7 tips on how to save money when renting a car and avoid being caught out
Do you want to rent a car for a holiday, business trip or as a replacement vehicle, but worry about stories where an originally attractive price doubled by the end of the rental? We understand. And we have to say that your concerns are justified. The car rental market is full of tempting offers that hide expensive traps in the small print of rental agreements.
To help you avoid unnecessary worries, we have put together practical tips that will help you distinguish a genuinely good offer from an unfair one — and potentially save thousands of crowns.
Whether you are planning to use short-term car rental for a few days or looking for a solution for several months, the 7 tips below will protect you from the most common financial traps.
Choosing the right vehicle can help you save already on the deposit
The first major mistake is renting an unnecessarily large or luxurious car “just in case”. Car rental companies have a wide range of vehicles, usually from city hatchbacks to premium SUVs and family vans. But as the size and luxury level of the vehicle increase, it is not only the rental price that goes up, but also the financial block on your card.
While refundable deposits for smaller economy cars at fair rental companies are usually around CZK 15,000, deposits for luxury SUVs can climb to CZK 50,000 or even much more. If the occasion does not truly require a luxury representative vehicle, such as a meeting with a potential business partner, it is better to choose a standard model that gives you the space and comfort you actually need.
For example, a proven Hyundai i30 provides plenty of comfort and space, while its daily rate starts at very reasonable amounts. For holidays, a Škoda Octavia estate is a great choice thanks to its spacious boot and comfortable cabin, so passengers do not have to squeeze in during the journey.
Why last-minute rental in the summer season can be painfully expensive
Relying on finding a car the day before departure is a serious gamble with your wallet. Rental prices behave similarly to airline tickets, because they are affected by dynamic pricing and seasonality. In the summer months or around Christmas, demand dramatically exceeds supply.
If you leave your reservation until the last minute, two scenarios await you — and both are bad for your wallet:
- All economical and reliable cars will already be taken, forcing you to pay extra for an expensive premium model that you will not fully use.
- Rental companies will push the prices of the last available cars to the maximum, so you may pay 50 to 100% more for the same car than you would with an early reservation.
We therefore strongly recommend booking your car as soon as you know your travel dates. Early booking guarantees not only the lowest price, but above all the certainty that you will drive away in the vehicle you actually selected.
The trap called “cheap car rental”
This is the most common trick used by aggressive comparison websites and dishonest rental companies. They attract you with an extremely low daily rate. But when you arrive at the branch, you discover that almost nothing is included in the price. Fees then start to pile up for basic things without which you cannot legally or safely drive away.
In the common practice of unfair rental companies, accident insurance is often not included in the basic offer at all, and the daily surcharge for it can amount to hundreds of crowns. You may also be surprised by the absence of a Czech motorway vignette, meaning you either risk a high fine or have to pay an extra activation fee. Assistance services and servicing are another major trap. If the car breaks down at a dishonest company, they may even demand that you pay for towing out of your own pocket.
Reliable partners work in a completely different and transparent way. When you rent a car from us at Taggart, accident insurance, an electronic motorway vignette for the Czech Republic, complete servicing and 24/7 assistance are automatically included in the rental price.
Before signing a contract with any rental company, always ask one simple question: “If I cause an accident or get a puncture with this car, exactly how much will I pay?” With us, everything is communicated clearly, and we explain insurance and excess in detail here.
Reviews can also tell you a lot, of course, so do not forget to check them before making a reservation — and especially before signing the contract.
Why a longer rental period means a lower price per day
Do you need a car for 19 or 20 days and think you will save money by returning it earlier? That is a big mistake. Car rental companies have high fixed costs connected with each cleaning, technical inspection and paperwork when handing over a vehicle. It therefore makes sense that they prefer situations where the car is used steadily by one client.
For this reason, tariffs are set so that the longer the rental period, the more sharply the daily price decreases. In practice, this means that a fixed monthly car rental often costs almost the same, or can even be more favourable, than renting for just under three weeks. So if you are unsure whether you might need the vehicle for longer, ask for a longer-term calculation. Long-term car rental can save you thousands that you would otherwise lose in short-term rates.
Watch out for fuel tricks as well
Most car rental companies use the “full-to-full” rule, meaning you collect the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank. If you forget and return the car with even a quarter of the tank missing, you may face an unpleasant surprise.
Some rental companies charge not only the market price of petrol or diesel for the missing fuel, but also a significant surcharge per litre and a fixed fee for the refuelling process carried out by an employee. As a result, one litre of fuel can cost you more than CZK 70. On the way to the rental office, always stop at the nearest petrol station and fill the tank completely. Keep the receipt as proof of the time and amount refuelled.
When even a short delay can turn you into a debtor
A rental agreement is a legally binding document with an exact return time. If you are supposed to return the car on Monday at 9:00 and arrive without warning at 11:30 because you were stuck in traffic, a dishonest rental company may uncompromisingly charge you a late return penalty equal to the price of another full rental day, and often also a contractual penalty for unauthorised use of the vehicle.
How do you avoid this? Communicate. Life on the road brings traffic jams and accidents. If you see that you will not make it on time, call the branch immediately — not at the moment when you are already supposed to be returning the car. At Taggart, we take a client-focused approach, so if you let us know in advance, we handle the situation humanely, without immediately imposing excessive penalties.
Hidden penalties for “micro-scratches” and driving abroad
The biggest nightmare often comes when returning the vehicle. Unfair rental companies often take advantage of the fact that the client did not thoroughly photograph the car at collection. When the car is returned, a technician “discovers” a small scratch on the underside of the bumper and deducts CZK 30,000 from your deposit for a full repaint of the part, even though the scratch may have been on the car for years.
You should also watch out for other hidden penalties that appear in cheap offers, because they often form a regular income stream for the rental company.
- Some rental companies monitor vehicles via GPS and automatically deduct penalties from your card for every speed limit exceeded by as little as 5 km/h.
- Want to share the driving with your partner on a long journey? At unfair companies, you will pay a huge daily surcharge for this. If you do not pay it and an accident happens, the insurance is invalid.
- Driving abroad without prior written consent and payment for a special cross-border tariff is often punished with enormous fines.
At Taggart car rental, we play fair. We add a second driver to the contract completely free of charge, and we deal with trips abroad transparently right from the start, so you can set off in peace to visit clients or family across Europe. Travelling abroad is included in the price with us. We will simply issue you a car rental confirmation in English for possible police or border checks.
Do not get caught out by tricks that rely on inattention. Demand transparency, read contracts and choose partners who do not hide essential information in the small print.
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