Hiring Cars

You've probably been pointed at this page because you've offered to hire a car for the club. If so, thanks! it's not very complicated, but there are a few key things you need to make sure you do, hence this step by step guide. Please do let us know if you go through this process and find any of it's out of date.

1. WAIT for the meet organiser to confirm they want you to hire a car.
2. Check you meet the hire company's age/licence requirements in section 4.1 of this document, particularly if you have a foreign/international licence.
3. BEFORE you hire the car you need to buy excess insurance. This covers you (and by extension the club) in the event that the vehicle gets damaged and you have to pay the insurance excess. It costs a few pounds for the weekend and protects you from a potential £1000 bill, so it's pretty essential. However it must be bought BEFORE you sign the hire agreement and pick up the car, and must cover you right up until you return the car. The best thing to do is phone CCVR (see step 4) and book a car, then immediately buy excess insurance. You can do it over the internet through this company, although if you need it on the day you'll need to phone them up to organise it. Make sure you comply with the insurance company's T&C's, especially if you're using a foreign licence.
4. The car hire company we use is called Cambridge Car and Van Rental (CCVR). At the time of writing they are the cheapest option and, crucially, waive the young driver fee for university clubs. They also operate a loyalty card system, meaning we get a free day of hire for every 5 we pay for. In order to get these benefits you'll need to book the car over the phone AND let them know you're with CUMC. The cost of hire should be around £60 if you're hiring a group 02 car, if they try to charge you significantly more then make sure it's clear you're hiring with us as they will have applied the young driver charge if you haven't. Unfortunately if you do this wrong and end up being charged extra, the club will not pay for this, and you'll have to cover the difference.
5. Unless told otherwise by the meet organiser, the type of car you want is Group 02 (5 seats and hireable by 21 year olds). Check with the meet organiser if unsure. This page details all the available options.
6. You'll need to collect the car from the CCVR office. Note that they're only open until 12 on a Saturday and closed on a Sunday. Expect it to take around 30-45 mins from you walking in the door to driving away, especially on a Friday evening/Saturday morning. They'll ask you for your driving licence and proof of address so make sure you've remembered to bring both. If you cycle out there you can park your bike for the duration of the hire in the bike racks of the Tesco behind their office. If you don't need the car until the following day and have nowhere to park it in college, speak to the CCVR staff and they'll advise you where you can put it. Don't leave it in Tesco or it'll get clamped! Also before you venture out into Cambridge it's worth having a few practice laps of the carpark to get your eye in.
7. CCVR give you the car with a full tank and you have to return it full. The BP in Girton is open 24 hours (at the time of writing), however the game of finding the cheapest fuel in Cambridge is left as an exercise for the reader!
8. Enjoy the meet! and don't forget to keep the receipts for the insurance, hire and fuel so you can be reimbursed.