Renting cars becomes more popular every year -- the freedom to explore a foreign country on the open road can turn your holiday into an adventure. However, handling rental cars is a headache if you don’t plan properly. Here is a checklist to follow whenever you want a car to get you into Spain, France, or any destination during your trip.

1. Understand the Fuel Policy

When choosing a car rental service, you need an affordable option to cut down costs. While weighing your options, ensure you also look at the fuel policy because choosing the wrong one could cost you more than you had budgeted for. Some of the options include:

• Full to full-- you are given a car with its tank full of petrol, and you are expected to return it full. Find out the closest petrol station to refill the vehicle before returning it.
• Full to empty-- you are given the car with a tank full of petrol and asked to pay for the fuel upfront, and then you can return the car empty. This option can disadvantage you because it’s quite hard to return the car with an empty tank. You will have to pay for the fuel, regardless.
• Pay for what you use-- You are expected to return the car with the same amount of fuel it had when you collected it.

2. Ensure You Have the Right Documents

The first essential document you should have is a valid licence. In most countries, if not all, you can’t drive without a driver’s licence. If you’ve lost or misplaced your documents, getting a replacement licence can take a few weeks, so make sure you check in advance.

Your credit card is also required. Most companies will only give you the rental car if you show them some sort of security first. However, the companies don’t deduct the deposit from your card just freeze it until you return the car. The card should belong to the primary driver of the rental car.

3. Understand the Insurance Policy

Often, when you are at the rental desk, you will be presented with rental car insurance, which can be quite expensive to purchase. You might not need it at all, even if your auto insurance doesn’t provide auto insurance for rental cars. One of the options you can use is your credit card. Most of the big credit card companies provide their cardholders with rental car coverage at no additional cost. Find out if your credit card company can save you the extra cost of bringing insurance.

Another option is to use a car hire excess insurance. This is a brilliant option but tricky for car renters because you need to purchase your insurance online in advance. By so doing, you can save up to 65% of the cost you would have paid at the rental desk.

4. Read Your Contract

Once you have collected the car, take some time to read your contract before driving away. The important details to consider include:

• Fuel policy
• Price
• Drop off location

If you don’t understand anything, ask the available agents. While you are there, don’t forget to pick up the voucher that contains details of the rental car.

Bottom Line

Once you have completed the essential checklist, you need to inspect the car thoroughly, not just check that it has four wheels. Go around the vehicle and identify any dents or scratches. If you have a mobile phone, take a few photos. Also, check if the car has all the equipment you need such as a jack, spare tire, and aux cord!