Self Drive car rentals offer you great flexibility and convenience when you want to explore your dream international location. USA, Europe, UK, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand have lately become the preferred countries for booking a self-drive experience for people wanting to explore beyond the inclusions in their tour packages.

But before you plan to self-drive rent a car, keep these 10 things in mind:

1. Use a Credit Card When Picking Up the Car

Avis offers you a quick interface to book self drive across 160 countries, but when you reach your destination and pick your car make sure you have a credit card handy which has a good credit limit ( This depends on the car and duration of booking but generally a limit of 50 thousand will be good).

In case of a debit card or cash, an authorization amount will be charged, and a substantial additional incremental hold may be assessed as well. In some locations like USA credit card may be the only option available.

2. Driver Age and Number

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3. Car Insurance (be very careful)

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All Avis car rentals booked from Avis India are inclusive of Unlimited Mileage, Total Local Taxes (Taxes), Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Protection (TP). What this means is that you have all the insurance required to drive the car in any country of your choice.

But this does not include the Non-Waivable Excess which varies from 150 USD to 1000 USD depending on the location of rent. This is the maximum liability for you in case of any damage or theft of the vehicle. This amount is blocked on the credit card prior to the rental and would be released once the car is returned without any damage.

To save this there is an option of Full Cover which is available at the rental location which costs around 15-20% of your booking amount.

4. Don’t rent at the location especially Airport

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The best place to pick your rental car is the airport and Avis is available at almost all major airports but you may have to pay a premium if you directly reach out at the location. It’s always better to book your car rental online. Also booking in advance can help you save money as pre-booking offers are available across Avis Locations.

5. Stay on paved roads

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Avis is mostly fine with you taking your rental car off-road to explore a little more. But off-roading doesn’t have to be going straight mud running or tailgating on an uneven path.

Both of those are an endangerment to yourself and the car and somehow violate your rental agreement. So, if you wind up getting stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere with a rental car in a place where you shouldn’t have been driving, the fees to get it unstuck and cleaned up fall on you.

6. Fill up the tank before returning the car

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Avis provides unlimited kilometers on self-drive car rentals so there will be no sudden pause in your vacation. Your car will be delivered to you with a full tank of fuel and the only thing we want in return is that you bring it back with the same.
In case the tank is not full when you return the vehicle, you could end up paying two, three or four times the going price per gallon in overdue charges. So it will be a decent idea to spare 10 minutes and fill up the tank before returning the car.

Even if you’re already pulling in to return the car and head home, it’s worth your time to turn around and find a local gas station.

7. Get an International Driving Permit

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Avis let you book a self-drive car rental in most countries with only your Indian Driving License (DL). But in some countries like UAE & Japan, you need to have an International Driving Permit to drive.

Mostly, your Driver’s License is accepted by Avis to book a self-drive car for international locations. But keeping an IDP is always good practice to tackle insurance claims and local law authorities.

Nowadays, in Delhi and some other states, the IDP is a printed sheet of paper, which you can acquire very easily. In Delhi, the application process is automated and you have to just visit your local Transport Office for the physical copy and it costs just Rs 1,000.

8. Follow the Local Rules & Customs

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This is kind of obvious but you have to remember that you’re not in India and over there; no one knows who your father is. In the west, there’s perspective brewing that all Asians are lousy drivers so you have to understand that you’re representing your whole nation by your actions.

In most countries, driving is very well organized and traffic rules should be followed to the heart. You should always look out for road signs and be aware of when to give way and when not to overtake.

Fines can be huge for speeding and matters can get worse for drunken driving, which might involve arrest and time behind bars.

Also, most countries have very strict laws about child safety, so children must be put inside child safety seats or on booster seats.

If they are not, keep in mind that the authorities can charge you for child endangerment and in extreme cases even take your children away from you. You can rent these seats at car rental agencies, but you have to book them in advance.

9. Plan Your Parking and Routes in Advance

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A navigation system always comes handy in unfamiliar territories. Avis car rentals mostly provide Navigation Support System with their self-drive car. You can also use Google Maps in your phone which is fairly accurate in most countries but many cars do not have a ‘plug and play’ Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

It would be wise to pick up a local SIM card with a data plan so that you can have maps planned on your phone. Also, many towns and hotels have ‘paid’ parking only, keep that in mind before you hit the road.

Please ensure you pay for your parking in advance lest you be charged a massive fine. Talk to the hotels where you are staying in advance to figure out parking.

10. Most of all have fun

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A driving holiday is a holiday after all, and a holiday is about fun. At Avis, we want you to have the time of your life, so don’t be tense and just remember to have a blast while following all the rules.

To book your self-drive car rental for an International Road Trip, Click Here.

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