[Run Silent]

I live in the USA and travel extensively to Africa and rent cars when I go. Here are some pointers I have learned through diligence and sometimes through hard knocks.

1) Stick with the major rental agencies and avoid the budget brands. Even EuroCar tended to be spotty at best. I had the best results with AVIS and HERTZ. You pay a little more, but avoid all the scams by the independently owned agencies.

2) I never buy the extra insurance, except when I go abroad. I know that I am likely flushing money down the toilet, but after being dinged $160 USD for a crappy plastic hubcap that fell off of a VW Polo I was renting, I now just suck it up and add the full coverage.

3) Top off the petrol tank just before returning the car and take a photo with a time stamp of the gas gauge. On more than one occasion, I have had the attendants fill up the tank after I left by just filling up another car and then hitting my credit card with the bill saying I returned the car empty. By having photo proof that it was full when returned, I was able to combat this.

4) Regarding pick up and return times, I always setup the pick up time for about the exact time I am landing, this way I know the car will be ready when I make it to the rental counter a few minutes later. Upon return, I just back into it. If the plane leaves at 12:00 noon, then I say to myself that I need to be at the airport by 10:30am, so I make the rental return time at 10:00.