Rwanda Car Hire Tips – Things to Know Before Renting a Car in Rwanda

Hiring a car in Rwanda is a sure way of exploring the different tourist sites because you will obviously not use your personal car (for those not living in Rwanda) and also, your personal car may not be fit to be used in many of the country’s remote and difficult to reach tourist destinations.
There is however some car hiring tips you need to consider attaining value for money as well as having the freedom or opportunity to explore your desired destinations in the bucket list. Therefore, provided are some of the crucial Rwanda car rental tips;

Hire from a recognized car rental company
One of the most important car hire tips for Rwanda is renting a car from a recognized rental company because you are likely to receive vehicles in good condition and standard as well as emergency roadside assistance in case of accidents or breakdowns.

Pay attention to your Car hire requirements
Hiring a small car may not suit your demand thus pay attention to the number of passengers the car is meant to take as well as the number/size of your luggage. Paying attention to these two factors when hiring a car in Rwanda will ensure your safety and comfort during your trip. Also, if hiring during the dry season makes sure that the car is air-conditioned.

Driving in Rwanda
For the starter, keep left when driving in Rwanda and for those of you who may not be familiar with the routes and driving rules in Rwanda, we highly advise you to hire a driver. When driving in Rwanda unlike other countries in Africa, please be mindful of other road users, for example, motorcycle, pedestrian and among others, read the road signposts so that you enjoy your road trip.

Check age restrictions
Most rental companies in Rwanda will not hire out their cars to drivers for less than 18 years. Therefore to be on a safer side, make sure you are of age because the laws of Rwanda won’t be lenient because it’s not allowed to drive when below 18 years.

Check to make sure the hired car is in good condition (thoroughly check for damages)
Before you pay for car hire in Rwanda, make sure to first check the car for scratches (both in and outside), bumps and dents among others and note everything in the presence of the Company representative to avoid paying additional charges. On hiring the car, fill a form indicating all the damages to the vehicle and even take photos for evidence.

Book the car in advance.
Car hire just like tourism has peak seasons whereby last minute bookings might end up into disappointments and extra charges. Travelers are advised to book for the car at least 1-3 months in advance compared to hiring a day or two before travel because the company may sometimes need to improvise.

Keep time
Another important car hire tip for Rwanda is to always keep time to avoid being charged an extra charge for an extra day. Usually, make it your tendency to return the car before the indicated return date on the rental agreement thus bring the vehicle back at least a day do even several minutes in advance. Late drop-off calls for extra charges and some car hire companies even give one hour grace period to return the car keys but others will not understand.

Avoid hiring cars at the Airport.
It’s undeniable that hiring a car from the airport is convenient and faster especially when you have just arrived in Kigali City for the very first time but this also comes at a cost because of the exorbitant airport surcharges. Therefore to avoid this extra charge, hire cars from any other places in Rwanda other than the Airport.
Therefore, if the above car hire tips for Rwanda are followed, your self-drive safari is definitely the smoothest trip ever undertaken. Costs will be saved, comfort will be guaranteed and the entire safari memorable.