Advice on Hiring a Car Abroad

For many people vacationing overseas, one of the most difficult things to do can be finding a company to rent a car from or finding a company to hire a driver from. It isn't as easy to rent a car abroad as it is in the United States, as there aren't a dozen rental companies waiting for your business. When all the hard work is done and you have either your car or driver booked, what are some of the most important things to keep in mind? Even before that, how do you find a trustworthy company to get a driver from?

Know Which Side to Drive On

In the United States, you drive on the right side of the road. While this is common throughout most of the world, there are certain countries in which you would drive on the left side of the road. Among some of the nations in which you must drive on the left are the United Kingdom, Malta, Ireland and Cyprus.

Be Able to Drive Manual Transmission

When you rent a car in Europe, you will need to be able to drive a manual transmission vehicle. Unlike the U.S. where most cars have automatic transmissions that anyone can drive, most European nations require a little more skill when driving. If you don't know how to drive a manual transmission, you need to either hope somebody in your party knows how to drive stick shift or look into a driving company.

Watch the Traffic Lights

When you are driving in a foreign land, there are a lot of different laws and traffic rules that you need to keep in mind. While these laws will be easy to pick and adjust to, the one thing you don't read about often are the traffic lights. In Portugal, traffic lights are designed with radar detectors inside them. As you are speeding up through the intersection, the radar detector will catch you going at a high rate of speed and will instantly turn red. If you aren't able to stop at the light, you will get a ticket sent to your rental car company.

How to Find Right Driving Company

When it comes to a place that a friend or family member has travelled before, their first-hand knowledge of the situation might be the best way to go. If you aren't so lucky to have known someone that has used a company before for their travel, then the best way to find a company that will supply you with a driver during your vacation is to look online and read as many reviews as you can find. You don't want to read reviews on their official website; rather you will want to use a website that is bipartisan.