Renting a 4x4 car in Kigali is one of the things that could be overlooked…
Self Drive Car Rental Kigali
Self Drive Car Rental Kigali is the most recommended way to explore the city of Kigali at your own pace. It saves you the trouble of moving around on a fast pace and present the opportunity to explore the city in a more relaxed way. With the city divided into only three districts, it is very easy to get around without the fear of getting lost at one point.
What is Self Drive in Rwanda?
Every community has its lexicon and terms used to refer to things. For instance in Uganda, a drone is not a non-manned flying device. It is a Toyota Hiace Van. In the same way, self drive does not mean the same thing in every corner of the world. In some parts of China, self drive means cars that drive themselves without a driver.
In Rwanda, self drive means hiring a car without a driver and driving it by yourself.
What To Expect on A Self Drive Trip In Kigali Rwanda
Though most of the cars are hired in Kigali, most of the self-drive holidays take place outside Kigali. Majority of the people hire cars to visit Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Akagera National Park, and Lake Kivu.
Sometimes self drive trips are also highlighted by rooftop tent camping. For those that are not familiar with rooftop tent camping, it is the type of camping where a tent is placed on the roof of the car. This type of camping reduces the chances of interacting with animals on the ground more so if someone roasts some meat at the campsite.
If you hire a car with a hardshell rooftop tent that does not need any ladder to balance out, you will be safer than in a softshell rooftop tent.
Common Problems to discuss before renting A Self Drive Car In Kigali
Fuel Policy
Another important thing to expect on a Self Drive Car Rental Kigali is the fact that most car rental agencies deliver cars without fuel. To solve this problem, you can offer the company money that allows you to start the trip with a full tank.
Leaking Rooftop Tents
Agree with the car rental company about the mitigation in case the rooftop tent they offered you is found to be leaking.
Insurance
Most of car rental agencies have comprehensive insurance for their cars but what they never discuss is the excess insurance that has to be paid in case of any claim. Discuss this in detail before booking your car with any car rental agency in Kigali.
How Much Delay is Reasonable In case of a car Breakdown
It is unavoidable for the car to break down when the necessary precautions are taken. Human beings are known for making errors and for this it is inevitable to escape errors. With this in mind, you must discus with the car rental agency and agree on how much time is reasonable.
Once you agree about the reasonable time, you can then proceed to discuss the mitigation in case road side repairs stretch beyond the agreed time.
Car Replacement
When a car breaks down, the car rental agency sometimes brings you a replacement vehicle but the common point of contention is often who pays for the fuel to deliver the car and who pays for the fuel to return the car. On top of this, you have to agree about who pays the driver in case there is need to replace the vehicle.
How much delay is reasonable when returning and picking the car
It is not automatic to expect a refund because of delay. These things have to be discussed before you rent a car with any self drive car rental company in Kigali.
Traffic Fines
Sometimes the car can come with old un paid traffic fines. It is very important to check all these before beginning your trip.
Self Drive Car Rental Kigali is easier than buying plane tickets but solving problems in case of mechanical issues or delays might take longer than a day. It is therefore important to ask the above questions before renting a car with any car rental agency in Kigali.