Car hire - recommendations?

[Nikhedonia]

Will need a car from Barcelona and will be driving to France. Will be picking the car up late at night so want to collect directly from the airport and have the process completed as quickly as possible! Will gave DD with me and she will be knackered.

I haven't used rental companies in the past, so not sure what to expect. (I have heard some horror stories to that's making me nervous!)

What are the do's and dont's?

It’s best to pre pay for your hire car in Euros before picking it up, its cheaper. That said, if you’re holiday is canceled or any reason you don’t pick the car up it will be difficult to get your money back.
You need to present your bank/credit card when picking up the car.. only the person who has paid for the car can pick it up.
It’s expensive to add another named driver.
Make sure you have unlimited millage.
You will be asked if you want extra insurance.. be very careful here, this is how they make their extra money.
Some banks/credit cards include hire car insurance, so check your policy.
Car insurance can cost the same as the hire price, so this will be added to the original cost.
You do not have to take extra cover, but it is a risk.
They will ask for a security deposit of anything between €300 and €1,000 depending on which company you use. This will be blocked on your debit/credit card, and returned after you return the car undamaged.
Once you pick up the car, the rep and you must check for any damage on the car before you drive away. Every scratch will be highlighted on your contract.. but make sure to check your self. If there’s minor damage to the car, before you pick it up, take photos.
Don’t forget your driving license.
When returning the car, make sure the fuel tank is full, keep the receipt.
Good luck 🍀

There’s also tolls on French motorway, you can pay cash or card.

Everything Clara said and it worth mentioning they'll probably be an extra fee to drop the car off at a different place from where you picked up. When you hire in the UK you usually get a code from the DVLA website to allow the hire company to see the detail of your licence however I'm not sure if the EU also do this so you may need your paper part of your licence. I would check before you leave.

Yes l quite agree with the paperwork, in fact l would take everything with you to be on the safe side.
Of all the hire companies l have used Goldcar are by far the worst, they may seem to be cheaper but have numerous hidden costs.. steer well clear.
Avis can be expensive.
It may be in your interest to contact your own car insurance company to see if they do comprehensive cover for hire cars abroad.

Thanks all. Some really useful stuff there!

You're not necessarily guaranteed the car you think you're hiring. You won't get a smaller one but you might get a bigger one!

Agree about checking carefully for damage and taking photos.

Worth looking into insurance to pay the excess if you do cause damage, get a puncture or similar. We had this in the UK where the new tyre cost us the best part of £300. Next time we're getting our own car hire insurance to cover these costs.

Sixt has thus far been the easiest experience and lowest ‘deposit’. A shitty one man band wanted £1500 deposit in Cyprus which was about the car’s value.

Neither were arsed about seeing the thing from the DVLA even though I massively panicked because I got an SP30 the month before we went.

Oh I got the separate insurance thing for about a tenner but then they confused me at the desk and said it didn’t cover me for what I thought it covered me for.