Do’s and Don’ts of booking:
- Book in advance, at minimum 24 hours before your rental period.
- Book straight through a rental company’s website. The amount saved by booking through a third-party website (safaribooking.com, booking.com, kayak etcetera.) is not worth the headache it will create if anything goes wrong while traveling, such as being rerouted, delayed, or canceled flights.
- Pre-pay when you can to save money, but make sure your travel plans are well documented. No one expects to be delayed or rerouted, however, things happen when traveling. Pre-paying makes it very difficult if not impossible to rearrange your rental.
- Book appropriately, if you have large-sized people, and don’t book an Economy Vehicle. The recommended cars to rent are Land cruiser Prado, land cruiser V8, GX, and the tourist Vans. You are assured of enough space and four doors.
- If you plan on upgrading to something nice, book a big car. The upgrade would be significantly less than if you booked a compact, even though the price difference may be as little as $10 a day online for booking a full-sized vehicle to a compact.
Rooftop Tent Camping in Uganda
What to expect at the meeting with the operator:
- Be patient – you could be flying into Uganda through Entebbe International Airport. A car rental delivery man will be waiting to take you to the car for formalities. Renting a car in Uganda is a process, and you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of a legally binding contract. Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time, you want them to be thorough because, at the end of the day, it is your money and ultimately your responsibility.
- Questions – The car rental personnel are going to ask you questions, they are all broad and open-ended questions. This process is called qualifying the customer. This is just to ensure you are getting the best deal and vehicle for your needs. You as the customer want to ask your questions here.
- Know your liabilities; the rental car is usually covered with comprehensive insurance that caters for third-party, theft, and collision damage waiver. However, there are some circumstances when the hire is subjected to pay for the damages caused to the car ensure that they are stipulated out clearly to you to be precautious.
Rental Process:
- Have your cash or Visa Card ready and available. Keep in mind not all companies accept debit cards without certain criteria as cash is the most preferred mode of payment.
- Driver’s licenses must match the name written on the car rental contract.
- Payment of the full amount of the rental must be made before you set off for your trip.
- Note any and all damage to the vehicle. Take pictures on your phone, and let the rental operator know.
- The vehicle is normally given to you with a ¼ tank ensure to return it with the same amount of fuel.
- Inform the operator of your itinerary. This is important to keep track of you in case of any problems. Additionally, the operator can advise you whether your travel program is practicable or not. If not, adjustments can be made right from there with his assistance
- Agreed on the pickup time and point with the rental operator for the easy handover of the car upon completing your trip.
