Taking over an unfamiliar vehicle can be quite challenging, especially in a foreign country or if you are under pressure and keen to get away on holiday as quickly as possible.
A motorhome has many more features than a hire car so inevitably it takes a little longer to show you how the vehicle works but time invested now could save you trouble later so France Motorhome Hire depot staff are perfectly happy to spend as long as it takes to hand your motorhome over to you properly with as thorough an explanation as necessary.
At France Motorhome Hire, we are very familiar with the aspects which are most important to hirers and have years of experience handing over our vehicles to both new-to-motorhome clients and those who are familiar with motorhomes or campervans.
All of our depot staff speak fluent English (with the possible exception of our station transfer driver who may only speak French but even he knows exactly where to go!) and we provide all the information at handover in written form too so anything you miss or don’t fully understand is available in the vehicles own manual.
Many clients are justifiably cautious when taking a larger vehicle onto the open road for the first time but the roads surrounding our base lend themselves to a gentle introduction – there is no facing the rush of a major city or the stress of motorway traffic until you are ready – we are surrounded by miles of rural French countryside and quiet country roads to practice on and become familiar with your vehicle before joining any major routes.
Before you arrive, you will have been asked to send us as much information as possible to speed up the check-out process so there will only be minimal paperwork to do before you are ready to take over the vehicle.
During the paperwork formalities at the depot, you will need the following:
- Passports (or identity cards) for everyone who is traveling in the vehicle
- Driving licences for anyone who is planning to drive (see the notes on driving licence requirements in our FAQs section to confirm what licences are acceptable)
- A Credit Card to allow pre-authorisation of the Security Deposit (see our Terms and Conditions for details of amount to be paid)
- A way of paying any outstanding amounts for extras such as Bike rental, GPS hire etc – these can be paid in cash or by credit card
The physical handover of the motorhome or campervan takes between 45 minutes to one hour to complete (this is where we demonstrate all the vehicle systems). For those who have hired from us before, the process is often quicker but we will spend as long as necessary to make sure you are entirely familiar with the vehicle before you set off.
The details which will be thoroughly covered during the handover include:
- The basic driving controls of the vehicle
- How to carry out the daily routine inspections (oil and water levels, tyres etc)
- An introduction to the vehicle paperwork (user manual, camping guides etc)
- Detailed instructions on:
- The gas system
- The water system and toilet
- The fridge/freezer
- The heating system
- How to make up the “dinette” bed (if applicable)
Fortunately, breakdowns and emergencies are very rare occurrences (mainly due to our policy of using only very recent models) but we also include extensive information about what to do in an emergency and how to get breakdown assistance if needed (this is also detailed in the hire manual and with vehicle documents in the glove box).
Your campervan or motorhome will be loaded before you arrive with all the essentials you need for a successful trip so as soon as the hand-over procedure is complete, you are ready to start your French adventure!