Car Exchange
Swap cars and save on car hire
Swapping cars takes a bit of organisation, but can be well worth the effort. You can make considerable savings on car hire and benefit from the convenience of a car waiting for you at the airport, sometimes with child seats and even a satnav already programmed for 'Home'.
If you are considering swapping cars, here are some things to check before you go:
Car Exchange Checklist:
- Contact your current insurance provider to confirm that you can add overseas residents to your existing policy. There is usually an additional fee for this.
- Note that 'Any Driver' policies do not necessarily cover overseas residents.
- If your insurer will not allow this, you will need to move your policy to a different insurer. Do check with your insurance provider before committing to a car exchange.
- Temporary additions of up to a month are usually quite straight forward (depending on your guests' age and driving history) and longer additions may be possible. If you need advice on suitable companies please get in touch
- You will need to provide information about all additional drivers, usually: age, licence details, driving and medical history, details of any convictions or claims
- Provide your exchanger with written confirmation that they are authorised and insured to drive your car and ask for the same in return.
- Agree who will pay the excess in the event of a claim in either car. If the amounts are very different, most members come to an agreement so that it is reasonably equal
- To avoid misunderstanding, confirm all of these details in the car section of the Exchange Agreement Form. State that you will each be responsible for any fines incurred whilst driving each other's cars.
- Make arrangements and leave instructions for what to do in the event of a breakdown or accident and leave contact numbers
- Discuss how you will swap keys - if your dates coincide, consider airport valet parking. It can be difficult to leave keys at the airport.
- Leave information about local restrictions eg congestion charges, toll roads, parking restrictions etc. Confirm that you will each take responsibility for any penalties incurred.
- Think about any restrictions on the use of your car eg mileage limits, geographical limits, use off road etc.
Questions about car swapping? Contact Us and we'll do our best to help
