Wondering how car hire works in Uganda and Kenya? Renting a car can be challenging, worse of it if you are new to the entire process. Like most things, rental cars depend entirely on what you are searching for and the kind of Car Hire Company you choose to rent a car in Uganda from. What you should have in mind is that the bigger the vehicle, the more you are likely to pay to hire.
The other significant area is if you plan to have more than one person to drive the car and many other things. Here is a detailed guide/step-by-step process on how car hire works in Uganda and Kenya.
Before you book a car in Uganda & Kenya
Prior to booking a rental car in Uganda and Kenya, here are key areas to think about or address.
- You must determine how many days you plan to use the car you are hiring. When and where to pick it up also when and where to return it after your road trip or event.
- The size of vehicle you plan to rent and number of people to travel with for a safari or any road trip. Different rental cars in Uganda come in varying sizes/seating capacities as well as luggage/cargo space.
- The kind of activities that you plan to engage in also matter and guide if you may require special equipment. With this in mind, you can choose the best rental car option with equipment you need for your road trip. It can be camping gear and the best is to hire a car with rooftop tents. Or if you are person with disability, it is important to disclose to your car hire service provider in case there is need to have equipment for you.
- Book a car online. The fastest and time saving way to have your rental car booked is by reserving it online. Within 24 hours, your rental car can be booked. Feel free to contact our reservation team via our active emails available on the websites. When booking a car online like other criteria, payment will be required and you pay to the relevant account details shared to you by the car hire service provider/company you will be dealing with.
- The kind of car to drive. It is important to choose a car that you are familiar with to drive. Talk to our expert to ascertain availability of your favorite vehicle.
Book a car in Uganda/Kenya
Next stage/step should be booking your Uganda car rental. Here is how a car can be booked;
- Use valid credit cards. Before you consider using credit cards, find out from the car rental company if you can use credit cards to book a car in Uganda/Kenya. When booking a car, the name of the main driver should be indicated.
- Mind about age restriction. On average, you should be at least 21 years and above to hire a car in Uganda or Kenya. But it is essential to find out from your car rental company since age limits for hiring cars may vary from company to company.
- Take note that younger drivers may incur a surcharge cost. Like other drivers, a valid driver’s license is needed for you to rent a car.
- In case more than one person is to drive the vehicle, then observe the driver’s license requirement, age restrictions and other instructions from the company you plan to rent a car in Uganda or Kenya.
Type of cars to hire
Available rental cars come in varying sizes and classes, and include 4×4, economy, premium and luxury. The feature that may distinguish most of them can be the coupe, convertible and eco-friendly or manual and automatic transmission.
What to consider
- Basic quote inclusions. The cost of rental cars covers the cost for hiring a car, basic insurance, mandatory charges and taxes.
- Extras –cost on extras should be taken note of. They include music system, navigation system, child seats, mobile Wi-Fi and others. These extras are available for booking at extra/addition charge. Talk to your expert to find out about it before you hire a car in Uganda/Kenya.
- Mileage limits/restrictions. You must understand the car hire company’s way of doing things. Inquire if the car you are hiring falls under limited/unlimited mileage, and in case it is limited, then consider estimating mileage before your actual road trip. This can save you from paying extra for exceeding the limit. Long distance road trip are best done with unlimited mileage rental cars.
- Cross border; if you plan to have this kind of road trip, inquire from the company the terms and conditions, the requirements you may need. Everything should be planned early to meet the border crossing requirements.
- Pick up and return points. Agree on where to pick up the vehicle and where to return it to.
- Check the overall cost of your car hire booking before you finalize the payment.
- At the back of your mind, take note that you take responsibility of the rented car for the duration to which you are hiring it. To be on a safer side, you can consider getting extra car insurance.
Picking up a rental car
- Valid driver’s license/credit card will be required on the day of picking up the car.
- Reservation number that is available on your booking confirmation will be required.
- All the intended drivers of the rental car should be present on the day of picking up the vehicle and should have relevant documentation. Additional drivers come at an extra charge.
- Some companies may require you to have a proof of the address on your driver’s license which shouldn’t be older than 3 months.
Fueling
Find out from your car hire company about fuel policy to guide you choose the best options. The common fuel policy options include full tank and half-full tank. What else should you find out- first, check if the rental car presented to you is actually the one you booked. Find out if extra charges are levied for GPS, child seats and others. Examine the pre-existing damages and make comparison with the damages on the rental agreement form. Get to know what the insurance cover includes and excludes.
During the road trip
Key things to know when hiring a car include roadside assistance –inquire if this service is available 24 hours a day and if it is free service. In case of accidents, can there be roadside assistance accorded to you. Extensions –know if you can allowed to extend your rental and if extra charge may apply.
