Matching a hire car to your passengers and luggage
Tell the team how many people will travel and how many cases, buggies or bulky bags you expect. Seating and boot space are separate questions. Say whether you need an automatic or are happy with a manual, and mention any child seat request early so it can be checked before you are quoted. Include details for every driver who may take the wheel.
Picking a suitable car
Start with the journey and pick the car to match it. Smaller cars are suited to city driving and short stays, automatics make local driving easier, estates and SUVs give more room for luggage, and people carriers are a better choice for families or small groups. The range available includes the Fiat 500, VW Golf, Ford Focus Estate, Ford Focus Automatic and Hyundai i10 Automatic, subject to dates, driver details and availability. The precise make, model, transmission, seating, payload and licence position are confirmed when you are quoted, so treat the vehicles listed as a guide to the kind of hire on offer rather than a guaranteed reservation of a particular model.
Choosing dates that suit your plans
Picking the start and end dates is one of the first decisions to settle, and it is worth checking them against every activity you have in mind before requesting a quote. If your schedule might move, note the earliest and latest possible dates so you can ask whether both options work. Think about who will be driving and when, especially if the car needs to be collected or returned at a particular time of day. Where the vehicle will be kept overnight, if that applies to your arrangement, is another detail worth writing down. Once you have the dates fixed, the driver details to hand and the location where you need the car, you can pass all of it to the team together rather than piecemeal.
Drafting an arrival-day itinerary
An itinerary for your first day helps you decide what you actually need from the car, so it can be useful to sketch one out before enquiring. List where you plan to start, the places you expect to visit and roughly how long you intend to spend at each, then look at whether any gaps or overlaps appear. If you are meeting someone, note their name and a contact number in case timings need adjusting on the day. Questions about parking or entry arrangements at each stop belong with the venue or contact there, so you may want to ask them separately. Having this outline ready means you can raise any practical points about your booking when you ask for a price.
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Last checks before booking
Before you confirm the hire, check the key details: vehicle availability, driver requirements, mileage, insurance, delivery or collection arrangements and any extras you have asked for, along with driver age, licence history, the deposit, the insurance excess and any travel abroad. A clear request gives the date, the length of hire, the rough route, the delivery or pickup address, the expected passengers or load, and any particular requirements that might affect which vehicle is suitable.















