Hire car guide topic driving in big cities

City hire car: no problem with good planning

Naturally, it’s fun to glide down country roads in the big sedan.

But if the trip is to a big city, different criteria apply when choosing a hire car.

We’ve put together a few points below on what to look for in your big city hire car.

Choose a small hire car

Small should be the hire car to conquer the city without problems. Because with a small car you can also drive through narrow streets in old towns.

In addition, a small car will help you to overcome the most difficult problem in cities. Because with a small car, they have a real chance to get a parking space.

Distance sensors help

Distance sensors can also be helpful when negotiating tight parking spaces. They signal when the car reaches a critical distance from the vehicle in front or behind. This is especially important since you don’t know the hire car and its dimensions.

The best thing to do is to specifically ask your rental company if they can provide you with a car that has a distance sensor. However, it is usually not possible to book such a vehicle in advance, unfortunately.

Parking garage is the best choice

The parking prohibition regulations in many cities are opaque for people who are not familiar with the area. And so it can happen that you have to pick up your supposedly legally parked hire car at the towing yard on the outskirts of town.

To save yourself this hassle and the not inconsiderable costs, you should consider parking the car in a multi-storey car park.

Park and Ride as an alternative

Before you venture into the urban jungle by car, you should check whether the city offers so-called “Park and Ride” spaces. These parking lots are usually located on the outskirts of the city or in the suburbs. Public transport is located very close by.

For a small fee or even completely free, you can park your car in the “Park and Ride” lots and take the subway or S-Bahn to the city in complete relaxation.

Hire car with navigation device

The traffic is hectic, the streets in the foreign city are unknown to you. That’s where a good navigation device helps to guide you safely to your desired destination. Most rental companies offer such a tool for an additional fee.

But since a navigation device is often charged ten euros extra per day, you should consider buying one yourself. A well-functioning Navi is today already for under 100 euros to get.

Already after 10 trips you have the cost back in and also a device in your hire car, whose functions you know best.