Practical Car and Van Hire

Practical car and van hire in Britain is expensive. Automatics are much more expensive than manual transmission cars. Some car hires don't even have automatics, because every car in Britain seems to be manual.

Insurance is expensive because of the way it is handled. No matter if your insurance company coverage is adequate or not, there is a high excess (deductible). The excess is added to your rental charges until you return the car. You can pay another fee that reduces the excess, as well.

There is also Tire and Windshield Insurance that you must pay in addition to any other insurance.

The fueling is the same in Britain as in the United States; you must return your vehicle with the same amount of petrol in it as there was when you left. If you return your vehicle with less fuel than you had upon leaving it, they refill it at the current rate plus a small service charge. They do not gouge you for gas by charging the highest rate possible; it's just the average, plus the service charge.

Most places in Britain inspect the cars rather well before handing you the keys. In any case, be certain to look over your practical car and van hire before leaving the premises, as you will be responsible for the excess should you return the vehicle damaged in any way.

If you are on vacation in Britain, and are looking for a practical car and van hire, the rental agent will want to see your passport and, possibly, your flight details in order to confirm that it is a temporary hire.

It's best to rent with a credit card and remember that Discover Card is rarely accepted in Britain.

It's a good idea to shop online for car hire in England. The terminology for a standard car rental is practical car and van hire. If you enter this information into a search engine, you will come up with hit after hit for car hires all over Britain, North Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. If you are visiting or on vacation, you may want to go with a major car rental firm, one whose name you recognize, as they are most adjustable to visitors and vacationers not familiar with excess charges and Tire and Windshield Insurance.

Mostly, renting a car in Britain is not so much different from renting a car in the United States, except that the steering wheel is on the other side of the car, and you must remember to drive on the left instead of the right. Car hire is commonplace at airports and hotels and the international chains like National, Enterprise, and Avis offer the same expedience services they do in the States. So, the process will not be unfamiliar to you, even if some of the charges and most of the vehicle options will be.

The best thing to remember about arranging practical car and van hire in Britain is to be patient and learn to adjust, mostly to manual transmissions and driving on the left.