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.
