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Which discount car rental suppliers do you use?
We have negotiated deals with major consolidators of international car
hire suppliers, plus many local specialists. The car rental companies
offered include - Alamo, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Citer, Dollar, Thrifty and
Europcar. For each location selected our car hire search engine will deliver
the best rates and availability for the type of car and dates selected.
This may mean that vehicles are not available for a specific supplier
for each location, but you can rest assured that you will be offered our
most competitive rate available from a trusted supplier every time you
book with us.
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Vouchers are usually sent out as soon as possible
after making your online booking. However, if you have not received your
voucher 7 days prior to your date of pick up (or by the date requested)
then Contact
Us quoting your booking reference number.
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Do I need to reconfirm my car reservation?
No! There is no need to reconfirm your booking once it is made. We will
normally send you your car voucher by email (we can also fax it to you
if you have any trouble receiving the email). You need to print out the
voucher and keep it in a safe place and take with you when you collect
your vehicle. It is also a good idea to keep a handy note of your booking
reference number to quote if necessary. Please remember that if you do
not have your voucher you may not be able to get your car - but you will
be charged for it! So, PLEASE ensure you have your voucher before you
travel.
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What information/documentation will I need to collect my
car?
You will need to take your passport (or similar photo ID), drivers licence,
prepaid car voucher and a valid credit card preferrably in the drivers
name. In some countries outside Europe, you may also need an International
Drivers Permit to accompany your national licence. You can get more information
on how to obtain one of these if required from your local Motoring organisation.
(AA, RAC, AAA, etc)
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Who do I contact if I want to change my car rental
details?
If you need to make any changes to your booking you will need to contact
our customer
services, and we will get back to you within 2 working days. You will
need to quote your booking reference number so keep it handy. There may
be a charge to make amendments to your booking, therefore, we strongly
recommend you take out the cancellation protection available when you
book. This allows you to make changes, or even cancel, for no extra charge
up to 48 hours before you go.
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Who do I contact if I want to cancel my car?
If you need to cancel your car please contact our customer
services and we will get back to you within 2 working days. You will
need to quote your booking reference number so we can locate your booking
quickly. There may be a charge made for cancelling your booking. This
could be up to 100% of the rental cost, therefore we strongly recommend
you take out the cancellation protection available when you book. This
allows you to change or cancel your booking, free of charge, up to 48
hours before you go.
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I need to cancel my car will I get a refund?
Only if you take out the cancellation cover available when you book as
this allows you to make changes to your booking, or cancel for no extra
charge, right up to 48 hours before you are due to collect your car. Without
this protection heavy penalties may apply.
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Can I have my refund in cash or cheque?
Sorry! It is only possible to refund money back onto the original card
that payment was received from. It is not possible to refund monies to
another card, nor issue a cheque.
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I have not received my voucher yet or a confirmation, who
do I speak to?
Your best bet is to contact our customer
services. Have your booking reference number handy when you call
so we can locate your booking quickly for you.
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I have lost my car voucher! What do I do now?
You should be able to re-print it from the original email sent to you.
However. Dont worry! Contact our customer
services team and we can issue a copy.
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What sort of licence do I need to drive abroad?
Each country will have slightly different rules regarding driving licences
so you will need to check these details before you go. You will need to
produce your original driving licence when you collect your car (photocopies
or faxed copies are not acceptable) and may also need to produce an International
Drivers Permit to accompany it. You can get further information on these
from your local Motoring Organisation (AA, RAC, AAA, etc) Dont forget
that if you are using one of the new UK photo licences then this needs
to be accompanied with the paper licence too in order to be valid.
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What happens if I break down or have an accident?
If you breakdown or have an accident you need to immediately contact the
rental location listed on your voucher for either a replacement vehicle
or authorisation for repairs. In the event of an accident, write down
as many details as you can remember, exchange contact details with anyone
else involved (dont forget to give the other driver the car hire companies
details) and get any witnesses contact details if you can. Draw a picture
of the accident scene showing the position of vehicles and any relevant
features of the area/roadside, i.e. lampposts etc. Dont forget that in
the event of an accident it is a legal requirement to inform the local
Police either straight away or within 24 hours depending on the applicable
countries law (even if no one has been hurt), and you will need to obtain
a signed police report. Make sure you keep copies of all your rental documents
(and the police report), as you will need these if an insurance company
is involved with a claim, either against you or on your behalf. Its best
to do this anyway in case there is any sort of dispute.
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Can I book my car over the phone instead?
We do not provide a telephone booking centre - this would mean additional
staff and, thus, higher prices! However, once your booking has been placed,
your order confirmation will provide a Customer Services telephone number
for any questions - we cannot publish it here as the number may vary depending
on which supplier we have booked your car with. We think booking online
is really easy and hope you do too. Please be assured that our site is
fully secure and all your personal details including your card number
is encrypted
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If I drop my car off early - will I get a partial refund?
Sorry! Even if you bring your car back earlier than expected you will
not be due any refund on the rental fee.
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What happens if I drop my car off late?
You will be charged an extra days rental if you are late bringing your
car back. This is payable locally in local currency and possibly there
will be additional taxes.
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Will I get the make and model of the car that I have requested?
This will depend on availability at the time of your arrival. We cannot
guarantee the exact make and model, however, the car hire company will
provide a similar make and model, or should upgrade you at no extra cost
if a similar sized car is not available for you when you arrive (resist
any sales tactics to ask you to pay for that upgrade!). If the vehicle
supplied is unsatisfactory, you need to request a replacement from the
car hire supplier at the time of collection. You should also inform
customer services on your return.
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Should I book early for the most popular locations?
Book your rental car early! Unlike plane tickets, hire cars do not get
cheaper the nearer to your departure date you wait! The most likely thing
to happen is that the car you really want will be sold out! Remember,
car hire companies have a finite amount of cars at any one depot, so when
all cars in a group are gone, they're gone. All that happens then is you
have to pay more for a larger car/higher priced group of vehicle.
Car hire in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain: these are the most popular
destinations for both Europeans and overseas visitors. If you are looking
to hire a car in any of these countries then booking as early as possible
gives you the best chance of getting the car you want at the right price.
We only quote the cheapest supplier, so if a car is sold out between you
getting your quote and then booking, it does mean paying a higher price!
So remember - book early!
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Can I rent a convertible or minivan?
There are a few things you need to be aware of when booking a convertible
or minivan:
- Book early! Convertibles and minivans are not as common as say an
economy sized car, so the earlier you book the better chance you have
of getting it. These cars are not always available at every car hire
location.
- Not all locations will have convertibles on fleet, if the location
you want to pick up from does not have a convertible on fleet then
no matter how early you try to book it won't be available.
- In Europe and Italy especially, convertibles are in shorter supply
than in the US (and in particular Florida and California ) so this
means you should try and book your convertible as early as possible!
- Another thing to remember: while a minivan will seat 7 people comfortably,
they will not necessarily take luggage for 7! Investigate the possibility
of hiring an economy or compact car for the first and last days of
the trip to help with luggage.
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What are the most common car hire groups?
Economy - these will seat 2 adults and 2 children comfortably. Luggage
space may be a little tight if you take a lot of cases with you! The Compact
group are nex. Again, they will seat 2 adults and 2 children comfortably,
even 4 adults will find it roomy enough. Luggage space is a little better
than the economy car hire group but again it will depend on how many cases
everyone takes! We've all been behind the couple who have 2 large cases
each plus all their hand luggage and if all 4 adults take that much…………even
a large luxury car might not take all the cases!
Intermediate is the next car hire group and usually will seat 5 - 4 adults
and a child. Again, you need to remember how many cases you are taking.
These are the most common groups and are generally available at all rent-a-carlocations.
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Do you have any special tips about the differences renting
in Europe and the States?
For Europeans (or people from any where else for that matter!) going to
the States and renting a car, remember that all hire cars that you rent
in the US are automatic transmission and are not usually diesel, only
petrol engines.
For US residents traveling to Europe and elsewhere the opposite applies,
automatic transmission cars are the exception rather than the norm.These
cars rank in the groups that should be booked early and which may not
be available at all car rental locations!
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