secondary car insurance coverage, so make sure to collect all the info, because it will simply save you a lot of money.
3. The Pick-up Location Really Makes A Difference
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Even if you didn’t make the reservation on time, forget about doing it at the airport. Why? If you wanna spend a little fortune on your rental, then you can rent it at the airport. If you don’t, you will use any type of public transportation and then book your car online, which will save you lots of money.
4. Don’t Let Them Fill Up Your Tank
Finally, when you get your car, ask to fill up your tank by yourself. The reason behind this is quite simple – if you get your car already filled up with gas, you will need to return it with the refilled tank. But what if you haven’t used all the gas? This means that you will have an unnecessary expense which you can easily avoid by simply skipping this option.
