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This section is mainly for our UK visitors, this is because we have only experienced booking car hire from within the UK. If our USA guests have any tips that we can pass on to other USA visitors, please let us know.
Hiring a car in Orlando is straight forward but it can become very expensive, especially when it comes to paying for car insurance. There are several options available to you, but unless experienced it can become a very daunting process. We have therefore listed some options below which we have experienced ourselves.
Option 1 - Book Flydrive and car insurance directly with tour operator within the UK.
Most of you will book through a UK tour operator and they will happily arrange the whole package. Some will insist that you book car insurance directly with them, otherwise the flight price would increase and others give you the option.
This is the easiest option but generally the most expensive.
Option 2 - Book Flydrive without car insurance
We have paid for and sorted car insurance when collecting our car within Orlando. This is done directly with the car hire firm or through the tour operator. On arrival at the airport, you may have been instructed to go and collect your car hire voucher. Upon doing this the local representatives will try and sell you insurance if not already pre-booked. This sometimes works out in your favour if the exchange rate is good because you pay for the insurance in dollars.
Option 3 - Book flydrive but don't collect car.
"What are you mad" I hear you say.
Even though UK tour operators advertise 'Free Car Hire', the money is made through the insurance. Therefore, it is sometimes better to book the flydrive but book the actual car hire and insurance directly with the car hire firm. On occasions when we have done this, the hiring and the insurance was less than just the insurance through the UK tour operator.
To get a quote for car hire and insurance the following web-site links have provided us with great quotes.
http://www.uscarhire.co.uk?villa=781
http://www.dollar.co.uk/
Option 4 - Take out an international car insurance policy within the UK.
Some friends of ours took out an annual policy which purely covered insuring hired cars abroad. They paid approx. £75 for this policy. The reason why all UK visitors do not go down this route is usually the fear of the hire company not taking the policy upon arriving in resort. This only works if you get the car in the price I.e. Virgin Holidays but don't pay their insurance costs.
Well, our friends took the risk, Dollar was the hire firm at the time and they accepted the UK insurance but asked for a very high security deposit. This was refunded when the car was returned. So for two weeks car hire, it cost them £75. Bargain!!!!!
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