Tips for hassle-free holiday car hire Uganda

Uganda is one of those safari destinations a traveler can experience behind the wheels on his own. It is such a small country and has a very simple Road network that leads to the several major tourist destinations one may wish to tour. This is why very many travel companies have take up that opportunity by offering self drive safari to their clients.

All one has to do is hire a car in Uganda and traverse to his/her preferred tourism destination without the help of a driver guide. Accommodation and tourist entrance booking also can be done by the travel company on behalf of the traveler or a traveler can also do that by himself. Holiday car hire Uganda makes a traveler explore the pearl of Africa on his own and with maximum independence and comfort.

Nevertheless car hire Uganda is tremendously good for a traveler; he/she has to put some tips in check to get car hire services that will give him/her the best experience in Uganda.

Below are the tips for hassle free car hiring Uganda:

Make sure that you get both car rental and personal travel insurance

Any person traveling overseas needs personal travel insurance to safe guard himself from all unforeseen problems that might happen while on the journey like theft of luggage and self physical injuries. This is supposed to be gotten from the home country.

In addition to personal travel insurance make sure that the rental car has comprehensive insurance that makes the traveler less liable of any unforeseen damages that might happen on the car while driving it. This gives the traveler a peace of mind knowing that he/she has shield in case of any problem on the voyage.

Take some time to read the car rental agreement

The car rental agreement is always a written document given to a person wishing to rent car from a company consisting of the terms and condition under which he/she is hiring the car. It is best for a traveler to read each and every clause of the agreement and in case he/she does not understand one ask the company for clarity. Remember if you violate any clause in the agreement, you are likely to pay a fine and thus incurring more costs on the car rental services.

Make sure you’re aware of the road rules in Uganda

Different countries have different road rules so as a traveler one has to know the speed limits, turning rules, overtaking etiquette and also the nature of other drivers on the roads.

This makes the traveler to get full aware of the driving rules and policies in Uganda so that he/she does not fall short of being an offender due to ignorance. Offensive driving in Uganda comes with a premium fine or jail time so knowing the road rules is important for anyone wish to hire a car in Uganda.

Check the rental thoroughly before driving off

This is very important tip to all traveler hiring rentals overseas, it is best to inspect the vehicle you are wish to hire before hitting the road. Endeavor to check for the dents, scratches and also the mechanical condition of the car and take an extra mile to take photos of the rental car. This helps to avoid any misunderstandings between the company and the client over damages after using the car.

Having a valid and recognized driving permit

It is best to have an international driving permit which can be acquired from the driving authorities from your home country or if not make sure that your driving permit is translated in English a language used in Uganda. No traveler is allowed to hire a car without a clear driving license.

Pay any fines or tolls promptly

In case, you get a fine for any driving irregularity, please ensure you pay for it immediately to the authority concerned. The vehicles are always monitored in the traffic system in Uganda and if it defaults to pay a fine it will be confiscated and that will mean another fine in addition to the initial one. It is best to clear the fines at hand to avoid tangling with traffic authorities.

Advantages of Manual Transmission Rental Cars

 Automation may have taken over manual machines even in the car world but for Uganda car hire manual cars is more meritorious that an automatic transmission. 4×4 manual vehicles may look to be old fashion but they are very user friendly on a self drive car hire expedition.

Here are the advantages a 4×4 manual transmission vehicle has to offer to a traveler wishing to hire a car in Uganda:

  1. Staying in Control

Manual transmission gives the traveler the opportunity to be in full control of the car that is selecting the best gear for the speed and situation. There is no anticipation or prediction of what to do while driving a manual as the person is in control of the gears and the cars so the driver is able to come up with a solution of his/her own during accident bound situations.

  1. Available for Cheaper Prices

For travelers who are budget sensitive manual cars are the ideal cars as these are cheaper than the automatic cars to hire. There is no doubt about this as the models of automatic cars are newer than the manual cars yet car operators price tag their rental cars in accordance to the model and the size of the car. The traveler is likely to get a big bargain of a cheaper price when hires a manual car other than the automatic one.

  1. Low Maintenance

4×4 Uganda rental cars which are manual transmission are cheaper and are of low maintenance since they have simple machinery compared to the automatic cars that have sophisticated machinery. The machinery found in manual cars is always easy to maintain and their spare parts are readily available in most spare workshops in Uganda.

  1. Better Gas Mileage

Due to the less technology in manual cars, the engines consume less gas to run the system while driving the car and this puts manual cars in a good position to consume less gas than their automatic counterpart that have hi-tech of which it has to use lot of gas to run the driving system.

  1. Advantage of Skill

Manual transmission involves lots of technical know-how as the driver must be well conversant with the wheels. It involves comprehensive manual driving where by the driver has to control the gears and the speed of the car on his\her own which is not the case with automatic cars where by a driver has to only be in position to control the sterling, the accelerator and the brakes and he/she is good to go. With the automatic one becomes very dull and lazy as no skill or brain matter is used to drive the car.

It is best for the traveler to use manual cars for self drive car rental experiences in Uganda since most of the times it involves driving long distances of which manual cars have the best qualities  to martial up the ragged roads  of most of safari Uganda destinations.

How to Save Fuel on a Uganda Self Drive Tour

It really sucks when the car fuel gauge starts warning while in the middle on the way yet you anticipated that the fuel pumped in was enough for the journey.

This normally happens to travelers driving long distances and there are few gas stations in the far areas of Uganda and most people who hire 4×4 cars in Uganda from rental companies visit tourist sites that are located at long distances faraway from urban cities.

Self drive travelers need to save fuel which can enable them reach their destinations without the hiccup of running out of fuel in the middle of the forest or highway.

Below are the things you should always do to save fuel on a self drive tour:

Drive at a moderate speed

The best method of sparing some fuel on a long distance journey is driving at the steady speed. It is commendable to drive at the speed of 50km/hr in areas with urban setting and on highway go for a moderate speed of 80km/hr.

Regulating the use of air conditioner

Most of the times it is always hot and it really feels so great to drive a car when the air conditioner is on but its problem that enhance high fuel consumption since it require some fuel to operate. It is best for one to regulate the use of it that is while on a tarmac highway, it is best to switch it off and use the natural fresh air through the windows

Ensure that the tyre pressure is at its best

Remember the lower the tyre pressure of the vehicle, the more power it needs to move on the road and hence leading to high fuel consumption. It is best to check the tyre pressure regularly while on the trip to save some fuel.

Do not over load the car

The more weight you apply on the car the more power the engine will use to operate its work of which it uses fuel to run. This implies that more fuel will be used. It is best for the traveler to carry the recommended weight for the car so that it does not consume the fuel at a fast rate.

Don’t drive during the traffic busy hours or rush hours

Not only does traffic jam frustrate but also come with a huge price since during traffic jam a traveler has to start and stop the car frequently. A car consumes some good amount of fuel while starting. It is best for one to avoid traveling during the rush hours. In Uganda, the rush hours are always in the morning form 7am to 10 am and in the evening from 4pm to 7pm

Ensure the rental car is serviced well

The operation of the engine impacts the fuel consumption of the car so if the engine is operating at its best , the fuel consumption is normal and if there is any fault on the engine, there is a possibility of high fuel consumption. Always hire a car that is well serviced and will fresh oil to avoid fuel irregularities.

Make full use of the car

When the car is kept dull or over parked the engine get cold and to ignite to full functioning it will require too much fuel. It is best to drive the car regularly other than keeping it thinking that you are saving fuel by not driving it.

By putting into use the above tips, the traveler is guarantee of saving some fuel while traveling and in the end avoiding getting struck in the middle of the journey because of running out of fuel.

 

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