Matching a hire car to your passengers and luggage
Tell the team how many people will travel and how many cases, buggies or bulky bags you expect. Seating and boot space are separate questions. Say whether you need an automatic or are happy with a manual, and mention any child seat request early so it can be checked before you are quoted. Include details for every driver who may take the wheel.
Finding a car to suit the trip
Start with the journey and pick the car to match it. Smaller cars are suited to city driving and short stays, automatics make local driving easier, estates and SUVs give more room for luggage, and people carriers are a better choice for families or small groups. The range available includes the Fiat 500, VW Golf, Ford Focus Estate, Ford Focus Automatic and Hyundai i10 Automatic, subject to dates, driver details and availability. The precise make, model, transmission, seating, payload and licence position are confirmed when you are quoted, so treat the vehicles listed as a guide to the kind of hire on offer rather than a guaranteed reservation of a particular model.
Travelling with Children and Bags
If a family trip is on the cards, it helps to write down each child's age, whether you need your own seats or boosters, and how many bags will travel with you. A quick list of pushchairs, travel cots and holdalls, ideally with rough dimensions, gives the team something concrete to work with when narrowing down vehicle groups. Estate and people carrier options may suit larger loads, though nothing is decided until availability is checked. You might also note whether any item folds, whether it fits through a standard doorway when packed, and who will be responsible for it during stops. When you ask for a quote, mention the collection point, the dates and any preference between manual and automatic, then ask which groups the team recommends for your particular combination of passengers and luggage.
Getting Ready for a Work Trip
For a business journey, start by fixing the dates and times, then list the passengers and their cases, laptop bags or samples so nothing is guessed later. Executive saloons and SUVs appear among the options, and the team can talk through which group fits your itinerary once they know the details. It is worth deciding in advance where the car should be collected or delivered, and noting a contact name and number at any destination in case arrival plans change. If a colleague will drive on some days, include their details too. Questions worth raising with the team include whether your preferred group is available on those dates, what the collection arrangements involve, and whether anything about the itinerary affects the choice between a compact automatic and something larger.
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What to confirm on the phone
Before you confirm the hire, check the key details: vehicle availability, driver requirements, mileage, insurance, delivery or collection arrangements and any extras you have asked for, along with driver age, licence history, the deposit, the insurance excess and any travel abroad. A clear request gives the date, the length of hire, the rough route, the delivery or pickup address, the expected passengers or load, and any particular requirements that might affect which vehicle is suitable.