How to Save Money on Car Hire for a Family Holiday

*This is a collaborative guest post

Hiring a car is one of the best things you can do on a family holiday because it enables you to explore much more of the area that you are visiting.

However, rental vehicles don’t come cheap. And when you also consider other costs like flights, accommodation, activities and food, you could find yourself struggling to fund everything.

Thankfully, there are some things you can do to save money on car hire and ensure your family holiday budget stretches further. In this post, we’ll highlight seven tactics for you to consider. Hopefully, they’ll save you a bob or two on your vacation.

1. Book Early and Compare Prices

One of the easiest ways to secure a cheaper family car rental deal is to book as early as possible. Prices tend to rise as availability drops, especially during school holidays or other peak travel periods. That is why securing something well in advance of when you need it will give you access to better rates and more vehicle options.

You should take the time to compare car rental companies rather than going with the first option you see. Browsing through comparison websites can help you get a clearer picture of what’s available. They can also highlight car hire discounts and offers that you might not have seen elsewhere.

When booking your hire car, it would help if you were flexible with your dates. If you can shift them by even a day, you may be able to get something at a much lower price.

2. Choose the Right Car Size

When you’re travelling with kids, you’ll probably need a bit of space. However, at the same time, you don’t want to choose a vehicle that offers more space than you need. That is essentially a waste of money.

As a general rule, larger cars are more expensive to hire than smaller ones. So, it’s worth thinking about how much room you’ll actually need for the vehicle you want to hire. Especially if you intend to carry a lot of luggage or bulky items like prams or golf clubs.

A mid-sized car might be perfectly comfortable for a family with young kids, while those with older children may need something more spacious.

3. Don’t Overpay — Understand Your Car Hire Insurance

You may be wondering whether you need car hire insurance. Well, taking it out is recommended because costs can quickly add up if you have to pay for tow trucks or for damage resulting from an accident.

That said, while you will most likely be covered for basic third-party liability, collision and theft, you don’t necessarily need to be safeguarded against everything.

For instance, you may not need to pay for roadside assistance or be protected against personal accident insurance or personal effects coverage, as this might already be covered by your credit card or travel insurance.

It’s worth taking a closer look at what’s already included in these policies if you have already organised them. Doing this can save you a tidy sum of money.

4. Watch Out for Hidden Fees

Hidden fees are one of the biggest surprises when it comes to car hire. Many people are attracted to low base rates, but then suddenly find themselves in for a nasty surprise when a few extra charges appear along the way.

One hidden fee to watch for is airport surcharges, which are common when picking up your vehicle at this type of location. They can add a noticeable amount to your booking and significantly increase the overall cost.

Other charges to be aware of are:

• Additional driver fees
• Young driver fees
• Late returns
• Not filling the petrol tank to a certain level

These levies often catch families out. So, it is worth taking a few moments to really understand the terms and conditions of what you are signing up for.

5. Skip Unnecessary Add-Ons

Many rental cars come with some fabulous add-on features that can make your driving experience much more enjoyable. They may include GPS units, Wi-Fi devices and child seats.

However, you should be aware that all of these will increase the total cost of your booking if you choose them as inclusions. Moreover, in many cases, you can bring your own or use alternatives. For instance, thanks to Google Maps and Waze, your smartphone can help you navigate your way around where you are visiting. Similarly, if you’re travelling with a child seat, you can save a bit of money by bringing your own.

6. Look for Discounts, Deals, and Family Offers

Most car rental companies offer discounts, deals, or special offers at various times of the year, which can often save you hundreds of dollars. You just need to be aware of them in order to benefit.

Black Friday is one good example of when you can find good deals. However, there are usually quite a few available in the low season and outside of school holidays.

Many car rental companies also run loyalty programs and memberships that can provide you with good savings. Additionally, you should know that some travel platforms offer bundled deals that include car hire alongside flights or accommodation. This could save you a tidy sum across the board.

Something else to be mindful of is that the longer you hire a car, the cheaper it will work out on average per day. Therefore, instead of hiring a vehicle twice during your family holiday, you might want to do it once. But for a longer timeframe.

7. Pick Up and Drop Off Smartly

More often than not, you’ll have to pay more money to drop off a car at an airport location or a different location from where you picked it up.

For this reason, returning the car to the same location can help you avoid these additional charges. That said, one-way rentals can enable you to see more of the destination you are visiting, which can save you on the cost of getting there by other means, such as flight or train.