How to rent a car and get good service?

Everyone knows the potential advantages of renting a vehicle. You get the freedom of the road and, in those parts of the world where the public transport system is not so hot, it's the only way to get where you want to go in a timely fashion. Yet we all have friends with horror stories about the poor service they received when collecting and returning their vehicles. Allowing for cultural differences and language problems, the first and best step to getting the best service is to write to the renter explaining your needs. Sadly, mental telepathy is still very limited and, unless you tell people what you need, they can only guess. When they guess wrong, you get upset and that's where the problems grow bigger. So a simple list of your needs - trying not to make them sound like a list of demands - will smooth the way. If you arrive and find things still not ready, show the email. This usually produces apologies and more urgent attention to those needs.

How to get the most out of car rental companies

Let's start by thinking about your choice of vehicle. If you have children or a lot of stuff to carry around, remember some countries prefer smaller cars. Telling the renter what size of vehicle you need is essential. Put the other way round, if you want to make the biggest savings, you're going to want the smallest, most fuel-efficient vehicle on the lot. Now come to the driving itself. In the US, we're used to automatic transmissions. In other countries, stick shift is the norm. If you can't drive a stick shift or you're worried about a stick shift using the "wrong" hand (yes, some of these pesky foreigners drive on the other side of the road), tell the renter you want an automatic transmission. Now start thinking about all that stuff. How big is it? For example, if you're off to a ski resort, do you want a rack on the roof to carry your skis and poles? Is one of your children young enough to need a special seat? Better still, if you don't know exactly where you're going, do you want a GPS system?

Now think about where you're proposing to drive. This is not something that needs to be cared in stone, but if you think you may go into different countries, remember to ensure you are carrying all the equipment required under local laws. For example, as of July 1, 2012, the French Government has decided you must carry a breathalyzer. If you fail to produce one when asked by the nice police officer with a gun strapped to his waist, there's an instant fine. It's about $15 a time and these police officers have radios so can ensure you get stopped every mile if you don't smile when asked to pay up. So ask your friendly car rental company to stock up your vehicle with all the mandatory equipment for the countries in which you propose to drive. Ask for a list and know exactly where it is. If you tell a car rental company what you actually need you can receive really good service.

Making a booking with car rental companies

The chance to fit you into one of their various set packages is something that any car rental company with a fleet of cars to rent out wants. By default, if the booking is imprecise, you'll find yourself arbitrarily dumped into their "standard" vehicles on the "usual" terms. Perhaps this will work well for you. But when it proves a bad guess, you need to unpick the agreement when you arrive at the collection point without causing a major war. Remember you need the company to give you a vehicle at a good price so upsetting the local representatives before you start is not the best way to win. Indeed, you should have done all the heavy lifting by email before you set off for the collection point.

The length of time you wish to rent the vehicle for will be your first question. If this is literally one or two days, you will nearly always do better with one of the national or international companies. The large companies always carry a big fleet of vehicles of different sizes so can more easily fit you in for short periods. When you approach a "local" company, it will want you to take the vehicle for a minimum period, usually a week. If you insist on a shorter period of hire from a small company, you will be denied any possibility of a discount. Companies that rent out on predictable cycles can be left with a vehicle sitting in the lot waiting for the start of the next period of hire to start.

The distance that you are looking to travel will be your next question. If this is going to be within the immediate area, going local will be safe. Should you breakdown or hit problems, people can come and rescue you. But if you're planning to take off into the boondocks, a national company is going to give you more protection because, hopefully, you will always be within range of a branch office or the national company can tap a local garage to give roadside assistance. Alternatively, ensure you have membership of the national roadside rescue services in the countries you propose to visit. You always need to be just one cell phone call away from help.

Car rental companies and discounts

It is always worth asking about discount if you want to get the best possible deal. It's a rule of life. If you don't ask, you never get a discount. If this is going to be a regular event, ask about a loyalty program. Most are free but, some times, you pay a small amount to join. Once in, you get a discount on all the bookings you make. The same applies if you're already a member of frequent flier programs or your credit card provider has a local promotion. In the other direction, always ask about any terms entitling the car rental companies to impose charges or fees. For example, what are the no-show rules? Some companies charge you only if you fail to collect at all. Others charge you if you're late. So, if you're stuck in traffic on your way to the collection point, are you calm or is there frustration because a fee will be imposed unless you can get there in the next five minutes? Car rental companies like the chance to add to your bill. Know what you're getting into before you sign up.