In summer, many travellers look for a car on the same dates, on the coast as well as in Djerba. Waiting until the last week means risking having to choose from whatever is left. Here is how to start early without tying your hands, and how to choose a car that really suits your stay.
Why start early for a summer stay?
Demand rises in summer on the coast and in Djerba. Each agency has its own fleet: when many renters ask for the same dates, the model that suits your family may no longer be on offer. Starting early gives you time to receive several offers, compare them and ask your questions before you decide.
On KiraCars, direct online booking is not yet open to the public. You go through a quote request: you give your dates, the location and the type of car, and agencies in the area reply with offers. You accept the one that suits you online, then the agency confirms. You do not need an account to make the request, and KiraCars currently charges the renter no fees.
The agencies that reply had their business identity checked by the KiraCars team before listing: legal name, tax ID, trade register. The KiraCars guarantee sets out what KiraCars checks and what it keeps.
What do you risk by asking early if your plans change?
Cancellation or changes are free of charge up to 48 hours before pick-up. After that, the agency may refuse. And as nothing is paid online, there is nothing to refund: the rental price is paid in full to the agency, in Tunisian dinars, when the keys are handed over.
Two precautions all the same:
- note the validity date of each offer: an offer is only valid until the date shown on it. Do not let the one that suits you expire while you hesitate;
- if your dates change, tell the agency as soon as you know, without waiting for the 48-hour limit.
How do you compare several offers?
Each offer states the model, the total price, the deposit and the agency's terms. Compare them line by line rather than on price alone:
- the total price for the whole period, not a price per day. Pricing is tiered: the daily rate goes down with the length of the rental, which matters for a holiday stay;
- the deposit: its amount, and its form, a pre-authorisation on a bank card or cash in dinars;
- the excess, shown on the vehicle's page: the share of the damage you would still have to pay in the event of a claim, even when insured;
- the minimum age and the minimum time holding a licence required for that model;
- the pick-up location and, for an airport, whether it is a terminal counter or a shuttle.
If prices are shown to you in a currency other than the dinar, they are for guidance only: only the amount in dinars paid to the agency is binding.
If an offer almost suits you, you can make a counter-offer with ‘Name my price’. It is then up to the agency to confirm or not.
Which category of car should you choose for your journey?
Start from your actual stay, not from the model name. Four questions are enough to frame the choice:
- How many of you will be on board, and for how long at a stretch? A long drive with five people is nothing like going back and forth to the beach with two.
- How much luggage? Count the suitcases you are actually taking, including the pushchair and the beach bags, and ask the agency whether the boot of the proposed model will take them.
- Where will you be driving? In town and in narrow streets, a small car is easier to park. Over long distances, comfort matters more.
- Who will drive? Some vehicles require a higher age or a longer time holding a licence. Check the requirement for each driver.
If you plan to share the driving on long journeys, declare the second driver to the agency, with their own identity document and their own driving licence. An undeclared driver is not covered.
What should you check about the air conditioning and the luggage?
In high summer, these are two things that weigh on every day on the road. Do not assume them: check them.
- Before accepting the offer, ask the agency to confirm in writing that the proposed model has air conditioning.
- When the keys are handed over, before leaving the car park, start the engine, switch on the air conditioning and check that it cools. If it does not work, tell the agency straight away.
- Load your luggage into the boot before setting off, to make sure everything fits without blocking the rear view.
- If the agency gives you a different model from the one in the offer, do these checks again.
Use this moment to do the condition report: photograph each side of the car, the rims, the windscreen, the interior, the odometer and the gauge. The condition report photos, at pick-up and at return, are timestamped and kept by KiraCars.
What happens if the car breaks down during your holiday?
If the car breaks down or has an accident that is not your fault, report it from your customer area or the app. The agency then has 24 hours to offer you a vehicle of an equivalent category. Failing that, the rental ends and only the days used are payable, any day started counting as a full day.
Keep the agency's number to hand throughout your stay, and keep a written record of your exchanges. If there is a disagreement, you can report it from your booking or to contact@kiracars.com: KiraCars steps in as a mediator, based on the photos, the contract and the messages kept.
Holiday dates set? Request a quote from the page for your destination: car rental in Djerba, car rental in Hammamet or car rental in Sousse. Compare the offers you receive, ask your questions, then accept the one that matches your stay.