When It's Especially Good to Hire a Car for a Holiday

When going on holiday, you need to decide if you'll rent a car or rely on public transit, taxicabs, shuttle services from your hotel, and the like. While you may not want to spend the money for a car hire, there are some very good reasons to consider this option in certain places and under certain circumstances. Note what this means so you can decide if a car hire is a good choice for your next holiday.

When travelling alone

If you're travelling alone, you may be a prime target for thieves, pickpockets, and, in extreme cases, even kidnappers. A pickpocket may prefer to steal from someone who is obviously alone on a bus, train, or subway, as the traveller won't have a companion who might notice what the thief is doing. Someone travelling alone is also a better target for kidnapping and other such extreme crimes. Hiring a car can keep you away from crowded buses and subways and also means you won't need to stand by yourself outside a hotel or restaurant waiting for a cab.

When travelling with a group

Relying on public transit when travelling with other people, and especially when there are children in the group, can increase the risk of someone getting separated from everyone else. Large crowds can jostle and bump into children, who might accidentally let go of an adult's hand, and then be lost in that crowd just as quickly. An older person might also become easily confused and lose track of the group they're with, and also become lost. To ensure your family or any group is safe, rent a roomy car, minivan, or even a travel bus if necessary.

Unreliable public transit

If you're travelling to a large city that you know has reliable public transit, you may not need a car, but note if some areas, even suburbs, will have buses, trains, and other options that are reliable and accessible. Some routes are very limited and may not even reach all the destinations you want to visit, and some transit systems are notorious for being late, overcrowded, or otherwise unreliable. It's good to go online and note any reviews that tourists and others have left about the transit system in any area; if you can't find out information about routes, costs, accessibility, and reliability, you might want to rent a car just to ensure you always have proper transit while on holiday.