6 mistakes to pay attention to when renting a car

Most problems with a car rental have very little to do with the car itself. They come from small gaps in preparation that only become obvious once something has already gone wrong.

The six mistakes below are the ones we see most often, and every one of them is easy to avoid with a little planning before you collect the keys. None of them require any special experience with car rental, only a few minutes of attention at the right moment.

Why small mistakes end up costing the most

A rental agreement covers a lot of ground in a short document, and it is tempting to skim it once the car is finally in front of you.

Most of the six mistakes below are not really about the car at all. They are about paperwork and timing, the kind of detail that is easy to miss when you are keen to get on the road.

None of them take long to fix, and dealing with each one before pickup saves a far longer conversation after the car is returned.

Six mistakes worth avoiding

Each of these comes up regularly enough that it is worth checking off before you collect the car, not after.

1. Assuming the basic package covers everything

The base rental price rarely covers every situation, and it is worth reading exactly what is included before assuming you are fully protected.

Cover for driving outside Bulgaria, for example, is usually a separate item rather than something built into the standard rate, and needs to be arranged and confirmed in advance through our travel abroad page if the trip needs it.

Current rates and what each class includes are listed on our prices page, so comparing options before you book takes only a few minutes.

2. Leaving the child seat until the last minute

Parents travelling with young children sometimes decide on a child car seat only once they reach the counter, rather than arranging it with the booking.

Requesting it in advance means the right size is guaranteed to be waiting with the car, rather than hoping one happens to be available on the day.

It also gives you time to decide whether to bring your own seat instead, which some families simply prefer for a longer trip, particularly if the child is used to a specific model.

3. Skipping the mileage and fuel check at pickup

The mileage reading and the fuel level noted at handover are the two figures that matter most when the car eventually comes back.

Confirm both against the rental form before you drive away, particularly the fuel level, since returning the car with less fuel than noted is billed separately from the rental itself.

This takes barely a minute, and it removes any doubt later about what the car was carrying when you first collected it.

4. Not inspecting the car before you drive off

A quick walk around the car matters more than it seems, especially when collecting one at a busy pickup point such as Sofia Airport where it is tempting to rush.

Check the bodywork, wheels and windscreen for existing marks, and look inside the boot and cabin as well, not only the parts visible from the outside.

Anything noticed at this stage should be written into the rental form on the spot, since this is what protects you if a question comes up when the car is returned.

5. Losing track of the deposit hold

The deposit is not a charge, it is a hold placed on your card for the length of the rental, and it is worth knowing what to expect once the car comes back.

Our article on the guarantee fund explains how this hold works and how long it typically takes a bank to release it once the car has been checked.

Knowing this in advance avoids the confusion of an unfamiliar charge appearing on a statement days after the trip has already ended, especially when travelling with a card that is not checked every day.

6. Skipping the final walk-around before you return the car

The same short inspection that matters at pickup matters just as much at drop-off, and it takes only another minute or two.

Before handing back the keys, it is worth checking the following points:

• The fuel level matches what was noted at collection;
• No personal belongings remain in the boot or door pockets;
• Any new marks are pointed out to staff rather than left unmentioned;
• All original documents and accessories are back in the car.

Arriving a little earlier than the deadline gives staff time to check everything calmly, rather than rushing the handover at the last minute when a queue is forming behind you.

Getting it right from the start

None of these six mistakes require any special experience to avoid, only a little attention at the two moments that matter most, pickup and return.

If this is your first rental in the country, our ten tips for renting a car guide covers the basics in more detail, and you can compare rental car options online with SpeedyCars once you are ready to book.

For anything not covered here, our frequently asked questions page has answers on payment, documents and everything else worth checking beforehand.