(From top): A rental car from Avis ; Sanjay Kapur; CEO, Sixt India; an Avis chauffeur-driven car on hire

It’s time to go for a driving holiday in the south of the country. Or, there’s a weekend ahead of business conventions in another city. The car, however, refuses to start up. Before hitting the panic button consider that there’s an easy way out: major car rental firms are offering a number of renting options for both leisure and business travel.

Be it self-driven or chauffeur- driven, you can rent a car to travel intra- and inter-city. The concept that started in the late ‘80s in the country has picked up thanks to the presence of international car rental companies like Hertz, Avis, Sixt and domestic ones like Travel House, Eco Rent-a -Car and Ace Rent-a-Car.

A car at your disposal means convenience 24/7. While it can be booked online or on the phone, the best part is that it is delivered to your doorstep with a full gas tank. “Further, you escape standard stopovers and see the geography at your own pace,” says Ajay Randhawa, a graphic designer, who usually rents out a car even when he is out on a holiday.

In India since the late ‘80s, Hertz International, one of the largest global car rental operators, has a network in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Calcutta and Pune. One can take its services from various points in these cities and then drop it off in another city. But there’s a catch to this, admits Raman Mohan, vice-president, marketing, Hertz. “We charge 60-70 per cent of the cost of bringing it back to the starting point. Abroad there’s a lot of inter-city movement. A car that travels from New York to San Francisco gets rented out from San Francisco back to New York. Thus, the cost of bringing the car back gets covered,” he explains. However, Avis with its fleet of 700 cars, ranging from the ubiquitous Indica to the exclusive Mercedes Benz S-class, charges a one-way rental.

The rates are a bit steep but the car hire companies reckon that the comfort makes up for it. The Hertz fleet includes everything from the Indica, Esteem, Ikon, Lancer and Qualis to the Mercedes S-class. The tariff rates for self-drives varies between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,835 per day. One can take chauffeur-driven cars for between Rs 1,250 and Rs 6,000 per day . At Avis, you’re charged Rs 1,000-Rs 3,000 per day for self-drives. But they don’t let out the Mercedes Benz S-class on self-drive. For a chauffeur-driven S-class, you’ve to shell out a hefty Rs 1,000 per hour.

“The charges depend from city to city. Bangalore, Mumbai, Vadodara and Chennai are more expensive in terms of rentals than Delhi for instance,” says Sunjay Kapur, CEO, Sixt India that kicked off in January this year. With a fleet of 60 cars, self-drives at Sixt are scheduled to start soon. “It’s not easy to do background or credit checks,” explains Kapur. For self-drives, ensure you have a driving licence and credit cards ready.

What are the rental options besides self-drive and chauffeur driven ones per day? Short-term rentals (one month-six months) and long-term rentals (six months-three years) are the perfect answer to one’s need for a car for a few months or so, without going through the hassles of owning a car. Chauffeurs are also available and rates are customised.

What about if you’re going abroad? For people travelling overseas, there’s nothing better than to pick up a car from the airport, drive around and return the car at the same or any other location. Avis offers the option to have your own car abroad. The price for a mid-segment car in Europe would be 50 euros. “We have a toll free number whereby you can avail of our services in some 174 countries,” says Ravi Lamba, CEO, Avis. It has a tie-up with airlines and hotels and offers redemption offers. Meanwhile, Sixt, which is operational in 76 countries and 3,500 locations, allows you to pre-pay in Indian currency and carry vouchers.

Then there are those who want to head off for adventure tours. For this, Avis has a tie-up with adventure company Mercury Himalayan Expeditions, which uses its Ford Endeavours and CRVs to take people on tours. Sixt also offers tours in association with an adventure company.

What with varied rental options, there’s more to follow. These rentals offer add-ons like magazines, tissues, first-aid boxes, air fresheners, torches, umbrellas, mineral water, chocolates, juices and cold towels. Even the chauffeur comes with a mobile phone. “The point is to provide premium service and raise the level of luxury,” adds Kapur.

So why wait? Hit the accelerator and get going.

My favourite holiday

Sharmila Ray,
poet

The most recent holiday that I took about three months ago with my husband proved to be my best one, so far. We went to Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh for a short stay and it was quite wonderful! It felt like we had stepped into a different world altogether. It was actually an impulse trip that we took, after reading journalist Tarun Tejpal’s Alchemy of Desire. We drove down to Kasauli and it took us three nights and then some more to reach there.

The road trip itself was fun, the roads being beautiful, bordered by lush, green trees laden with flowers. Driving down these roads at twilight was especially divine.

Once we reached Kasauli, we had the best holiday we’d ever taken. Simla is an hour and half away from there, so Kasauli, though secluded, is not exactly in the back of the beyond. My husband, being a painter was absolutely delighted with what Kasauli had to offer. It is such a beautiful place, small and quaint with its typical old world charm. I felt so rejuvenated, imbibing the peace and serenity of the place. We have decided to return to Kasauli for our next holiday too, and I can hardly wait!

Route map

Here’s an incentive to become net savvy. Malaysian Airlines has some great deals this summer for people travelling to Australia and New Zealand. However the best ones are only available online.

Log on to Malaysia Airlines’ website, www.malaysiaairlines.com and buy yourself a return ticket to Australia for Rs 21,500. Another good deal is the return fare to New Zealand, which is Rs 25,500. The offer can be availed from all the five cities that Malaysian Airlines touches in India — that’s Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Unfortunately Calcutta is not on board, Malaysian Airlines having pulled out from the city a few months ago. The offer is valid throughout the months of May and June and the journey to the destinations must be completed by June 30. In Australia, you can travel directly to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. And, if it’s New Zealand you are heading for, you will touchdown in Auckland.