For the best deal on long-term rentals, always book in advance from home. Meanwhile, below are some of the car rental tips for a Rwanda self-drive trip:

The Rental Company to Go With:

Most of us start our search on a travel-booking site. When shopping around, don’t stop at comparing initial price quotes. You’ll want to determine which company’s offer involves the best combination of rates (including all fees and any extras you want), service, and pickup/drop-off locations (with workable office hours) for your trip.

It’s generally an advantage to go with a larger company, with a wider choice of pickup and drop-off locations. Most of the big Rwanda rental agencies have offices throughout East Africa. With these companies, if you get into car trouble, a replacement car is likely to be close at hand.

No matter whom you rent through, be sure to hang onto all your paperwork (including the checklist used by the company to check the car’s condition when you turn it in) for a few months after the rental period, in case a billing dispute arises.

Selecting a Car:

In Europe, most cars available are of manual transmissions; of which automatics are more expensive(usually about 50 percent more) and may only be available if you upgrade to a bigger, pricier car.

Meanwhile, with renting a car in Rwanda, the rates for manual and automatic cars are always the same. You’ll find all the car fleets you may need (whether automatic or manual) but prices only vary with the car type you’re going with, for example – a Safari Land Cruiser will be more expensive than the Rav4.

It is also to take note of that most of the rental cars in Rwanda are not of the latest models but are too powerful and always in good shape to go for a successful safari holiday in the remarkable Parks of the country. The cars are thoroughly serviced on a daily basis to offer clients a good time in the field (on their trips).

Choosing a Pick-Up (and Drop-Off) Place and Time:

It’s best and less stressful to pick up (and drop off) a car at an airport, rental agency’s headquarters, or anywhere else close to Kigali city – Rwanda’s capital, which is free. When you tend to pick up or drop off your rental car away from the aforementioned places, you’re most likely to incur surcharges.

Cars in Rwanda are rented in 24-hour periods, so select your pickup and drop-off times carefully — if you pick up the car at 10 a.m. on the first day and drop it off at noon on the last day, you may be charged a whole day’s rental for just those two hours. Don’t book your pickup time for earlier than you really need the car.

Sometimes it can make a lot of sense to start and end your car rental in different cities, especially when you traversed the entire East Africa – you can start your self-drive trip in Kampala and end in Kigali – Rwanda. One-way rentals are often free within the same country, but dropping off in another country will likely cost extra.

The extra cost of a one-way rental can still be worth it if it saves you a very long drive back to your first country. But if the last leg of your trip isn’t too far from the border of the country you started in, a small tweak to your rental plans can save you plenty. When booking, also ask about your options (and the costs involved) in case you change your plans en route and want to drop off your car at an office in another city or on a different date.

Get quotes for longer rentals:

Typically, the longer you rent, the less it’ll cost per day. You may find that renting for a full seven days costs the same as, or even less than, five or six days.

Double-check currency conversions when comparing prices:

Some foreign-based rental company sites use fudged conversion rates that make the price in dollars look cheaper than the price that’ll actually show up on your credit card bill, it’s, therefore, wiser to convert prices yourself before anything else. However, payments in Rwanda are always done in dollars or local currency.

Pay In Advance:

If your itinerary is set, it’s almost always smarter to pay for a rental car when you book, rather than at the agency counter. Not only are you likely to get a discount, but, assuming that your quote was in dollars, you’ll know you’re paying the exact amount you were quoted. You’ll also avoid paying an international transaction fee on your credit card. If you’re purchasing a collision damage waiver from the rental company, that’ll likely also be cheaper when paid upfront. But beware of cancellation fees: Don’t pay if your itinerary is likely to change, and be certain of the company’s cancellation policy.

Thoroughly read the small print:

Carefully read your entire reservation voucher before you leave home. By asking about fees in advance and double-checking the charges at pick-up, you can avoid unpleasant surprises. Reconfirm your plans: It’s a good idea to confirm your reservation a day or two in advance so that you don’t experience inconveniences and disappointments on your safari holiday.

Regardless of whether you are hiring a car for the first time in Rwanda or you have ever hired it more times before, we share with you some of the most important things you should know and take note of before/when hiring a 4X4 car rental in Rwanda:

1. Make sure you have your paperwork

There is nothing worse than going to the car rental agency just to realize that you have forgotten your driver’s license back home. Before renting a car with any car rental agency, please make certain that you have your driver’s license and a valid credit card in your name with you. Most of the car rental agencies in Rwanda will require you to present a valid driver’s license before handing the car over to you; therefore you should be sure about all your paperwork when traveling to Rwanda.

2. Thoroughly check the car exterior

You do not want to be responsible for another person’s misuse of the car. Therefore you should scrutinize the car before heading on your way for any scratches or dents otherwise you may end up getting penalties for other people’s misuse of the car.

3. Familiarize yourself with the Rental Car

It should be noted that every car is different. There are always higher chances that you will not be renting the same car model as you drive back home. Therefore before setting off, make sure to take some time to adjust the seat and mirrors to your liking.
Check where the car functions such as Air Conditioning, lights, windshield wipers and handbrake are located. Once you have thoroughly familiarized yourself with the vehicle, you are ready to go.

4. Identify the Place you are to visit

Before renting a car, it would be a good idea to have a travel plan (itinerary) with specific locations to visit to budget your time effectively. Rwanda is a compact country with several landmarks and attractions that you may be interested in seeing.
Our staff will be happy to show you how to get where you want and advise you as far as your trip is concerned. Do not hesitate to ask the staff about where to go and about anything you may need to know – always be free and comfortable with the staff! As with everywhere, it is the locals who know all the little secrets and gems to be discovered, so with this, it will be a great idea to hire a driver guide on your trip in case you’re a true adventurer!

5. Always identify the kind of fuel your rental car consumes

If you’re the one to fuel the car by yourself (without a driver’s guide), it’s always important to know what kind of fuel your vehicle runs on before you set off. Most cars in Rwanda’s car rental companies have diesel and petrol engines; therefore always ask the staff before taking the car.

6. Always be punctual in taking back the rental car

Most car rental agencies, especially during the high/peak season run on a very tight schedule. Therefore you are required to return the rental car on the agreed time as delay charges add up fast and might cost you a full rental day plus extras if you have not informed the agency.

7. Make sure your rental car is under insurance

Most rental agencies in Rwanda have put their car fleets in insurance. Meanwhile, this insurance is only comprehensive so if you recklessly drive and cause serious damages, you will be charged a fee that will transport the car from the crime scene to the repair venue. You should always read the rental agency’s agreement carefully before taking the car and if you find that you are not fully convinced with what the agreement states, then leave that agency’s car and maybe look for another convenient company for you. Meanwhile, if you take a car that isn’t insured, some rental agencies will charge you for all the damages, therefore ask your agency whether the car is insured such that you are on the safe side. Some of the car rental damages though may be minor like scratches or broken tires and mirrors, and here some companies tend to repair them by themselves.

8. Always be careful with where you park

You don’t want to find your car with no license plates and a tagged fine on the windshield as you return from where you would have gone. Make sure you ask your car rental representative about the parking regulations in Rwanda.

9. Don’t dare hire a car from the Airport

You don’t want to wait until you have landed in your desired destination’s airport to look for a car rental agency, and for sure you don’t want to book a car from the agencies located inside the airport as you will be paying your rental car as gold – costly. Take some time before arriving in Rwanda and book your car online or by phone. It will be waiting for you just as you arrive at the exit.