Return and inspection of the car
1. Prepare the checklist provided by the rental company before
2. Rental agreement, insurance documents, deposit receipt
3. Wash the car before returning it, both interior and exterior. Otherwise, you may be fined up to 500 Swiss francs for car washing (e.g. in Switzerland)
4. All photos taken when picking up the car
5. Return the car with a full tank of gas. Otherwise, you may be charged for refueling, which can be expensive
6. Take a photo of the fuel gauge
7. Take photos of any potential scratches to avoid being overcharged
8. When the car is inspected, make sure to check what is written and any associated fees. If there are any objections, resolve them before signing. This can be a stressful time, especially if you are in a rush to catch a flight, and you may overlook certain issues. It can be difficult to resolve them once you have returned home
9. The deposit refund will depend on the rental company checking for any violations, parking tickets, or toll charges. It may take 1-2 months to receive the deposit refund, and there will be no notification. The charges will be automatically deducted
Additional information: Some gas stations offer automatic and manual car wash services. Both require self-operation.
Automatic car wash: Drive in, the brushes will automatically clean and dry the car. The cost varies from 10-29 Swiss francs, depending on the size of the car. Advantages: Quick, approximately 10-20 minutes. Disadvantages: Expensive, and the car may not be thoroughly cleaned. Vacuuming requires coins, approximately 1 franc for 10 minutes
Manual car wash: Advantages: Cheaper, more thorough cleaning, and can help identify any issues. Disadvantages: Tiring, limited time with the car wash hose, need to purchase car wash detergent. Indoor vacuuming requires renting a vacuum for approximately 1 franc for 10 minutes ?
Switzerland Q&A
We arrived in Paris on the 13th and stayed for 6 days, then drove to Fontainebleau, Lyon, Nice, Monaco, Genoa, Florence, and arrived in Rome yesterday. We were on edge the whole way... First of all, the temperature here is not hot. The wind is quite cold. We have to wear down jackets and woolen hats to keep warm. It is not recommended to drive in the city of Paris. It is difficult to find parking spaces on the road surface. The entrances and exits of underground parking lots are too narrow and difficult to find. Navigation mainly relies on the map built into the Apple phone, which is actually a collaboration with Tom Tom and is very accurate. The maps we downloaded at home are not very reliable, including Google Maps. We were misled several times, even guided to a snow-covered mountain road at night. Maybe it's because we didn't enter the address accurately. Remember to enter the postal code of the region. Google Play needs to be installed to have offline maps, so you must have wireless WiFi. The high-speed rail here is very fast. France is 130 and Italy is 110. I think this is the lowest speed. There will always be cars following me to drive. After all, the car company gave me a top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz E200 station wagon, black German license plate, which is too eye-catching. This caused me to park in the underground garage and dare not park on the road, for fear that my car windows would be broken and my bag would be stolen. All overtaking must be done from the left side, and then the left lane must be given up. It is forbidden to occupy the left lane for a long time. Right-hand overtaking is strictly prohibited, which is very dangerous! Highways need to prepare some 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1, and 0.5 euro banknotes and coins in advance. Do not enter the electronic payment channel by mistake. France and Italy have many dark tunnels that are relatively narrow. Overtaking and turning do not slow down. It feels like you're driving a race car, so small cars are popular here. Their control performance is good. Remember not to rent big cars! My Mercedes-Benz is too long, and the city control is really a bit difficult. Those streets, tunnels, and parking lot passages are really narrow! Bring fewer luggage when you go out ?
France Q&A
Hello everyone! I just visited Cinque Terre on July 29th. It was very difficult to find a parking space (I don't know if it's because it's the weekend). I suggest it's more convenient to take a train from La Spezia to visit Cinque Terre. Trains from La Spezia to Levanto run every half an hour and stop at all five villages. We drove to Riomaggiore first and bought tickets there for 16 euros per person, which allowed unlimited rides all day, including buses and restroom fees. Among the five villages, Manarola has the best scenery. It is said that the night view is also special, but we didn't plan our time well and left Cinque Terre before it got dark. We arrived around 10 am and left around 8 pm, spending about ten hours. We visited all five villages, and the scenery was quite similar. Monterosso, the northernmost village, is mainly a beach resort. Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are similar, while Corniglia, after getting off the train, requires a bus ride to reach the top of the town. After 8 pm, the train back to La Spezia runs every hour. I hope my experience can be helpful to friends who are planning to visit Cinque Terre. ?
Italy Q&A
1. Left-hand driving: You can get used to it quickly, and even if you violate it, because everyone can see each other, it generally does not cause consequences. Of course, affecting others will be despised and scolded. 2. GIVE WAY and STOP: Most important! Must be strictly enforced! At intersections with GIVE WAY and STOP signs, you must stop and look carefully before entering the main road. Vehicles on the main road (including roundabouts) will absolutely not slow down to let vehicles from the side road enter. 3. Speed limit: If you cannot see the speed limit outside the city or when there is no speed limit, follow the maximum of 100, otherwise follow the speed limit. 4. Curves have suggested speeds, as stated in the driving promotional video for newcomers to New Zealand: 'If you feel uneasy when you see the speed limit, you can slow down.' 5. Speeding: In the North Island, you can drive at the speed limit +10 (on holidays +5), and there are few slow vehicles on the road. The maximum speed for vehicles with trailers may be 80, but everyone can silently follow along... 6. Overtaking: Very few people overtake on most ordinary roads. Highways have sections with overtaking lanes, which are uphill, and vehicles with good power will overtake at this time. (The gentle GL made me give up the idea of using the overtaking lane). There will be signs on the highway indicating the distance to the next overtaking lane, so there is no need to rush to overtake. 7. Windshield wipers and turn signals: Opposite to the right-hand driving position, this is what I am least accustomed to. Every time the windshield wipers resolutely swing in front of my eyes when turning, I can feel the concerned and disdainful looks from the surroundings... And, even if you turn on the turn signal, you may not be able to stop the windshield wipers immediately... 8. Crossing lines: From observation, all the lines here can be crossed, but no one drives on the lines for a long time. 9. Parking: Most parking in the North Island is free. I only parked in a paid parking lot twice, and it was quite expensive. 10. Haven't paid any tolls ?
New Zealand Q&A