The best way to explore a new country when you go on your next vacation is by car. Renting a car allows you to sight-see at your own pace to tourist spots of your own choice. There are certain things you should keep in mind when you are renting a car abroad even though you can easily rent cars from rental services.
It is a good idea to make all arrangements from the USA itself before you embark on your vacation. You may end up being utterly confused if you rent directly in a foreign land the language and cultural barriers, the foreign currency conversion rates, unfamiliar rental rules and other differences. But renting right from your home country would mean that you are more likely to catch the hidden costs such as late penalties, gas charges and others.
You need to be sure that your billing starts from the time of the drop-off. Don't forget that there are agencies that charge on a full 24-hour basis, even if you use the car for lesser hours per day. Avoid these types of car rental agencies.
Various types of discounts are available on car rentals internationally as well. For example, the frequent flyer discount, credit card discount, AAA discount or senior citizen discount etc. are the most common type of car rental discounts. Insist on getting the discounts if you qualify for them.
Consider the prospective size of your luggage and the number of people traveling with you when you are booking in advance. In case the luggage and the size of your group are small you can consider a smaller car. But you need to book a roomier car if you feel that you are going to travel with a big group or have big or quite a few luggages.
Don't forget to bring your international driving permit with you. This will be recognized by about 150 countries. But being at least 18 years old is a requirement if you want to obtain an international driving permit. Two agencies are authorized to issue the document in the USA and these are the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance.
Do not expect to rent a luxurious or automatic car in other countries as you would expect to rent back home. For example, if you rent a car of European make, there is a high possibly that you have to drive a manual stick shift car. However, it is better that you insist on renting an automatic car even though it comes at a higher price tag since you are not familiar with your way around in a foreign country.
As you can see, when it comes to driving in the foreign land, it is much more than laughing about driving on the wrong side of the road. Be prepared and carry the right documents for safe and happy driving abroad.
It is a good idea to make all arrangements from the USA itself before you embark on your vacation. You may end up being utterly confused if you rent directly in a foreign land the language and cultural barriers, the foreign currency conversion rates, unfamiliar rental rules and other differences. But renting right from your home country would mean that you are more likely to catch the hidden costs such as late penalties, gas charges and others.
You need to be sure that your billing starts from the time of the drop-off. Don't forget that there are agencies that charge on a full 24-hour basis, even if you use the car for lesser hours per day. Avoid these types of car rental agencies.
Various types of discounts are available on car rentals internationally as well. For example, the frequent flyer discount, credit card discount, AAA discount or senior citizen discount etc. are the most common type of car rental discounts. Insist on getting the discounts if you qualify for them.
Consider the prospective size of your luggage and the number of people traveling with you when you are booking in advance. In case the luggage and the size of your group are small you can consider a smaller car. But you need to book a roomier car if you feel that you are going to travel with a big group or have big or quite a few luggages.
Don't forget to bring your international driving permit with you. This will be recognized by about 150 countries. But being at least 18 years old is a requirement if you want to obtain an international driving permit. Two agencies are authorized to issue the document in the USA and these are the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance.
Do not expect to rent a luxurious or automatic car in other countries as you would expect to rent back home. For example, if you rent a car of European make, there is a high possibly that you have to drive a manual stick shift car. However, it is better that you insist on renting an automatic car even though it comes at a higher price tag since you are not familiar with your way around in a foreign country.
As you can see, when it comes to driving in the foreign land, it is much more than laughing about driving on the wrong side of the road. Be prepared and carry the right documents for safe and happy driving abroad.
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