Renting a car in another country can be stressful, especially if you’re not sure what to say. From insurance questions to understanding the contract, it’s easy to feel lost. But don’t worry—today we’ll walk you through the essential English phrases step by step.

Lovely poem from Libor from Teplice near Prague and Dresden
(using vocabulary from https://inglespodcast.com/616 Uses of ‘box’)

Boxed in by the past
In the box room sits my Xbox
Moist memories of our boxer dogs
I storm through photos
Laugh and sigh
Disemboxed puppies yelp goodbye

Car hire / Car rental

Cars and driving: https://inglespodcast.com/101

Vocabulary and collocations

rental agreement
rental period
fill out the paperwork
daily/weekly rate
no-show fee – charged if the driver fails to pick up the vehicle
insurance coverage (full insurance coverage can give you peace of mind.)
excess (UK) / deductible (US) (the amount you must pay before insurance covers the rest)
additional (named) driver
security deposit
pick-up and drop-off location
fuel policy – you usually have to return the vehicle with a full tank
“Does it take petrol (UK)/gasoline (US) or diesel?”
to fill up/to top up the tank
fuel / petrol (UK) / gasoline (“gas”) gauge
fuel efficiency

drop-off fee
2/4-door vehicle, 5-door vehicle or hatchback
boot (UK) / trunk (US) space
un/limited mileage
valid driving licence (international licence – International driving permit (IDP)
roadside assistance – to break down
vehicle inspection – Always do a vehicle inspection before driving away. Look for dents and scratches and take photos. Pay attention to the wheel trims, windscreen and bumpers!
wear and tear
to get/ask for an upgrade
manual (UK) stick shift (US) / automatic transmission
child seat
grace period – the extra time permitted to return the vehicle after the stipulated contractual time without being charged extra

Note: Most rental companies require a credit card in the driver’s name to hold the deposit. Debit cards are often not accepted.

If you reserved the car online, you should bring proof of your booking, either printed or on your phone.

…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. What has been your experience of renting cars abroad? How do you feel about driving in a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road? Do you have any horror stories about vehicle rental?

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If you’re a Spanish speaker and you want to improve your English with free and paid resources, visit the mansioningles website at mansioningles.com and for paid products you can browse the online store at https://store.mansioningles.net/

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In next week’s episode: Colour Idioms in English: Speak Like a Native Speaker

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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’