Want freedom for your vacation? Rent a car! Secret little corners to discover with your partner, quieter beaches, wild road trips , everything is possible… But renting a car supposes being familiar with the rules imposed by the agencies.
What are the conditions to be able to rent a car?
You must be at least 21 years old (25 in some countries) and one year of driving license to be able to rent a vehicle. Many car rental companies impose a “young driver” supplement for those under 25 (see below).
In France and in Europe, your B license is sufficient, but outside Europe, you need an international license. It is free and valid for 3 years. It is very easy to obtain, it is simply an administrative formality , you do not go through anything.
Which car rental company to choose?
It’s not easy to know where to go to find the best car rental, but also to have a car in good condition, avoid additional invoicing and juggle with footnotes in contracts.
We can go through general tour operators ( Expedia , Opodo , Go Voyages …), to classic rental companies ( Hertz , Avis …) who all have well-made sites or to specialists ( Auto Europe , reputed to be the cheapest in Southern Europe ; Auto Escape which goes directly to the cheapest rental company, Alamo , specialist in the USA…).
It is often difficult to understand this classification A, B, C … Here is the explanation:
Auto insurance? Can I skip the line?
This is the major point. Normally third party insurance should be included in the price. So check it out. It covers material and bodily damage caused to a third party and to his vehicle even if you are responsible for it.
You can take out additional insurance, which is not compulsory, such as CDW (Collision Damage Waiver). This type of additional insurance prevents you from paying an excess in the event of damage to the rented car.