When many tourists arrive at Birmingham Airport, they head straight for the car hire counters. However, this is not a wise choice as you are likely to pay more than you should when you use airport car hire services. Although getting a rental car at the airport has its advantages, there are other ways of getting a rental that will help you save a lot of money.

How to save money with car hire

Book early - Don’t wait until you get to Birmingham Airport to pick a car. Always book your rental car in advance as this can save you a lot of money. For starters, you have a lot of time to check for the most affordable prices. You can also find various discounts to take advantage of so as to lower your rental costs.
Use comparison sites - Don’t just pick a car hire company offer randomly use comparison sites to find the best fit. Comparison sites allow you to search the rental market quickly and find the best offers. They have custom-made search engines that allow you to get search results based on your preferences. Using comparison sites will save you a lot of time and money when looking for a rental.
Get excess insurance from a third party insurance provider - Many car hire companies charge a lot of money for excess insurance. It's always cheaper to get your excess insurance from a third party insurance provider as they offer much better rates than rental companies. The other insurance to look out for is Collision Damage Waiver insurance. Some car hire companies at Birmingham Airport include Collision Damage Waiver insurance in their rates. However, it's important to ask because if they don’t, you will end up buying the cover from the rental agency which can be quite expensive.
Consider getting an annual excess cover - Many people travel abroad and hire cars often during the year. If you travel abroad a lot, it may be prudent to get an annual insurance cover. This will cover you for the duration of a year saving you from always paying for insurance each time you go abroad.
Avoid expensive add-ons - The next time you fly to the UK via Birmingham Airport, make sure that you don’t pay for add-ons for your rental car that you can bring with you. Some good examples are child car seats and GPS devices. Many rental car agencies charge outrageous rental rates for child car seats and GPS devices. You can avoid these charges by bringing your own child car seat and GPS device the next time you travel abroad.