How to choose the best time for picking up a rented car
Some factors that contribute to how fast you can hire a car are the time of the day and the place where you are. Some of the best rental cars are often situated at the airports and are therefore usually busier than train stations and city-centres. It is always a good idea to get your paperwork ready before going, so you can swiftly get your keys, as soon as it’s your turn. Whenever you decide to pick up your rental car, you should find instructions on where to go to get your rental paperwork.
Before you decide to pick up a rental car, make it a habit to visit reviewsbird.co.uk to be kept abreast or equipped with the necessary information on choosing the best time for picking up their car.
Some factors affect the time for picking up your rented car, such as:
- Finding the location of the rental counter: If you’re picking up a hire car from an airport, the rental counters might be ‘on-airport’ – meaning in the terminal or a nearby car rental centre. Also, they may be further away off-airport, so you would have to take a free shuttle bus or be directed to the rental counter.
- Most times when you book ahead, it is necessary to not be late in picking it up. Arriving a few minutes early at the car rental counter is better than arriving late. This is because most rental companies will let you take the car early if it is available, but they do not wait for customers for a long period. So, if you are travelling, leave 45 – 60 minutes between expected landing time and the car rental pick-up time. If you’re travelling short-haul and have only hand-luggage, 30 minutes might work, if the rental counter is in the terminal you arrive into.
- If your travel plans change a few days or a few weeks before you travel, you should be able to change the pick-up time online as car hire companies usually have a grace period during which the car will wait for you. The period varies between 29 minutes and 2 hours. After this time, the company might rent the car to someone else.
- Car rental companies can run out of the category of cars you’ve reserved, which sometimes can be good or bad since they can shrug it off and then you’ll be stranded. Therefore, it is important to pick up your rental car during the mid-afternoon as opposed to morning since the morning returns will be back and mostly turned and ready.
- Also picking up your car on a weekend is a bad choice. These days are peak period for rental, hence these rental companies have clients that they ensure car availability for while retail customers usually take a distant back seat. For the best selections, it is advisable to pick up as early as possible since the longer you push to the weekends, the more limited your selection will be.