Tips, details and simply useful information related to car rental in Europe and Montenegro
If you pick up a car at the airport:
Immediately after leaving the baggage claim area, follow the signs for "Rent a car". As a rule, at all airports, the offices of all rental companies are located in the same hall. In Montenegro, due to the lack of space at the airports, most rental companies meet customers at the airport exit, holding a sign with your name and surname.
If you pick up a car in the city:
Your voucher contains the office address and opening hours.
At the office or at the counter of your rental company, you must present your voucher, driver's license, passport, credit card (sometimes an airline ticket). You will also need to fill out a small card - name, surname, passport number, home address. The employee of the rental company will prepare a contract for the rental of the car.
Read the contract.
If you wish to purchase additional insurance, such as "super insurance" that reduces the deductible to zero, or purchase additional equipment or obtain permission for an additional driver, inform the rental company employee BEFORE SIGNING the contract.
If you are unsure about something, ask the rental company employee before signing the contract. It makes sense to ask if there are toll roads and, if so, how and where to pay for them. For example, there are toll roads in Austria.
Before driving:
Carefully inspect the car and make sure that the car has no damage, dents, scratches, etc. If you find any damage to the car, inform the rental company employee so that he can reflect all this in the contract.
Check the availability of additional equipment (if you ordered it).
Evaluate your ability to drive this car.
Check the type of fuel. The fuel tank must be full.
In the glove compartment of the car, as a rule, there is a map of the country and the hotline number of the rental company.
You rented a car, got in, drove off - everything is fine. What should you pay attention to?
Then everything is about the same as in Russia. We can only give well-known advice:
1) do not break the rules, watch the signs;
2) the rule that no one follows in Russia - on the autobahn (highway) DO NOT TAKE THE LEFT LANE if the right is free. The left lane when the right is free is only for overtaking;
3) on the autobahns in Germany - keep in mind that there is no speed limit (except for sections where there are speed limit signs). As a result, cars go VERY FAST. And motorcyclists are even faster. A speed of 200-220 km per hour on the autobahn is a completely normal phenomenon, as a rule, the overall speed of the flow is not less than 150 km / h (in the absence of traffic jams, of course).
Be careful - after Russia it is quite difficult to get used to constant movement in traffic at a speed of 140-160 km per hour - it is better not to plan too long journeys for the first days of the trip;
4) If you are driving on the autobahn from Germany to Austria, for example, or to any other country - in all other countries THERE IS A SPEED LIMIT. When you drive fast in Germany for several days, you usually get used to it and by inertia continue driving at high speed in another country, which is not allowed. Fines are serious, from 100 euros and more - especially harsh fines in Austria and Switzerland;
5) General driving style - if you drive a car in Moscow - you will simply relax behind the wheel in most European countries. Only in Italy is the driving style approximately similar, but still not at all, not at all like Moscow. By and large, everyone drives according to the rules, for some reason no one drives in the oncoming lane, no one drives on the shoulder either, even in traffic jams;
6) Police on the road in Montenegro - you can often meet them. They stand in ambush with radar;
7) Traffic jams - yes, of course they happen. The classic - Friday evening from a large city, Sunday evening - back to the city, like in Russia;
8) Very basic rules applicable to any country - always lock your car, do not leave phones, laptops, or other valuables in a visible place (front seat). They steal there too, less of course, but they do steal. Especially in Italy!
9) Alcohol while driving - in Germany, it is permissible within the limits of one mug of beer or glass of wine. In the Czech Republic, it is completely prohibited (zero ppm, as is now in Russia). In general, in most countries, one glass of wine is permissible. But we do not recommend it - how to deal with the foreign police and prove that it was just one glass, not a bottle - is not entirely clear.
How to return the car (don't forget, the car must be returned with a full tank of gas):
If you return the car at the airport - after entering the airport territory, follow the signs "Check out rent a car".
If you return the car in the city, then the address of the office and its working hours will be indicated on your voucher (and in your contract).
When returning the car to an employee of the rental company, make sure that a corresponding note is made in the contract or a separate document is issued confirming that the car was returned in the same condition as when received and that the rental company has no material claims against you.
nzii. SAVE your copy of the contract (or a separate document) with this note.
If you leave the car outside of working hours, you remain responsible for the car until the office opens, until the rental company employee checks it.
Important - you must return the car exactly at the time specified in the contract (or earlier)! If you are late, the amount for the day's rent will be debited from your card! Leave early and keep in mind that quite often at airports there is a queue for parking and registration.
Before finally leaving the car and returning it to the rental company employee - CHECK IF YOU FORGOT ANYTHING IN THE CAR? According to statistics, phones and glasses are most often forgotten.
Questions? Write to us - budva2010@gmail.com
