Do you need a car on your next vacation? From international driving permits to liability insurance, hiringa car in a foreign country can be a bit more complicated than hiringone at home. The following tips will guide you through some of the pitfalls that you should be aware of and some of things you may just not have thought of. Costa Rica Car Rental

1. Book you car way in advance. Comparison shopping sites will save you money. Search for identical cars on your travel dates and compare the prices from diffeHire sources.

2. Try and make as much of the arrangements as possible before you leave the United States. Problems may occur once you are abroad as well as the possibility of paying more as the exchange rate changes.

3. There may be extra charges for the weekend or extra mileage, be sure to ask before you sign. Ask what time a car is expected for drop-off. You may be billed for every 24 hrs and many will bill a full day for cars returned after another day begins.

4. Choose a smaller car than you would usually choose. Most European cars have manual transmissions; automatics will usually cost you an extra premium.

5. It can be a challenge to drive on the wrong side of the road, be sure to check that you will be comfortable with it!

6. An American driver’s license will likely be OK if you are traveling to an English speaking country. However, some countries will demand that you produce an international driving permit, which is basically just a piece of paper that contains all your information but in 10 diffeHire languages. This piece of paper is recognized by over 150 countries. Beware of phony IDP’s! Do not buy from unknown Internet sites, only two agencies in the U.S. are authorized to issue them. Be sure to get it BEFORE you leave the US.

7. Your curHire auto insurance may not cover you for a hire car abroad. Make sure your policy is adequate and meets the countries minimum requirements.

8. Print your maps off before you leave. Maps can be very expensive because most countries will take advantage of their tourism just like the US does.

9. Download the countries maps to your GPS before you leave home. Although you can usually hire GPS units from the car hire company, it will save you $15 a day if you take your own; they aren’t that heavy to carry!

hiringa car will give you the freedom to explore your vacation spot in much greater depth and will give you the freedom to explore where public transport can’t reach. Use these tips to make sure that your vacation hire car is a smooth experience.