Alamo Gold in the USA

Alamo operate an Alamo Gold policy in the USA which is essentially an extras package offering:

• Full to empty fuel policy
• 3 free additional drivers

Before taking out the Alamo Gold policy first calculate how much it is costing your for the duration of your rental. The car hire desk will often quote a ‘per day’ price to make the policy seem cheaper than it is. You will also need to be aware of the fuel policy if you do not take out the Alamo Gold cover. For example a lot of Alamo vehicles have a full/full fuel policy as standard which means you simply return the vehicle with a full tank when you return it. If you are not expecting to use a full tank of fuel, that would be the best fuel option to take. However if you are driving long distances and sharing the driving, the Alamo Gold policy may prove worthwhile.

Holiday Autos January Discount Code

Use the code JANSWEEP15 to gain 15% off worldwide car hire. Valid until 10am on Friday 18th January.

Hertz at Heathrow

The Hertz depot at Heathrow is located within the grounds of Heathrow Airport but outside the terminal building. It is accessible via a free shuttle bus that picks up at each terminal and connects with the Hertz depot on Northern Perimeter Road (TW6 2QD). The bus stops are located outside arrivals:

• Terminal 1 & 4 – Bus stop 2
• Terminal 3 – Bus stop 21
• Terminal 5 – Bus stop 19

Economy Car Hire Launch Czech Republic Locations

Economy Car Hire have today launched five new locations in the Czech Republic, they are

• Prague Airport
• Prague
• Ostrava Airport
• Brno Airport
• Brno

You can compare all Economy Car Hire’s rates against other companies through Car Hire Search.

Pay on Arrival Car Hire Extras

When making your car hire reservation online there are certain extras which are ‘payable on arrival’. This means you pay for them at the car rental desk when you collect your vehicle rather than pre booking them. The reason for this is the local car hire desk will manage their own equipment. Typical extras that are paid for on arrival are

• Child Seats
• Booster Seats
• Snow Chains
• Sat Nav

Europcar at Heathrow Terminal 4

The Europcar desk at Heathrow terminal 4 is located on the ground floor (signposted ‘Arrivals’). The desk can be found to the left of the terminal opposite the BAA information desk.

The contact telephone number is 020 564 3500. The desk is open 24/7.

What to look for in a car hire policy

When booking a hire car the key things to look out for in the car hire policy are

What is the insurance excess amount?

See our post on Car Hire Insurance Excess

What is the fuel policy?

See our post on Car Hire Fuel Policies

Is there an additional driver charge?

See our post on What is an Additional Driver?

Car Hire Fuel Policies

When hiring a car the vehicle will have one of two fuel policies, they are:

Return Full

This is our favourite fuel policy! You collect the vehicle with a full tank of fuel and return it full. This means you can pay for your own fuel at whichever fuel station you choose (although you will most likely have to top up at the fuel station closest to the car hire drop off point unless you are carrying a jerry can). Should you return the vehicle without a full tank you will usually per charged at a rate determined by the car hire company.

Return Empty

With a return empty policy you are charged for a full tank of fuel by the hire company (usually at a slightly inflated rate) and return the car empty. Of course, it is quite tricky to return the car with a nearly empty full tank so often it is returned with fuel on board which is a bonus for the hire company as they get ‘free’ fuel back. Often when you see a cheap car hire rate the car will have a return empty policy to counteract the discounted price.

Holiday Autos Ski Car Hire Discount Code

Save 10% on the cost of car hire at selected locations in the USA and Canada with the discount code

10SKIUK

The code is valid at the following locations

USA

• Reno Airport
• Denver Airport
• Boston Airport

Canada

• Calgary Airport
• Halifax Airport
• Montreal Airport
• Toronto Airport
• Vancouver Airport
• Edmonton Airport

Additional Driver Waiver

An additional driver waiver is when the car hire company effectively offers you an additional driver on your rental vehicle for free. It is known as a ‘waiver’ as they are waiving the usual charge that they would levy for an additional driver being added to your rental policy.

You will encounter the term ‘waiver’ primarily with rentals in the US and Canada. In europe it will usually be described as ‘Free Additional Driver’