Martin Lewis could save you £400 with this simple holiday car rental hack
From airport spending to souvenirs, when heading on holiday it’s easy for costs to build up. Luckily Martin Lewis has revealed how holidaymakers could potentially save hundreds of pounds when heading away.
As part of the Money Saving Expert’s newsletter, the Good Morning Britain star advised holidaymakers to look out for hidden costs associated with hiring rental cars and explained how individuals could avoid hefty bills.
“Car hire usually includes basic insurance, yet at the pick-up desk, they almost always try to push you to get 'excess cover insurance' costing up to £25/day using scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch - or sometimes implying you have to do it,” the newsletter read.
Rather than buying this cover, Martin, who is known for his money-saving tips, encouraged people to get their insurance in advance for a lower price, with insurance costing as little as £2 a day.
The newsletter also shone a light on a ‘success of the week’ which involved an individual who’d rented a car while on holiday in France and, having followed Martin’s advice, ended up saving themselves £400.
“Last year, we went to a wedding in France and bought excess cover for £6 for a long weekend. Unfortunately, I kerbed the car and was charged £400 repairs,” it read.
“I claimed excess cover and had it all paid back to me, including a cheeky bonus from the exchange rates changing. Will always do it in future. Thanks.”
However, the email also encouraged people to be cautious when picking up a vehicle as others may try to claim that pre-purchased insurance won’t be effective and that they might ask for a £1,000 refundable deposit.
The advice comes after Martin suggested that holidaymakers could “slice your costs” if they’d booked a hotel. “Booked a hotel or car hire? A quick trick to try that could slice your costs. Courtesy of @itvMLshow,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Is your hotel or car hire cheaper now than when you booked? If so, and you've got free cancellation, well, so keep checking the prices.”
“And if you suddenly find it cheaper, well rebook, and then cancel. I sent you a success of this. You did send me success. A reader wrote into Money Saving Expert saying: 'In January 2024, I booked a two week car rental in the US for $1,024.
“'After checking comparison sites in May, I checked back, and the same car was available. I cancelled the first booking, had my deposit refunded, and rebooked at a lower price.' The lesson here is that booking early does not always guarantee the best price.”
He added: “The lesson is here - get free cancellation.”
