Travel and Leisure
Rent A Car In Montenegro: 11 Tips And Tricks For To Help You Save
Driving car in Montenegro for tourists is adventurous and exciting. You have changed to explore town and areas that may be couldn’t have change without a car.
However, there is always a possibility of getting ripped off when you rent a car in a foreign country. This guide will help you don’t get taken for a ride in Montenegro.
Not sure about car hire insurance expenses? Want to know when’s the best time to rent a car in Montenegro? Or are you worried about the potential traps and hidden costs you may encounter whilst in Montenegro?
11 Tips For Rent a Car In Montenegro
Below is the list of 11 tips and tricks for car renting in Montenegro that will help you to save on your holiday.
1. Buy Online Car Rental Insurance
When it comes to rental car insurance, stick to the basics. Car rental agencies making most of their money bu trying to upsell you with additional services and products. In most cases, additional products are very expensive and provide you with a very low value for the money.
One of the best ways to skip this is to get covered well in advance with trustworthy and highly recommended online car insurers or regular insurance company in your country. In this case, you will know what’s covered and how protected you are on your holiday. It’s important to enjoy a holiday and driving without stress.
Ensure your protection policy gives full assurance products to your rental car – this includes full protection against expensive damages and theft as well as supplementary protection such as lost keys, headlight repairs, flat tires and more.
2. Book Online In Advance
Once you book your flight, it’s highly recommended arrange rent a car in Montenegro. For Montenegro and all touristic countries, one rule applies – the earlier you book, more money you will save. Prices in spring and summer can be very high, so make sure you book a car a few months in advance.
3. Choose local rent a car in Montenegro
The best way to save on car hire is to shop around online. Many websites like RentalCars, Skyscanner, Expedia will let you search the car rental market quickly. You will find plenty of deals. But, possibly the best way is to choose a local agency.
Local companies are more flexible, friendly and have much more knowledge about the country. You can always ask for discounts via phone or email, comparing to big international companies where this is not possible.
Before choosing a local agency, make sure to check reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. If there are good reviews for the agency, do not hesitate to book.
4. Watch out for car rental deposit
Many car rental companies in Montenegro taking a deposit from 100 – 500 EUR. This can be very surprising for some travellers, but don’t be scared about this.
Deposit of 100 EUR is reasonable when renting a car.
Some international companies can frize money on the card if you booking online for a deposit. Make sure to check this in their policy before booking. Otherwise, some local agencies can ask you for a chase deposit. As well check before making a final decision.
Any amount of deposit that is more than 100 EUR is high. Don’t recommend to book a car with that company, except is a very recognised brand.
However, the amount of deposit depends on many aspects, type of car, year of production etc.
5. Pack your GPS or use Google Maps
The best rental car tip for you is to bring your GPS navigation or to use digital service like Google Maps. A lot of rental car companies charge you a daily rate for hiring a GPS.
If you don’t own a GPS, you can easily turn your phone into one. Google Maps is the obvious choice but if you don’t want to use data, there are plenty of other free options including HERE We Go Maps, Maps ME and Apple Maps. They come with pre-loaded maps, route planning and voice navigation, so you don’t need to worry about a big mobile data bill at the end of your trip.
6. Bring your child and booster seat
Booster seats can cost as little as 30 EUR to buy in Montenegro. However, some global companies charge up to 100 EUR for a child car seat, while a seat with local car rental agencies can cost you from 30 to 50 EUR.
That’s why it makes sense to take a car seat with you. Many airlines accept a child seat as part of checked baggage.
7. Check the fuel policy
A common scam is to give you a full tank that you pay for upfront. You’re then told to return the car empty as you’ll receive no refund for unused fuel. If you’re not travelling far or renting a car for long, this is a huge waste of money. It’s also likely you’ll pay a lot more than you would at a gas station. Full-to-empty fuel policies are particularly common in Europe and should be avoided.
8. Take photos of a car and note all damage
Before you leave the car park, take a slow walk around the car and take note of any scratch, mark, bump or knock. Check there is no damage to the wheels, make sure the spare wheel is also there and inflated, and record the mileage.
You should also take photos for back up and get someone at the rental desk to acknowledge the damage by signing the sheet.
You should also photograph the car on return. Take photos of each panel, the wheels and the mileage. In the past, car companies have charged customers for the damage they did not commit, which is why you must have as much evidence as possible. All of this could save you from having to pay for any damage you weren’t responsible for.
9. Avoid the fancy car
It may be tempting to hire the shiny new BMW or Mercedes convertible, but if you want to save, stick to what you need – be practical and sensible. Classes vary between companies, but the smaller cars are usually the cheapest option and most recommended for driving in Montenegro.
10. Airport pick-up
While airport pick-up services are usually more expensive than collecting your rental car from a city depot, it depends on your location.
Be sure, however, to avoid any super location surcharge fee. These are common in airports.
11. Hidden fees charges for car rental in Montenegro
Several hidden fees can be applied to the total cost of the bill you should be aware of. Some of these fees and add-ons include:
• Additional driver fee: Many hire companies including AVIS and Hertz charge you per day for additional drivers. Unless you’re planning on taking a long road trip where you’d need to take turns, it’s best to stick to one driver.
• Additional mileage: Some rental car companies set a cap on how many kilometres you can travel per day.
• Administrative fee: It’s a common practice among rental car companies to charge an administrative fee of around 3.5%, which you can do little about.
• Credit card surcharges: Check your credit card statement a few days after you make the payment. Make sure no extra surcharges have come out and all excess charges, including fuel, have been returned to you.
• Late pick-up: Always enter your flight details when you rent a car in Montenegro. This means staff know if your flight is delayed and shouldn’t rent your car to another customer. If you’re not collecting from an airport, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the depot and always inform them of any delays.
• Late return: When returning the car, many companies give you a ‘grace period’. However, many companies, including Hertz, start charging an hourly rate after 29 minutes. Most rental car companies calculate charges in 24-hour blocks so if you rent a car at noon, put the return time at 12 pm, even if you plan on returning the vehicle earlier. It gives you some flexibility should something delay you.
