subject: Four Questions You Need To Ask Before Car Hire Lisbon [print this page] As one of the top ten most visited cities in southern Europe and seen as a centre for a whole range of different industries, Lisbon is one of those cities that everyone should visit at least once.
With so much to see and do, however, it can be difficult to fit a visit to even a small number of the major sights and attractions of Portugal's capital if you don't plan properly.
And one of the things that is always advised is car hire Lisbon.
Before you book your car, jump in it and head off on your journey, there are four questions that you should find the answers to before you hand over any of your hard earned money.
1. Are you insured?
No matter where you are in the world and whether you're a tourist or a resident, driving without proper insurance is against the law (there are a small number of areas across the globe that don't require for a car owner to have car insurance, but it's still recommended to take it out as the other alternative is having to be able to prove that you have sufficient funds to be able to pay for any costs that you are liable for that may be incurred should you have an accident).
The car hire Lisbon company should provide you with a full and comprehensive insurance policy when you take out the hire car, but it's always advised to check.
2. What's in the small print?
When you take out a hire car, you'll be asked to sign an agreement that states everything you can and can't do with the hire car, as well as any legal and financial terms and conditions.
Although it's advised that you read through the agreement, specifically the small print, terms and conditions and exclusions, if you're short on time, ask the car hire company to list the main points for you - many will have a leaflet that they'll give you of the key points to remember about your agreement, which will most likely include things such as last return times and their wear and tear policy.
3. Is the car in a good condition?
A question that you should be asking yourself, when you're taken to your hire car, don't simply accept the keys and let the company's employee walk away immediately.
Instead, have a look around the car and see if there are any noticeable marks. The reason behind this is that if there are and you don't mention them to the hire company, when you return the car - and if they hadn't picked up on it either - it would look as though the car had been damaged during the time when you were hiring it.
4. How much are you paying?
Although the amount of money should be fixed if you've paid in full upfront, should you have only paid a deposit, it's important that you have written down, signed and authorised the amount of money that you'll be charged once you return the car (assuming that you've adhered to the terms of the contract).
If you don't and you return the car, you have to ask yourself what's stopping you from being charged a different amount to what you verbally agreed on, especially if you first spoke to a different employee?
