Hiring a car is often a really good way to explore an area independently without having to rely on public transport services. Making car hire as hassle-free as possible requires taking a few important steps.
To begin with it is important to check that your car hire agreement includes an insurance policy. If it does not, make sure that you find a suitable stand-alone insurance policy that will cover the car you have hired. If it does include an insurance policy, never assume it will offer sufficient coverage. Check how much the excess amount is. Often with cheap car hire, excess insurance can be extremely high.
Extremely high excess amounts can mean that ultimately you have no coverage at all. Bear in mind that it is not only accidents that you could be liable for when you hire a car. You are also responsible for damage that occurs during the period in which you have hired a car. Whilst they may not be your fault and could easily have occurred whilst the car was parked you will still be responsible. If your excess is £1000, then you may well find that you are liable to pay almost this amount in damages.
This brings up the importance of making sure that you fully inspect your car before you leave the hire centre. Reputable car hire firms will provide you with a diagram of the car on which any former damages will be marked. Inspect the car thoroughly and should you find any damage which is not recorded draw attention to it. It may also be a good idea to take photographs so that you have evidence the damage had already been incurred.
By protecting yourself fully you can take the stress out of hiring a car and get on with enjoying your exploring.