Key points to pay attention to
Prices
It is impossible to give a definite answer to how much it costs to rent a car in Montenegro: various factors overlap, and when an advertisement offers you to rent a car for only 15 EUR per day, in reality this price will increase to 40-50 EUR
At the same time, in the office of a neighboring company, the same option and practically on the same terms, may cost no more than 30 EUR.
What determines the rental cost
From personal experience, I must say: in the rental agreement there are always clauses that are not announced by the lessor when signing it, which can significantly affect the final price.
I will try to list the main factors that do not so much affect the final cost, as they can increase it or allow you to slightly reduce it:
· Pre-order. The price of car rental in the "high season" strongly depends on the demand for a certain category of cars. For example, when there is a sharp increase in requests for SUVs, the rental company, in order to reduce the risk of a shortage of this category of cars, raises the price for them, thus regulating demand. The law of the market!
By making a preliminary order 2-3 months in advance via the Internet, you are guaranteed to receive your car at the previously indicated price.
· Rental period. The final cost of car rental depends greatly on the duration of the car rental: the longer it is, the lower the average price per day will be.
So, a monthly rental can end up costing almost as much as a 5-day one. But if you have a week's vacation, you don't need a monthly rental, do you?! For rental companies, one-day rental is unprofitable - the profit is small, and there is no less paperwork than with any other, so it is usually the most expensive.
· Rental location. I will describe the difference between local and international rental companies in the relevant sections below.
Here I will just note: it is worth moving a little away from the "well-trodden" tourist streets in the city center and in a quiet neighboring alley, perhaps you will find an office of a company offering much more reasonable prices.
· Return location.
Some rental companies provide the opportunity to leave the car at the end of the rental period in another town, from where it is more convenient for you to go home. This service will also cost a certain amount. Find out about it in advance to understand and decide what is more profitable for you.
· Driving experience. Many companies, when calculating the cost of insurance, can include additional bonuses in the insurance amount for a long experience of the main driver. Do not forget to inquire about this when concluding the contract - the insurers themselves may not offer them to you.
· Additional driver. When including an additional driver in the contract, the cost will also be higher.
· Daily mileage limit. Often, the rental agreement specifies the greatest distance of the average daily mileage of the car, for example, 100 km.
· If you exceed it, you may be charged a considerable amount for each extra kilometer - be sure to keep an eye on this.
Rental Agreement
Most of the questions and problems that arise during and after the rental of a car arise as a result of the client's inattentive reading of the rental agreement.
When pre-ordering a car online, you can slowly and carefully study the agreement before making a final choice.
Another thing is renting a car on the spot upon arrival in Montenegro, but even in this case, I recommend that you take your time reading the agreement, carefully studying all the details, and asking the company employees in detail about all possible ambiguities.
What "pitfalls" should you pay special attention to? First of all, insurance. Unlike Russian OSAGO and CASCO, close analogues of which also exist in Montenegro, there is a wider range of options here.
Their cost may significantly depend on the composition of the insurance package included in the contract, which includes only a few mandatory items, while the rest are secretly imposed on the client to increase the contract amount. At the same time, some really necessary insurance risks may simply not be included in it.
By the way, in most cases, especially in a contract without a franchise, it contains a clause obliging the renter to return the car with the same amount of gasoline that was in the tank when it was rented, or even with a full tank. Therefore, when inspecting the car, be sure to check the amount of fuel in the tank and record it with the company employee.
Types of insurance
Regardless of the type of rental agreement, the main subject of the dispute in the event of an insured event is the amount of damage. Therefore, when accepting a car, be sure to record all, even the smallest scratches and damages with the company employee.
When traveling, be sure to have a camera with you, which, even in the smallest accident, be sure to document all damage.
Fill out the special Euroform attached to the contract on the spot, preferably in English.
· Minimum. The mandatory basic clause of any lease agreement in Montenegro is THird Party Insurance, or third party insurance, is an analogue of MTPL, which the insurance company covers damage to the health of third parties in the amount of usually up to 500 thousand, as well as their property - up to 100 thousand EUR.
In this case, the property liability for damage to the rented car falls entirely on you. Fire insurance clauses - FI, as well as theft insurance - TI can be added to the contract for an additional fee.
· Franchise. The main column of the rental agreement, indicating the type of property insurance, is usually called Damage Waiver - damage coverage. If CDW, or Collision, is indicated there, the insurance covers damage to the rented car from accidents with another vehicle.
Usually it includes a franchise. This is the maximum amount of the security deposit that the client guarantees to pay to the company in the event of damage to the car due to his fault.
For example, with a franchise amount of 400 EUR, coverage of lesser damage is deducted from it. If it is higher, you are only charged the deposit amount, and the rest is covered by the insurance company. Please note that in the event of an accident, even if you are not the culprit, the security deposit is retained by the company until the full investigation and is returned to you only after it. The CDW full option is much more profitable - everything is the same, but without the deductible.
· With full coverage.
The FDW insurance type provides, in addition to the above, various, even unlikely, risks of damage to the car: rockfall, collision with an animal, etc. Please note: despite the fact that this is the most expensive option, it still does not include damage to glass, underbody, as well as punctures of tires, which are added to the contract for an additional fee and are often designated as WUG.
Payment
As I have already said, in Montenegro there is no less a wide range of rental payment options than in other European countries.
· By credit card.
The presence of a credit card with the client immediately changes the attitude of the employees of the rental company towards him. After all, in this case they can withhold any amount within the security deposit without the client's consent, and if the client disagrees with this, the decision can only be challenged in court.
· This method of payment is in most cases the only one when ordering a car online.
· Debit card.
Some lessors can accept a debit card from a large European or Montenegrin bank instead of a credit card, if there is a certain amount on it that can be blocked.
· Cash.
Cash in Montenegro is much more popular than bank cards. Since the financial crisis in the country began, Montenegrins do not trust banks at all. Therefore, finding an option to pay for rent in cash here will not be difficult.
