When holidaying abroad in places like Malaga, it’s sometimes very useful to hire a car. It could be so that you can visit places more easily that are further afield, or just because you prefer this method of travelling. Either way, there are a few things you should consider before you compare car hire prices.

Read the Terms & Conditions – This is very important. It’s easiest if you arrange your car hire before you go on holiday as then you can be sent copies of the booking forms and the terms & conditions before you travel and you’ll have lots of time to read through them and check them.

Where are you going to use the car? – It may sound odd, but don’t forget that unlike in the UK, in mainland Europe lots of countries border each other and you can drive from one country to another easily. It’s all very well if you’re staying in Alicante, and only plan on staying within Spain, but if you’re staying further up the coast in say L’Escala, you might well want to cross the border and visit places in France.

How far will you drive? – In some countries the policies are likely to include unlimited mileage and in others it will be a fixed maximum. For some it’s a maximum per day too and as many companies plug a device into the car that tells them, you’ll need to be aware of limits as going over them can incur additional per kilometre fees.

Choose the right insurance – First of all check to see if your existing insurance covers you. If not then it’s important to make certain that you take out adequate insurance to cover everything you need and that you’re happy with any excesses.

Take the right documents – This is a tricky one as some countries want you to have more documentation than others. 99% of the time you’ll want your drivers licence, passport and credit card as a minimum, but check the laws of the country you’re travelling to, and ask the hire company too so that you have everything you’ll require when you go.
Drinking laws – It is exceedingly important to remember that drink driving laws vary from country to country. Here in the UK we have limits on how much a person can drink and still be deemed safe legally to drive. In other countries these limits vary and in some places they have a zero tolerance policy. The best advice we can give you is if you’re not sure, then don’t drink and drive at all.

Check the car over – Just like in the UK, before you drive off in your hire car, check it over. Make sure any scratches or dents already on the car are documented as pre-existing, and that the mileage is correctly written down. When you bring the car back, do the same thing again and make sure they book it in before you leave – it’s much easier to argue your point about something in person than it is when you’re back home in another country!

If you are visiting Malaga this year, you can get convenient car rental at Malaga airport which can be prebooked in the UK before hand.