Carpooling is fast becoming a common phenomenon for commuters travelling to work each day. But have you ever considered carpooling on your road trip when you next hire a car? If you really think about it, it IS a good idea and can save you a lot of time and money if you do it right! However, if you have no idea how to get the process started, read on further and discover just how easy it is and why travelling together = travelling smart.

Benefits of Carpooling

Hiring a car with several other people entails many benefits, some obvious and others, you wouldn't even think of! First and foremost, carpooling saves you money. If you are hiring a car by yourself, you will have to pay for the entire reservation. Alternatively, if you and three other people get together and decide on a unique location, you can divide this price by 3 which comes to a saving of 66%! Additionally, you will also save on the cost of fuel, which can also be divided by three. With the ever-changing price of fuel you can never be certain just how expensive this will end up being. If you divide this price by three, you are sure to be getting a bargain!

Carpooling also has the ability to help the environment. The fact that you are reducing the amount of cars on the road, alone helps with pollution issues. It also reduces carbon emissions and travel time which can only be interpreted as positive.

An added bonus is the fact that you can use T2 and T3 lanes to avoid traffic build up!

The Process

The process of hiring a car with several people is relatively simple. All you have to do when booking the vehicle is inform the company of the amount of drivers and their names. They will also need to be present at the pick up of the vehicle to show proof of identity, their licence and to sign the rental agreement. It really is this simple!

Useful Hints

As with most things in life, you may encounter problems in the carpooling process. Here are a few tips to ensure the experience runs smoothly and you don't encounter any problems:

• Pre-determine the root and schedule to avoid any hassles while on the actual road trip.
• Be punctual when it comes to picking up the vehicle.
• Share the driving equally.
• Establish some ground rules about eating in the car, music and points to stop off at.
• Discuss irritants beforehand.

If you take notice of these few simple tips, you can be assured that your carpooling car hire experience will be a smooth and pleasant one!