Car hire - please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gosia

Okay here it goes....

I am looking to hire a car for 2 weeks in South Africa.

I found something for 200 quid which seems quite reasonable (through Sixt)

However the following website: www.sixt.co.uk is pretty confusing cause they do something called 'Holiday Cars' where they charge considerably more for exactly the same car and length (of hire).

Now I don't understand why that is???

Does the 'Holiday Cars' option guarantee me better insurance or what?

Not sure how this works at all. Would I be okay just booking via their normal 'car hire' tab as opposed to the 'Holiday Cars' tab???

Also can't seem to find any details anywhere on Insurance and Excess and Deposits. Why does everything have to be so complicated?

Pppppleeeease can someone help who understands this stuff.

nico26

Looking at the site on the cars coming up the insurance is only third party insurance.I would make sure I was fully covered for all events.Contact them and they will advise you.Probably advise you to take full cover but that choice is yours.

eamonn

Try http://www.fastcarhire.co.uk/ they have good rates with 1s Car Rental formerly National with zero excess

lisyloo

Personally I always make sure I am fully covered even though that means paying more.

Some of these places have excesses of £1000.
It also makes it easy for them to claim you did damage when you didn't just to get your excess (and not do repairs)
If you are fully covered then that isn't a risk.

So you MUST check the excesses before you go.

LesD

lisyloo wrote: »

So you MUST check the excesses before you go.

Or buy a UK excess insurance policy.

Here's sixT's normal terms.

And here's what they say about Holiday Cars.

Gosia

Thanks everyone for all your tips - hopefully I can get the booking sorted this weekend as am concious of the prices going up!

Gosia

LesD wrote: »

Or buy a UK excess insurance policy.

Here's sixT's normal terms.

And here's what they say about Holiday Cars.

Not actually all that impressed with Sixt rental now. I can see that their 'Holiday Cars' option is just basically a con - as all those things such as unlimited mileage were being offered anyway.

I might look to book with another rental. Will see what this fastcarhire is like.

Liz_the_Whizz

Hi Gosia,

We used Hertz in South Africa when we were there in August. We looked at lots and lots of options, but many were unsuitable for us as we knew we would be travelling on dirt roads (not uncommmon anywhere in SA, and inevitable in Kruger) and even some of the best known names (eg Thrifty, Holiday Autos) simply do not cover you if you go off tarmac.

We also found the whole excess business a nightmare. Hertz eventually got our business.

Have a great trip - it's a fabulous and easy self drive holiday destination!

LillyJ

We went through Hertz too. It is difficult to avoid dirt roads in some parts of SA, and you won't be covered.

It is a very easy place to drive (they drive on the same side as us) and the sign posts are pretty good.

Without meaning to scare you, there are a lot of car thefts/vandalism and a fair few prangs on the road, so make sure you have zero excess (Don't let any of this make you worried while you are there - just have common sense)

One word of advice about driving over there - if you are on a quiet road and see someone who appears to need help, don't stop but ring the police instead, as these situations can be set up by car jackers.

Also at petrol stations, you stay in your car, give your keys to the attendent, tell him how much you want to put in, then you pay him and he brings your change. We found it a bit confusing at first!

Also read up on 4 way stops - they have these instead of roundabouts, and are very easy if you know how they work!

Gosia

Thanks Lilly J and Liz the Whizz for the useful tips. It's not actually the first time I am going to SA so am quite aware of the crime there and have probobly heard all the horror stories. Also my boyfriend is originally from SA so that helps a little.

We hired Hertz last year though it was a last minute thing whilst we were there and paid an extremely expensive rate.

Also I have looked at Hertz recently and their quotes are Thee Most Expensive!

Not too worried about going off the beaten track this time. Although we are doing Kruger it's part of a tour so are getting picked up and taken around.

It's only once we get to Durban that we need to hire a vehicle and will only be driving around Durban, Maritzburg and going to the Drakensberg where the roads are pretty good.

Hertz are indeed good but certainly the most expensive option as far as I am concerned.

I noticed yesterday that through the Egg.com website they have something called 'Holiday Autos' and they quoted me a fairly good rate. Might just go through them and if necessary just purchase additional 'excess cover'.