How to Cut Expensive Additional Car Hire Costs Thanks to Carrentals.co.uk

July 3, 2010 – As renting a car goes on being a more expensive exercise, leading car hire comparator Carrentals.co.uk is advising travellers on how to get hold of the best value for money and transparency through avoiding extra costs.

The comparison website recently carried out a survey of 1,500 people and Carrentals.co.uk reports that over a quarter of people has had to pay expensive charges on hire cars, which they put down to rental companies not operating in a transparent manner.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, comments: "Our poll revealed some interesting and illuminating results, not least that many people want to see more transparency when renting a vehicle and also that lots of people have paid excess charges. Our intention is to let people have peace of mind when hiring a car meaning that they can enjoy a trip and without worrying about high charges on insurance and fuel for example."

Carrentals.co.uk has put together advice to help people avoid costly car hire excess charges:

Credit Card Requirement – Always bear in mind that you must have a credit card with the main driver's name on with you when renting. Having a credit card with a passenger's name on will not be enough for the majority of companies.

Excess Insurance – Always watch out for excess charges on car rental insurance, which can be high. To avoid this it is worth investing in an excess charge insurance policy from a third party. With Collision Damage Excess Waiver insurance the likelihood of paying more is reduced, and the driver should always carry a copy of that policy with them. Carrentals.co.uk offers Collision Damage Excess Waiver policies from Questor Insurance for only £3.99 a day.

Border Charges – If you're thinking about crossing into another country in your hire car, always check out what the rental provider might charge for this as this too can be high.

One Way Rentals – If you are thinking about a one way car hire trip then ask the rental provider about it because if could cost up to £300.

Out of Hours – Small towns and destinations can operate unusual business hours, particularly when their rental office is not in an airport. So you could be charged more for them opening their office for you so always ask about this in advance.

Fuel Policies – Three typical policies for fuel exist, the first being that the hirer returns their car with a full tank of fuel, the second being paying only for the fuel used and thirdly picking up the car with a full tank and taking it back empty. This last one can be costly though so be aware, as many companies can charge up to 40% more than the price at the pump.

Child Seats – Children's seats are always available to be booked but in many cases this too is expensive – more than £60 per week for rental in some cases. To help in cutting costs, think about taking a child seat with you from home.

The Carrentals.co.uk car hire tips are included in the company's 'Raising the Standard' campaign, in which the company calls for more fairness and transparency in the travel sector. For further information on Raising the Standard or to use the forum, read the blog or to get travel advice papers, visit Raising the Standard.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.