Tips For Hiring A Car For The First Time
Hiring a car for the first time? Perhaps you aren’t sure where to start or need more information before you head off on your journey. At Caversham Vehicle Hire in Reading, we are proud providers of expert vehicle hire services. However, our team knows that not all of our customers may have hired a vehicle before. We offer both short and long term car hire, along with a range of different vehicles. What do you need to know before setting off? We’ve put together this guide to give you some key car hire tips and things you can tick off your checklist during the car hire process.
Why Should I Hire A Car?
You may be hiring a car for a short weekend away with your friends, or a larger vehicle for a week-long family holiday. There are many reasons you may wish to choose to hire a car. It’s even possible to hire a car for commercial purposes or a specific work-related event. If you don’t wish to add the mileage to your own vehicle, or need a bigger car than you own, then hiring is a sensible choice to make.
Tips For Before You Pick Up The Hire Car
You will need to make sure you have all of the correct documents on hand. A valid driving licence is a good place to start. Is it up to date and do you have it to hand? You will also need to share your driving licence details with your car hire company by creating a ‘check code’ via gov.uk here, which you’ll need when you pick up your car. At Caversham Vehicle Hire, we recommend taking all of your documents with you so that you have everything you need at all times.
Make sure you have all the necessary information for any additional drivers, too. Your car hire company will explain exactly what they need from you if unsure.
Ask About Optional Extras
At Caversham Vehicle Hire, we are proud to be able to offer optional extras to make your car hire experience and journey more convenient.
We offer the following optional extras to our customers for a small fee:
- Satellite Navigation Systems
- Car Seats
- Sack Trucks
- Delivery or collection service of the vehicle
- Meet and Greet Service from the north side of Reading railway station
To learn more about the optional extras we offer with our reliable car hire services, click here.
Book As Early As Possible
Book your car hire service as soon as possible. Why should you do this? Well, last-minute bookings aren’t always guaranteed and most hire vehicles are subject to availability. It’s best to plan ahead and gather an idea of what type of vehicle you are looking for way ahead of your journey date.
Understand The Fuel Policy
When hiring a car from your chosen car hire company, they will have a fuel policy that you need to abide by. It’s important to be aware of this before you head off. You will either pay for what you use, be given a full tank and have to return it full, or you will be able to return the car empty. Each car hire company will have their own fuel policy, so it’s important to be aware of this before you leave to avoid any extra charges. Our policy is to return it with what fuel was in it at book out. This may be a full tank but may not.
Tips For Before You Head Off In Your Hire Car
Make sure you are comfortable and have everything you need from your chosen car hire company. If there’s anything you’re not happy with, don’t feel like you can’t raise this concern. Ensure you have their contact details. If anything goes wrong when you’re on the road, you need to know who you should be contacting in a worst-case scenario.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a holiday, but if you’re miles away from home, you need to know what to do if you break down.
Caversham Vehicle Hire
At Caversham Vehicle Hire, we are able to provide a reliable car hire service, with our expert team offering tips and guidance throughout the entire process. If you are hiring a car for the first time and are unsure of anything at all, our friendly team will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and assist you.
We have a wide range of cars available to hire, from small and compact cars to large executive cars. Whether you’re looking to hire for one day, a weekend, or for a week, our car hire services in Reading have got you covered. Call us today on 0118 947 6500. We look forward to hearing from you.