Christmas Car Rental Tips

By: Dean Harris

Christmas is here and billions of happy traveller’s make their way to friends and loved ones thanks to transportation solutions such as car rental. South Africa, Europe, America, Asia and everyone else on planet earth is travelling home to their families. Avoid the rush and follow these handy hints to ensure that your holiday travel is filled with pleasant memories and not the horrid experience of screaming babies in queues, lack of car hire and inflated prices. The festive season is the busiest time of the year for car hire in Cape Town or any other popular tourism destination. Take the time to shop around; you are still the rental companies’ number one priority after all. It is practised during this time of the year for larger car hire firms worldwide to out-strip supply, meaning that the price is often overinflated. These are the best tips for the coming season:

The most important tip to remember is to book early in order to avoid disappointment or paying too much. As the old adage goes, "it is often easier said than done" despite that year after year, the same mistake is repeated. The closer you leave your booking to the last minute, the greater the chances will be of missing out on the perfect rental! Get organised and book your car hire in Cape Town early.

Take advantage of the best prices by staying open with your dates and by being flexible with your car rental type. Also, bear in mind the seemingly small charges that can lend to overspending such as if your Cape car hire is delivered to you, it costs more. Opting for GPS and power-steering, will also cost more. Never mind the possibility that by being too specific, you may negate a possible rental option. Keeping an open mind may also land you a cheaper deal.

If you are dead-set on booking extras, pre-book to avoid the disappointment you will feel when your 4x4 arrives without a baby-seat or a satellite navigation unit. Any car hire from airport branches will have these options readily available throughout the year but during the silly season, they will be snatched up faster than a free cup of eggnog. So book extras early, or pay a hefty price to guarantee them.

Hop online and compare prices. The best deals can be found simply by opening multiple websites and listing prices, side by side. We all practice price comparison on a daily basis, thanks to the global economic crisis and your chosen car rental should be acquired through the same means. You may get lucky and find a smaller, independent company with rock-bottom prices.

Make certain that your car rental in South Africa is covered by the necessary insurance. In the Western Cape, car hire insurance is mandatory extra and most branches have the same policy. Everyone needs their possessions covered and accidents are rife, with drunken revellers making a nuisance of themselves on the road. Keep your affairs in order and insure your car rental. There is no worse Christmas present then having to pay for a new rental car.

Follow these tips as they warrant a safe and reliable journey on the road throughout the holiday season. Your car rental experience can be a smooth and pleasant voyage if you learn to follow these common practices. Car hire in Cape Town can be a thrilling experience, or a painful one depending on the steps you take.

Dean owns a business which specialises in car hire in Cape town and is the number one firm in regards to car rental in South Africa.