Car Rental Frequently Asked Questions in Tanzania

In case you planning to visit Tanzania and you would need to hire a car for self-drive to take you around the country, it’s important to do extensive research about the country and the car rental agencies in the country. In this article, we have decided to give answers to the Frequently Asked Questions about self-drive car rental in Tanzania.

1. What if I want to cancel my reservation after paying the deposit?

Most car rental agencies in Tanzania when you inquire from them to book a car will ask you to pay the deposits which are always 100$ to act as a commitment fee and the balance you have to pay on arrival on the day of picking the vehicle.

But in case you choose to postpone or cancel your booking, the deposit is refundable if your cancellation is before the cancellation penalty time frame specified by the car rental agency.

In case you cancel your car rental booking 7 days before the starting date of your car rental, the company will refund the full amount of your deposit minus the surcharges and when you cancel 5 days before the company will refund 50% and when it is less than 5 days to the starting period of the rental then the company will not give any refund just they will advise postponing the trip.

This is the reason why we always advise clients to at least book in advance like a month ahead of the safari.

2. Can I cross the border with the rental car?

Some car rental agencies in Tanzania don’t allow clients to cross the border with vehicles but there are some who have extra charges for clients planning to cross the border with the car and there are also some few car rental agencies like 4×4 Tanzania Ltd, 4×4 Self Drive Africa Ltd that don’t offer extra charges for border cross. You just have to inform them of the countries you want to visit so that they can make for you border crossing papers and you will be free to cross any border to neighboring countries like Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and others.

3. How old must I be to rent a car in Tanzania?

Different car rental agencies set their age limit and restrictions and the average is between 20 to 75 years of age and some companies have underage and overage surcharges for those who would love to hire a car when they are under 20 years and above 75 years.

4. How to pay for the car

Some car rental agencies in Tanzania to confirm your reservation, you have to pay a deposit of 10%, and the total price and balance are paid one week before the date of picking the car. There are other car rental companies like 4×4 Tanzania Ltd, 4×4 Self Drive Africa Ltd, who only request a deposit of 100$ as a commitment fee and the balance is paid on the arrival. This is rare and just a few companies do this.

5. Are the Vehicles Petrol or Diesel?

This always depends on your request because car rental companies in Tanzania have both petrol and diesel vehicles but the most commonly used vehicles are diesel.

6. Is it possible to hire an automatic vehicle?

Choose on Either Automatic Or Manual

Most rental vehicles in Tanzania come in manual transmission, so in case you don’t know how to operate an automatic transmission vehicle, better to be specific when inquiring and make it clear that you only need an automatic vehicle. Some car rental agencies have extra charges on hiring automatic vehicles and for others, you just have to inform them and you will get it at no extra cost. Still, you have to note this, in case you hire an automatic vehicle, you have to do it in advance because car rental agencies always have a few of these vehicles and they are in high demand since they are easy to operate.

7. Is possible to pick the vehicle from one country and drop it in another?

One-way rental is possible but there will be an additional cost for the fuel to return the vehicle and also the driver’s allowance.

8. What are the papers I need to hire a car in Tanzania?

You don’t need a lot of papers when hiring a car in Tanzania most car rental agencies in Tanzania ask for only a valid driving permit and any other means of identification like from your country of origin. An international driving permit is better when you have it.

9. Can I be advised on routes to take when I hire a car in Tanzania?

4×4 Self Drive Africa Ltd has experts with extensive knowledge of Tanzania and Africa in general. We will be pleased to help you with advice and can also handle accommodation booking in all the destinations you will visit and also draft for you a tour itinerary.

10. Can I hire a 4×4 automatic camper vehicle?

Automatic camper vehicles are available, but you have to book them in advance because they are in high demand and that is some car rental agencies offer have extra charges when hiring an automatic vehicle.