Car Hire Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
- Q)Why should I book my car hire with charterflights.co.uk?
- A)Pre-booking car hire with charterflights.co.uk takes all of the hastle of trying to arrange car hire at the airport or in resort. Pre-booking with us is inclusive of all costs and will not include any "hidden charges" which may be experienced when booking locally. Our car hire rates are extremely competitive and you are securing availability of a vehicle upon your arrival.
- Q)Will it be cheaper when I get to my car hire destination?
- A)By pre-booking your car rental, you will know exactly what the fully inclusive price is and that you will not have to pay any extras for compulsory insurance, taxes etc. Car rental prices charged in resort may be higher than pre-booked car rental, as there is often only one local supplier and therefore no competition to keep prices down. If you wait until you arrive in resort before booking a car, vehicle availability may be a problem due to the time of year, high demand etc. By pre- booking car rental you are assured of the car they want, plus the full back up service of a 24 hour help line.
- Q)Why not just get a taxi?
- A)Taxi journeys to and from the airport alone can cost as much as a week's car rental with charterflights.co.uk, and with your own car you have the added flexibility of going where you want, when you want during your holiday. Taxis can also be unreliable when needed to return to pick holidaymakers up at the end of their stay.
- Q)Why not just use local transport?
- A)This is not the safest or most reliable way of getting around on holiday, especially if you are laden down with luggage. Relying on the local bus timetable can also severely limit your travel freedom.
- Q)Why would I use car hire when we get free transfers to/from our hotel?
- A)A lot of valuable time can be wasted waiting for transfer buses to take you to your hotel/resort. Transfers often return you to the airport hours before your departure time, and it is not unheard of for pickups to be forgotten completely. Some tour operators also now charge extra for transfers. Why not arrange for the car to by ready at the airport, this will save you money on the transfers and you can get to your accommodation quicker and also know you have the car to explore for the duration of your holiday.
- Q)Why use car hire, I can go on planned excursions?
- A)Excursions alone nowadays can cost as much as a week's car rental! Excursions often drag out a visit when it need only take up one morning or afternoon if you had your own hire car. Hiring a car will also be flexible, and mean you are able to stop for food/drink etc at a time that suits you, as you are not fixed to a schedule. On average excursions can cost up to £30 per day per person for a family of four this can be the same price as car hire for a week.
- Q)I drive for a living - why would I want to drive on holiday? I just want to relax!
- A)Everyone has a reluctance to drive whilst on holiday, but it would be a shame to travel all that way and not see as much of your destination as possible. Rental can be arranged to start a couple of days into your holiday, after you have had a few days of relaxation.
- Q)Will I understand the road signs and driving rules?
- A)A stop sign is a stop sign in any language. If there are any unusual signs or driving rules in a particular country then you will be advised of them when you pick up your hire car.
- Q)Why not book with my tour operator?
- A)In some case this will be with the local car rental company who won't offer you the best deal on price. You may need to pay in local currency, which can eat into spending money and apart from a competitive price, we also offer a great service - 24 hour help line, free airport delivery etc.
- Q)Why would I choose Car Hire over sitting on a beach?
- A)If sitting on a beach is what you really want to do why limit yourself? Who wouldn't want to be on a beach? Instead of sitting on the same crowded beach every day, looking at the same view with the same people, why not rent a hire car and enjoy a different more peaceful beach every day? This way if you have too much sun or get bored you can leave the beach and go and explore the area for some variety.
- Q)Can I cover the car hire insurance excess? I notice that there is an car hire insurance excess for the hire vehicle. Is there any way to cover this?
- A)Starting from just £2.50 per day, you can purchase either of our damage excess waiver products which offer reimbursement for any excess paid as a result of accidental damages whilst renting your car. Damage excess waiver products must be purchased at the time of booking.
- Q)How old do I have to be to rent a car?
- A)At present if you are aged between 25 and 65 you are able to book online, if you are aged between 21 - 25, or over 65 you will need to either contact a member of our reservations team on 0845 045 0153 or bear in mind that local charges may apply for increased insurance premiums. You may still be able to rent a car however an additional surcharge may be incurred to partly cover additional insurance and will be payable to the local car rental partner on collection of your vehicle.
- Q)Must I have my driving licence with me to collect my car?
- A)Together with your confirmation voucher and a valid credit card, in order to pick up your car, you must have with you your full driving licence. Where you have been issued with a new style two-part licence, you must also ensure that you have both sections with you - i.e. both the credit card and paper sections. If, for any reason, you do not have your original documents with you, our local car rental partner may refuse to release the vehicle to you and, whilst we will endeavour to help in such circumstances, we cannot guarantee to resolve the issue for you. Prior to travelling, if you are aware that you will not have your licence with you, it may be possible to request a temporary licence from the DVLA. However, this is not regarded by many car rental companies as an adequate alternative and so again, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to collect your vehicle.
- Q)What do I need to pick up my car?
- A)Upon collection of your vehicle the lead driver must produce their car rental voucher, a valid credit card and their driving licence. If you are renting abroad you will also require your passport. Certain car rental partners in the United Kingdom may also require two additional forms of identification i.e. two utility bills. Please note all additional drivers must also produce their driving licence. Further specific information regarding collection will appear on your car rental voucher. To reiterate: Car rental voucher: This is accepted by our car rental partner as proof of prepayment. A valid credit card: This must have sufficient funds available to cover any required deposit. Driving licence: If you have a new style licence, then it is imperative both the credit card and paper parts are taken. If any of the above are not produced the supplier may refuse the rental.
- Q)Can I take my hire vehicle off road?
- A)Insurance does not include cover for taking any vehicles off road.
- Q)I have made a booking - what happens now?
- A)Once your car hire booking has been confirmed, your pre-paid car hire voucher will be emailed to you. This must be presented to the local car hire firm on collection of the vehicle. If you have not received you car hire voucher after 72 hours, please call 0845 045 0153 stating you have made a car hire booking, but not received a rental voucher.
- Q)What if any cancellation charges will I have to pay if I cancel my booking?
- A)In the unfortunate event that you have to cancel your rental, some of our suppliers will levy a charge for the cancellation of your booking prior to your collection date (see below). No refunds will be given for rentals ended early, for late collections, for no shows or for cancellations made after the rental start date, even if cancellation protection has been taken. Cancellations can be made by calling 0845 045 0153 where you will also be advised of any applicable cancellation charges. As a general guide cancellation charges are: 7 or more days before start date £15-30 or up to 50% 6-3 days before start date 50-60% 2-0 days before start date 75-90% To limit any potential cancellation charges, we offer Cancellation Waiver Protection on some hire vehicles. From just £5.50 per rental week, we offer Cancellation Waiver Protection will protect you from any cancellation charges payable if you are unable to honour your booking prior to the collection date. Such insurance must be purchased at the time of booking.
- Q)Am I able to take a vehicle cross border to another country?
- A)If you click on the Important information link before confirming your booking you will see information relating to your booking, and this includes information about taking your vehicle out of the country of booking under restrictions
- Q)How do I book additional extras and when do I pay for them?
- A)We recommend that pre-bookable options such as Damage Excess Waiver (DEW) and Cancellation Waiver Protection (CWP) are taken. Car rental partners also offer a range of additional extras that are not included in your standard rental cost. These include: child seats, ski racks and ski chains etc. At the booking stage of the online process, there is a sub-heading of extras payable locally at time of pick-up where you can add the listed extras to the booking (extras are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in advance). The cost will be advised there (although it is subject to change) and is paid when you pick up your vehicle from our car rental partner. Child seats are mandatory in most countries so they must be requested specially at this time - if this is done at least 7 days prior to departure these will be guaranteed. Additional drivers do not have to be booked in advance but charges will be advised at time of booking and are payable locally. If you require an extra that is not listed, please contact us on 0845 045 0153 advising of your requirements and the booking reference number where applicable, one of our agents will get back to you as soon as possible with further details.
- Q)Can I do a one-way rental?
- A)One way rentals can be booked online for most countries worldwide, however cannot be booked via our website. Please call us on 0845 045 0153 for a one-way rental quote.
- Q)Can I amend my website booking?
- A)Yes, please call us on 0845 045 0153. If any charges or refunds are applicable, this will be stated prior to confirming the amendment.
- Q)Can I rent a car if I don't have a credit card?
- A)Some of our rental partners will accept cash, cheque or travellers cheques as a deposit but you will need to contact our reservations team on 0845 045 0153 before travel to confirm if this is possible.
- Q)What will the make and model of the car be?
- A)Unfortunately we can not guarantee the exact make and model of the vehicle booked, when selecting a vehicle type online an example car will be described. Vehicles are booked with our suppliers by the following four specifications: * The size of vehicle * The number of passenger doors * The transmission * If the vehicle is air conditioned Examples of details that we CAN NOT guarantee or book for, include: * The colour of the vehicle * If the vehicle contains a CD player or tape player * The fuel type of the vehicle * The engine size of the vehicle However, for guidance purposes only, see below for the typical engine sizes associated with the Vehicle sizes: * Mini Size - 1.0 litre * Economy - up to 1.4 litre - average 1.2 litre * Compact - up to 1.6 litre - average 1.4 litre * Intermediate - up to 2.0 litre For examples of the type of car that is offered for the Vehicle Sizes please proceed to get a quote, when the list of vehicle sizes appear a typical Car type example is provided.
- Q)What does it mean when my car is "on request"?
- A)The "on request" status requires us to contact the local car rental partner in order to confirm availability of your choice of car. During the booking stage of the online process, all "on request" cars will be highlighted, under the price of the vehicle in bold writing. You will then be contacted within the following 2 working days, advising whether the car is available or not. If available your car hire voucher will be emailed to the email address specified at the time of booking. If your selected car is not available you will be offered the choice of a similar alternative or a full refund.
- Q)At the airport, where do I get my car?
- A)Locations will vary depending on car rental partner, but most will have a courtesy bus to their office if they are not located directly in the arrivals lounge. Specific details of the location of your car rental office will be included on the rental voucher sent to you once you have booked.
- Q)What if my flight arrives later than specified?
- A)It is extremely important that you provide us with your flight number if you are collecting your vehicle from an airport. In the event that your flight is delayed our car rental partner will wait for you to arrive, although this may incur an out of hours charge payable locally. If you wish to add the flight details to an existing booking then please call us on 0845 045 0153.
- Q)Please explain what a voucher is and why I need one?
- A)Your car rental voucher is a document which the supplier of your rental vehicle requires as proof of pre-payment. It is imperative that this is taken with you. If you do not produce your voucher at time of collection the car rental partner may ask you to pay again or refuse the rental.
