Car Hire Checklist

Hiring a car is a relatively straightforward process. However, preparation is always helpful in any travel plans, and there are some key things you should bear in mind before you set off on your journey. Gatwick Car and Van Rental have years of experience in renting vehicles and have seen many unprepared customers forgetting necessary documentation, so we’ve used our expertise to put together this car hire checklist to prevent you from forgetting something vital.

Book in Advance

If you’re travelling in peak season – weekends, half-term, Christmas, etc – it would be a good idea to book your car hire in advance to ensure that not only is the vehicle you’d like available, but it’s also at a good price.

Driving Licence

Your driving licence is vitally important, if you don’t have this on you, you won’t be able to rent a vehicle from any car hire company.

Money

Whether you’ve paid a deposit and need to pay off the full balance or you haven’t put down any money yet, have some form of payment on you. There’s nothing worse than having to return home for your missing credit card and delaying your journey.

DVLA Code

As of June, when the DVLA got rid of the paper counterpart of driving licences and moved to an online service instead, when hiring a car, you will need to log in to the DVLA website and generate a one-time activation code. This code is needed by the rental company to access your driving records. However, although the DVLA have instructed drivers to throw out their paper counterpart, if you still have hold of yours it might be a good idea to take it along with you, especially if you are renting a vehicle in a foreign country, where some companies have not been made aware of the new system.

Car Condition

You don’t have to take your car hire company’s word for it that the cars are in excellent condition. Feel free to check the car tyres, treads, interiors and fluid levels to give yourself peace of mind that the car you will be travelling in is up to the job.
Our fleet at Gatwick Car and Van Rental is always in top condition and ready for long journeys. We regularly maintain our vehicles and only stock vehicles that are under 12 months old – and we won’t mind you checking that!

Breakdown Cover

Before you set out on your journey, make sure that if anything was to fail with your vehicle that you have adequate breakdown cover.
Gatwick Car and Van rental offer full breakdown on every car hire as standard, so you know we’ll be there for you if things were to go wrong.

Test Drive

Finally, don’t just start driving off the lot without having a test drive. This will enable you to get the feel for the car, locate all of the necessary controls and adjust your seat and mirrors.

For a quick and easy car hire service, look no further than Gatwick Car and Van Hire. Our expert team can guide you through the process in no time, allowing you to begin your journey as soon as possible. With a wide range of vehicles to suit any party size and any budget, we’re certain we can meet, and exceed, your needs. For more information on our fleet or our prices, get in contact today and we’ll be happy to help.