How to Get Approved for Student Car Hire in the UK?

When it comes to car hire rules and regulations, the young age appears to be a formidable barrier. Not every company rents out vehicles to underage drivers. Many of them put forward strict requirements for drivers in terms of driving age, licence, and insurance coverage.

In this article, you’ll get into the nuts and bolts of cheap student car hire options. Weigh all the pros and cons and do your best to find the comfiest and cheapest vehicle for a vacation. 

How to Rent a Car if You’re a Young Driver: 10 Useful Tips

Planning to visit Great Britain? Be ready to accustom yourself to the country’s driving laws and car hire regulations. Here are some useful tips and tricks:

1. Pick the Right Car

Make a list of must-haves for a vehicle for a future vacation. Include in the rental inventory the following points:

• the number of people who will travel with you;

• the volume of the luggage for a journey;

• the lay of the land a vehicle will ride over – whether it’ll be a rough terrain with slopes to climb or a smooth city highway.

Systemize your demands to shape up a perfect car for your vacation. Don’t book a vehicle from a higher specification category to avoid unnecessary extra payments.

2. Keep up the regulations

A driver must be 21 years old to make booking deals. It is required that a renter has held a driving licence for a minimum of 1 year. Only credit cards are accepted with the name on the front side. Don’t forget about a compulsory Young Drivers Surcharge that you’ll have to pay.

3. Drive cautiously

The most crucial thing for teens at the wheel is to stick to the rules of the road. Don’t ignore traffic signs, drive safely, and park carefully. Build up a good driving history from the very start to stay away from car hire problems in future.

4. Make Pre-Bookings Online

The majority of companies offer cars at a competitive price if they are ordered beforehand. The earlier you make a deal, the cheaper it’ll cost. Save a great deal on online bookings made at least a month before the trip. Pre-orderings allow to opt for any type of vehicle – from economy light 2-door autos to high-end sedans, spacious SUVs, minivans, and even exotic cars.

5. Hunt for money-saving options

Choose unlimited mileage to make a long-distance trip. You’ll pay the same sum of money despite the length of your ride. Pick an unlimited mileage and pay a fixed price for 10 miles or 1,000 miles of driving. The last-minute deals might be profitable as well. But you won’t have access to the entire versatility of the company’s offer. The choice will be narrowed to a couple of available cars.

6. Skip the airport rental

Picking up the hired vehicle from the airport is a super convenient option for travellers. But it will cost you a fortune. The airport counters add tons of fees and taxes. The final price appears to be unbearable for a tight student’s budget. Avoid unnecessary payments by keeping up with the following instructions:

• Choose a pick-up location farther from airport neighbourhoods.

• Find a suitable place downtown or even in the city’s suburbs.

• On arrival, take a shuttle, rapid transit, or even a taxi to get to the designated area.

The final price will be cheaper than a rental car pick-up at an airport.

7. Get an ISIC card

   
   

The ISIC is an identity card meant for full-time students. ISIC is globally eligible and is accepted in more than 170 countries. The ID card confirms your student status and gives access to over 150.000 discounts. The association has partnership relations with more than 40, 000 worldwide. Get the card and make use of a great student car hire discount from 5% to 15%. In addition, you’ll get a significant price drop on accommodation, flights, shopping, cultural events, and educational courses. You’ll also receive one more valuable bonus – with ISIC you become a part of a friendly uni-mates community.

8. Cope with insurance

Insurance might prove to be quite tricky and too expensive. The most unpleasant thing about it is that young drivers have to pay more for a policy. The reason lies in a higher accident rate – approximately 25% of all traffic mishaps belong to drivers in their teens. Below are several car insurance tips for young drivers to get rid of subsidiary expenses:

• Gain the support of a more experienced driver

If you’re travelling together with a person who has a good driving history – e.g., a parent, an elder friend, or a colleague – ask him or her to make a claim. An experienced driver’s name will reduce your young age risk level and open an opportunity to get a cheaper car policy. But in this case, the person mentioned in the policy as the main driver will be at the wheel for the better half of your journey. You’ll become a second or additional driver.

• Choose the lowest insurance group

In the UK all vehicles are put into groups from 1 to 50. The higher the car insurance fee, the more money you will have to pay for the policy. Use the car insurance checker to find out what category a rented auto belongs to and you’ll significantly economise on charges.

• Always look over the insurance coverage

Rental agencies usually offer optional insurance. You don’t have to pay that charge because your car insurance already includes the coverages that you have opted for. But you can add some kinds of endorsements to your policy that cover damage in case of an accident.

9. Compare prices

Such brands as Dollar and Thrifty are usually associated with the lowest prices and are perceived as stereotypically discount brands to hire a car in the UK. But are they necessarily the cheapest ones? The statistics prove that the difference in weeklong charges offered by expensive and cheap agencies is not that high – about £170-£200. Make your booking comparisons yourself. Use the best search engines such as Hotwire, AutoRentals, and Expedia to find the cheapest available rates and end up with a better deal.

Tip. Rental24.co.uk is the best solution for student car hire under 21 as it offers the cheapest options for young drivers in Great Britain. The company’s major pros include:
1. Trouble-free service for underaged drivers in hundreds of locations in the United Kingdom.
2.  Convenient search with comprehensive filters to sort out a proper vehicle by price, category, or rating.
3.  A broad selection of automobiles at an affordable price. Approximate car hire rates in Great Britain are as follows:

• The cheapest auto from a ‘mini’ category is offered for $13/day.

• A compact Ford Focus for 5 adults with unlimited mileage, air conditioning, and manual transmission will cost $15/day.

• A super comfortable van for 2 adults and 3 bags is priced at $16/day.

• A spacious SUV for $19/day.

4.   Welcoming attendance and 24/7 backup both for first-time visitors and loyal customers.

10. Make advantage of your young age to hire a car in the UK

Bear in mind that car hire under 21 in the UK might be rather beneficial. Most rental companies offer special discounts for younger drivers. Find the best deals for students with search engines available on their sites. To hire a car in the UK under 21 is quite easy. All you need to do is confirm your student status, download an app, create an account, select a vehicle, make necessary payments, and await your invoice by mail.