For those who think that renting a car in another country will be impossible or cumbersome, it’s time to think again.  Last week, i got a chance to try out my first car rental in Africa. I badly needed a small 4X4 WD car to travel into the remote side of Northern Uganda. I managed to rent a car from Uganda Self Drive, a some what reliable car rental agency based in Kampala. From my experience i found out that it is not only easy to rent a car in European countries and the U.S., but it’s actually easy to find discount car rentals even in Africa.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, there are many reasons to rent a car when you reach your destination. While public transportation will usually take you to major tourist attractions or to the centers of large cities, relying only on trains and buses can be time-consuming. In Africa, it is even not easy to secure a bus linking you to your preferred destination given that the transport system is totally different within developing countries and developed countries. After all, you are forced to travel according to the carriers’ schedules, rather than having the freedom to come and go as you please.

Taxis, of course, are always an option at most airports – providing you don’t want to travel too far off the beaten path ie linking you up only to nearby cities and locations. If you’re on holiday in Africa, for example, and decide to venture over to the national parks or countryside, a taxi is out of the question and public transportation won’t take you where you want to go. Indeed, a car hire is the only way to ensure that you have the flexibility to see the sights on your own timetable and on your own terms.

The ground rules for a car hire are basically the same across all car rental companies. For example, you typically have to be 23 years old, have a valid international driver’s license, and have a passport . When you reserve a car, you normally get to choose what type of vehicle you’d like, such as compact, mid-size, full-size, or a van. However, you don’t usually have the opportunity to specify make and model given that there are limited models in Africa. Nonetheless, most car rental agencies will accommodate your wishes if they have your preferred make and model available when you pick up the vehicle.

The choice of whether or not to purchase extra insurance can be made when you collect the rental car in Africa. Please note that most travel agencies in Africa do not extend insurance to people but only to the cars. Therefore before you leave for your destination, it’s important to check with your own car insurance agency and see if your coverage extends to rental cars in the country you’ll be visiting. If not, it’s a good idea to sign up for the extra coverage.

If you’ll be traveling to several different countries, it’s important to understand the regulations of the car rental agency as they pertain to crossing borders. If you’re in Africa, for example, most car rental agencies will allow you to drive to different countries – providing you inform them that you’re going to do so and that you do pay extra fees, border crossing fees and travel insurance for the vehicle. It is advisable to inform your car rental agency before crossing over the borders with the car to another country.

With all of the advantages to using a car hire while you’re traveling, the one sticking point is whether or not you’ll be able to find a cheap car rental. The best approach is to search online for a company that works with many different car rental agencies; they will have up-to-date information on availability, and can search for the best price available for the dates you desire. Because these online sources book so many reservations, they are able to negotiate bargain basement prices so that a traveler can find the cheap car rental that will make their holiday or business trip convenient and worry-free.

Many people turn to car rentals as their best ground transportation while on a vacation, business and political engagements. But sometimes they end up having some misunderstandings between them and the car rental agency and also they may have to pay more money for the car hire services since they have violated the agreement. This results to customers cursing car rentals services. Some people make these mistakes ignorantly while others are just careless or reluctant.

These are the commonest mistakes made by travelers on their car rental services.

They forget to check the condition of the car yet this is a must thing to do on car rental services. The traveler has to check the car before taking for his/her vacation. One is supposed to check if there are some damages and dents on the car and also should check the mechanical condition of the car. It is recommendable to take pictures of the car. This helps one to know which damage she/she is liable for incase one happens. But sometimes, travelers make a mistake of not checking the car thoroughly and end up arguing with the car provider about the damages that may happen to the car i.e. everyone denying the liability of the damages.

Some travelers do not read the terms and conditions carefully. This is the commonest mistake people made on car rental services. Some people do not take a keen eye on some clauses of the car hire agreement and of which these can make them pay more for the car hire services like limited mileage clause, early return and return fuel refilling clause. You have to read the agreement so carefully and do not miss out a single clause because if you go against it, you are likely to pay a big premium for compensation.

Do not search on the internet for the best car rental services. Some people just use the car hire services that they come across other than making some research on the internet to get better deals. There are so many car rental companies offering good services at affordable rates on the web. When one does not use the internet is more likely to get cheated on the prices since he/she might not know the standard price of certain car rental services and end up paying much more money on low priced car hire services.

Furthermore some people only use the internet to find car rental services leaving out checking offline. Although internet has the best deals, endeavor to check offline too. It is best to check both online and offline, you never know the car provider might have forgotten to update his/her website yet when you go the offices physically you might land on a better deal.

If the above mistakes are put in the mind and amended, the traveler can have the best car rental deals which are comfortable, reliable and safe and pocket friendly.

Many travelers today prefer taking a self drive car hire in a visited country. However forewarned is forearmed meaning that you should follow the advice below so that you can stay safe and sound during your holiday. One of the most important things to know is that you should always check the relevant laws of a country you may be visiting before hitting the road and traveling on self drive in any particular country. The alternative can ruin your trip and things may turn out to be hard.

Most people will check that their documentation is in order before travelling to a foreign country: passport, travel insurance and any visas or visa waivers, they will ensure that they have the correct vaccinations if they are required and that their flights and travel arrangements to and from the airport are in place usually weeks before they intend to leave. But, as a recent anonymous letter to one of the English language newspapers here in Spain highlights, it is also prudent to check out the laws of the country you are visiting, particularly if the intention is to hire a car during the stay.

The letter “A Tourist Night Out”, states that the basic premise of the writers’ visit to Spain was to sample the local wines in their natural context. Having spent a night out they complain that they were stopped at one of the numerous police checkpoints, breathalysed and found to be over the alcohol limit for driving with the result that they received a €250 fine and had to make alternative arrangements to get back to where they were staying. The writer claims they did not know that Spain has a limit for drink driving and complains that, having been caught, they were not able to use their credit card as a simple expedient to pay the fine taking the view that the whole scenario is little more than an elaborate scam to take money from innocent tourists. Perhaps they should consider themselves lucky that they were not caught in the UK where they would almost certainly have spent a night in jail waiting to appear before a magistrate in addition to whatever fine was eventually imposed.

Spain, in common with most European countries, has made huge progress in the battle to reduce deaths on the roads. No-one would deny that there is still a way to go yet, but they are achieving percentage savings which are in double figures every year and part of that battle is the strict alcohol limits which are applied to drivers, along with the increasingly stringent application of the law. But the writer of the letter seems to be missing the point: the limit is not about the money collected in fines, it is about reducing death and injury on Spanish roads. In fact, far from using tourists as a convenient source of cash, the penalties for residents are actually much higher and could include the loss of their Drivers Licence and certainly higher insurance premiums in addition to any fine imposed.

Consuming alcohol before driving has been shown to be a major cause of accidents and that applies in every country around the world. It is bad enough to drink and drive on roads which one knows well, but in a foreign country, with different rules, unfamiliar road layouts and local driving customs requires full concentration and regardless of any legal limits which may be imposed the only safe way is not to drive whilst under the influence of any substance, even in what may be considered to be small quantities. This is particularly true when you consider that many of the wines and beers in Spain have higher alcohol levels than you may be used to at home and the measures for spirits are often more generous too, all of which makes it extremely difficult to judge when the limit for driving is approached. Spain has a clearly defined limit for alcohol in breath which is measured at the roadside using a Breathalyser machine to take the sample, this is fast, simple, non invasive and extremely accurate allowing a driver giving a negative sample to continue the journey without delay.

It is also worth looking at some other basic rules of which everyone should be aware, the law in Spain requires everyone to carry photo identification, for citizens of Spain and Central Europe the national Identity Card is acceptable, however, since the UK does not have such a scheme then only the Passport will suffice. This document will also be required when paying for goods or services using a Credit or Debit Card as even Spanish Drivers Licenses are not accepted as proof of identity in many outlets. Another essential document for European citizens is the European Health Insurance Card which will give access to basic medical care on a reciprocal basis. It is not an alternative to comprehensive travel insurance though because things like ambulances, transfers between medical centres and certain investigations may not be covered by the scheme and with even basic blood tests costing from €50 it is easy to see how large bills can quickly add up, making any savings on proper travel insurance a false economy in the event of illness or accident.

There are additional requirements for drivers of vehicles who need to carry with them not only their own documentation including a Full valid Driver’s Licence, but also all the relevant paperwork for the vehicle. In the case of a hire car then all the information will be contained in the Rental Agreement which must be kept available for inspection. For those using their own vehicle the documents which are necessary include the Registration Document, Insurance Certificate, proof of any obligatory vehicle inspection and that any taxation is paid up to date. The rules are basically the same throughout Europe and require that any vehicle is only legal on European roads if it is fully road legal in its’ home country, it can only be used for a maximum of 180 days in any year by a non resident before it needs to be removed from the country or registered on local plates. UK drivers need to be particularly careful because most British insurers only give European cover for a maximum of 90 days in any year, not per trip and if challenged it is the drivers’ responsibility to prove they are legal. Cars also need to carry a reflective jacket for every passenger, which must be worn in event of a breakdown, a warning triangle and a spare set of bulbs are also obligatory, European Breakdown Insurance is also a good idea as it is illegal for one car to tow another on Spanish motorways. It is worth noting that France and Spain have both speed and Number Plate Recognition Cameras and the Guardia Civil have access to the relevant parts of the UK DVLC database. Failure to comply with the rules can mean not only a fine, but also immediate confiscation of the vehicle and the accompanying charges for a tow truck and storage as it will not be returned until the driver has satisfied the police that it is legal.

It is the norm in Europe for foreign drivers to be issued “On the spot” fines which must be paid in cash as the cars are not equipped to accept card payments, although the officers will gladly take you to the nearest ATM if you don’t have the money to hand. Many of the laws are the same throughout Europe including the need to wear a crash helmet on a motorcycle or quad and appropriate seat belts for all passengers or car seats for children. Even cyclists are not immune, the law in Spain requires the use of cycle helmets and bikes must have reflectors in the pedals and the wheels. Failure to observe a “Stop” sign will cost a €100 in Spain, as will wearing “inappropriate footwear” for driving, which includes flip flops, failure to illuminate headlamps in tunnels will attract a similar penalty. Speeding fines are issued on a sliding scale according to how much over the posted speed limit you are traveling, it is worth noting that although the limit on motorways is often 120kph, that often reduces to 100 kph at junctions and 80kph in tunnels and on dangerous sections of road. On surface roads the maximum speed limit is usually 100kph outside towns but it can reduce to as low as 40kph at junctions, keep a close eye on speed limits and don’t be tempted to exceed them just because everyone else does.

A little knowledge is a useful thing when traveling abroad, particularly as even a minor brush with the law can spoil an otherwise enjoyable holiday. Bear in mind that although police will often take a more lenient line with visitors, they may well have different powers and attitudes to those you experience back home. There are standards they must maintain and ignorance, whilst it may be bliss, is not a defense.