Everyone prefers their own format of trips to Crimea. A couple of days on the beach are enough for me, and then I want to move and new experiences. Agree, to visit the Crimean cities and on different beaches, see a whole list of attractions, without a car it is quite difficult, no rest will already work out. In general, a car gives tremendous freedom of movement, no taxis and public transport can replace it..
Yes, there is an option to go to Crimea by your own car. However, this is far from a comfortable way: you will have to drive a car from your hometown, which will take 1-2 days from vacation, you will have to stand in line at the Kerch crossing, because there is no bridge yet (more about options how to get to Crimea). Renting a car on the spot greatly simplifies everything, but it costs quite adequate money.
The content of the article
- one Why you need to rent a car in Crimea
- 2 Car rental in Crimea online and on the spot
- 3 How to use the service
- 4 Features of renting in Crimea
- five Autotravel across Crimea - nuances
Why you need to rent a car in Crimea
To avoid queues at the ferry crossing and a long road to this crossing, you can use the services of renting a car on the spot, that is, in the Crimea. I initially considered just such an option, instead of driving from Moscow and spending two days on the road in each direction. Not to mention that a long road is exhausting and after it you need to rest for another day. Therefore, this post appeared, I present an extract of my research and experience.
The rental can be found in any resort town, as well as in the city of Simferopol, where the arrival takes place. That is, you can fly to the airport (how to fly to Crimea) and immediately rent a car. By the way, here's the savings on a taxi, you can go to the hotel in a rented car. Thus, in the morning I leave my house in Moscow, and in the evening I am already driving in a rented car across the Crimea. Moreover, not at all tired! Of course, he asked for the car to be driven to the airport.
Having looked through the Crimean service market in this niche, I realized that Crimea is quite a developed region, where the rental business is quite developed and renting a car is not a problem. And most importantly, recently, a car can be booked via the Internet! But I'll tell you about this below..
Car rental in Crimea
Car rental in Crimea online and on the spot
1. Local firms
There are small firms and large ones. The main advantage of small ones is the low price of the service. They do not have luxury cars, and in general the choice of cars is small, but you will pay around 1,500 rubles per day of rental or less, leaving a deposit of about 10,000 rubles. In addition to the price, there may also be such nuances: the client himself takes the car and hands it over; the technical condition of the car is at best a C grade. You can find such firms on the sites of free ads or in thematic groups on social networks - many of them do not have their own sites (small business for a couple of cars).
For renting a car in a larger company, you will have to pay from 1800-2000 rubles per day of rental. Nevertheless, this price is quite comparable with car rental in other cities of Russia, only the brands differ. In Crimea, the simplest models that are leased are Daewoo Lanos, Daewoo Forza, Renault Logan and stuff like that. And for some Ford Focus or Chevrolet Aveo they can already ask for 2500-3500 rubles.
A wider range of services can be expected from large companies. For example, they can deliver a car to a specific place (somewhere for free, somewhere for an additional fee) and pick it up wherever you say. If a breakdown occurs on the way, a service specialist can go directly to the place (and if it is specified in the contract, then free of charge). The age of cars often does not exceed 5-10 years, and there will be more choice than in small cars - limousines, convertibles, foreign executive cars, SUVs. It will also be easier to find reviews about large distributors, which is quite logical - the more famous the company, the more reviews about the rental. But, as you understand, reviews may be paid and may not correspond to reality..
You can rent a car, either directly on the spot, already being in the Crimea, or in advance using the Internet, mail or phone. Many companies have a website, write / call them, find out the conditions and negotiate. True, in order to book a car, you will be asked for an advance payment, which can be dangerous, because you are seeing this company for the first time and are guided only by reviews on the network. Moreover, there is such a practice when prepayment is made not in the form of an online booking on the distributor's website (such payment can then be disputed in your bank, if anything), but in the form of a transfer to a bank card of an individual. It's somehow dumb to throw money on the card, the number of which was dictated by phone, where are the guarantees that they will remember you on the spot? But okay, these are nuances, and if you pay on the spot, then there will be no questions at all, you just need to pay the entire rental period and a deposit in the region of 10,000-20,000 rubles (returned after returning the car).
2. International distributors
Since I have rented a car many times in Europe and Thailand, I got used to international network distributors, whose offices are in many countries and everyone knows their names, for example, Hertz. And also used to booking a car with a bank card and without any rewriting by e-mail, calls and sending an application. That is, I found the car I needed and immediately booked (or paid for) online.
Unfortunately, the situation with network distributors in Crimea is dull. Sanctions. I deliberately searched the main offices and this is what I found out. In Crimea, there is only pseudo-Hertz and that's it. He does not work there himself, but through his Russian partners, because it is impossible otherwise. There are no other distributors such as Avis, Sixt, Budget, etc. I almost forgot, there is a Ukrainian BLS, but still it is not a world distributor, but a Ukrainian one, and the prices there are not very good (from 2800 rubles for Lanos and 24000 rubles a deposit).
Prices in pseudo-Hertz are also far from normal and start from 3000-4000 rubles / day for unpretentious cars. Moreover, there is no booking either, there is only a preliminary order and in general everything is somehow muddy, I corresponded with them.
3. Service MyRentaCar
And now the third way, almost a life hack, is how you can book a car in Crimea. Finally, a search engine for local distributors has come to Crimea - MyRentaCar, which has proven itself well in other cities for a long time. I know them well from Montenegro and Sochi and used them there and was satisfied. This service initially does not cooperate with international distributors, but this is the whole point - local prices are lower. And there are no international ones in Crimea, so you still have to shoot only from local ones..
View prices>
What it is?
This service is essentially a search engine for local rentals (like Aviaseels for ticket agencies) so that you don't go through their sites one by one. Imagine how much time you need to spend to view a dozen rental sites and read their terms and conditions. I tried it at first, when I didn't know that there was MyRentaCar, I just hesitated. Anyway, take a car from one of the local rentals, and this service will greatly facilitate the task of selecting.
MyRentaCar does not take any commission from us users and displays exactly the same prices as the rental sites. It is already the distributors who pay this service to get to them, although they do not take everyone, but more on that below. And if suddenly the prices differ, then you can complain.
pros
- It is safe to book your car in advance. No transfers to individuals, only online booking on the MyRentaCar website. Only a prepayment of 15% will be debited from your bank card, you will pay the rest of the amount to the rental company on the spot.
- Verified distributors. The MyRentaCar service cooperates only with reputable rental offices. That is, by booking through the service, you can be sure that you will not be thrown, neither before the rental, nor on time..
- Saves time and money. The site contains cars from dozens of rental companies of all categories (Compact, Middle class, Luxury, SUVs). You can compare prices and conditions (mileage restrictions, deposit, insurance, child seat, etc.) and choose what suits you best. There is no need to waste time and study the sites of distributors, everything is already put together here.
- Booking a specific car. The service gives out only those cars that are available. Usually, when we book with a distributor, we book, as it were «car class», and what it will be specifically, we find out only after the fact. Here, the year of manufacture, model, equipment, etc. are immediately known..
- Support. At any time, you can contact technical support, which will help with all issues. Believe me, this is a very useful option when traveling..
Minuses
- The main disadvantage is that the service offers cars from a dozen rentals, and there are 2 times more of them. Here, of course, the question is in the reliability of those who are not represented, but still the choice is already.
- For me personally, the minus is that you can pay only 15%, and the rest of the money (often in cash) will need to be given to the distributor. I'd rather pay everything at once. But I usually book a week before the trip (this is not advice, it is not necessary to do this), so those who are the right traveler and do everything in advance, on the contrary, it is better for them to pay on the spot just before getting in the car..
- Inability to bargain. When you take a car, just coming from the street, you can try to knock out some conditions for yourself. But if you have the ability to do it, I don't know how to do it at all and I don't like to bargain.
How to use the service
1. Go to the MyRentaCar website and set the search criteria for: cities, numbers you need, gearbox. If there are few criteria, then you can use «Advanced Search». Then the following filters will become available: price, insurance, drive, consumption, etc..
You can return the car in another place, not where you took it. This is sometimes very convenient. To do this, when looking for a car, you need to select in the green form not only the city of receipt, but also the city of return. Sometimes an additional commission is taken for this, it will be indicated in each car.
Car rental in Crimea, we set the criteria
By default, the city of receipt and return are the same
2. After selecting all the desired criteria, you will see all the search results. They come in blocks by car class: Compact, Middle, Luxury and SUVs. A price is indicated for each specific machine, and all results are sorted in each block in ascending order of price.
If there are few results in the block, then click at the bottom of the block «Load more».
Search results, blocks Compact and Medium class
3. By hovering the mouse over the selected car, we will see brief information: the size of the deposit, the availability of insurance, engine displacement, delivery cost. If you click on «More details», then there will generally be all the information about the car and the terms of its lease.
4. Let's take a Hyundai Solaris on the machine, a typical average, not the cheapest car, but also inexpensive. And so, of course, it all depends on your requests, you can take Lanos, or you can take Pajero.
Hyundai Solaris is in the block «Middle class». Its cost depends on the number of days (I need 6 days - 2300 rubles / day). Year of release - 2015, the size of the deposit - 15,000 rubles, insurance - immediately CMTPL and CASCO, there are no restrictions on mileage. Really good option!
You can also look at the photos of the car. And below in the block «Vehicle characteristics» you can find out even more detailed information: air conditioner, consumption 6.5 liters, there is USB in the radio tape recorder and it reads MP3. It's damn convenient, you immediately know what to prepare for, for example, upload music to a USB flash drive. Even lower in the block «Optional equipment» you can add a second driver, child seat, navigator, etc. to the order.
Completely all data about the car and the terms of its lease
5. After booking (payment 15% of the cost), you will receive a voucher with the details of your order on your e-mail. That is, the process looks much the same as when you buy e-tickets or book a hotel room. Then, upon receiving the car, you will need to show this voucher to the manager, who will be waiting for you with a nameplate at the Simferopol airport (well, or will bring the car to your hotel). The deposit and the remaining amount you will need to pay upon receipt of the car.
Remember, you can change the details of your booking without a penalty (change the car, for example) no later than 7 days before the start of the trip.
Features of renting in Crimea
When to book
If you go in the off-season, then you can safely take the car a week before the trip. But during the season it is better to book at least a month in advance, especially when it comes to the peak of the season (July-August). That is, the cars will be just more expensive. In general, you need to understand that prices during the season are, in principle, higher than in autumn or spring..
The documents
For rent, you need only two documents: a passport (you can have an international passport) and a regular driver's license (international is not needed). From papers on the spot, a contract and a diagram of damage to the paintwork at the car are filled out.
Age and experience
The minimum driver's age is 22 years, the minimum driving experience is 2 years. There is no maximum age limit. The conditions are the same for all cars.
Insurance, deductible and deposit
The type of insurance is always indicated on the website in the description of a particular car. In total, 3 insurance options can be offered:
- OSAGO. There is always and is already included in the rental price. In the event of an accident through no fault of yours, the culprit's insurance pays for everything. If you are to blame, then all costs are borne by you..
- CASCO with a franchise. If this option is available, then either it is already included in the price, or you can buy it for additional money (300-700 rubles / day). A franchise is a limit of your liability, for example, 15 thousand rubles. If an accident happens, then all losses up to 15 thousand rubles are covered by the franchise, then everything is covered by the insurance. That is, you cannot get paid more than a deductible. The deductible is equal to the deposit (deposit) for the car, which you leave at the time of signing the contract. Full CASCO without a franchise is practically not found in Crimea.
- Theft insurance. It is rarely offered by distributors and is sometimes included in CASCO. I must say that according to the statistics of theft of rented cars, there have not yet been any, so I would not pay for this insurance separately..
When you pick up the car, in most cases you also leave a deposit (deposit) of 10-20 thousand rubles, which is returned to you when you give the car back. This can be cash or a frozen amount on a bank card. In the latter case, the amount can be returned up to 30 days (I usually have 5-10 days). You can book a car «No deposit», by ticking the appropriate box during the order, but the distributors do not always provide such an opportunity and take about 250-350 rubles / day.
Obviously, CASCO is better and safer than OSAGO. On the other hand, I only do CASCO for my car in Moscow for the first couple of years. Therefore, it makes sense to do what you do at home, I do not think that it is in Crimea that the risk of getting into an accident increases. But, if you are a beginner and do not feel completely confident behind the wheel of someone else's car driving on unfamiliar roads, then, of course, it makes sense to take a hull insurance.
Please note that the insurance does not cover damage to tires, interior and windshield.
Explanation of what OSAGO means
Explanation of what is meant by CASCO with a franchise
Mileage limitation
In Crimea, sometimes a mileage limit is imposed on a car, of the order of 250 km / day. Mileage is calculated in total for the entire rental period. At the moment you receive the car, the manager records the current mileage, and when you return the car, they look at the rolling mileage and calculate the amount. Sometimes the mileage limitation can be removed by ticking the «Remove restriction» at the time of ordering (about 250 rubles / day), but it is easier to book a similar car without such a limitation.
In general, the run is done against those who roll several thousand kilometers in a couple of days. One arrives by plane in Sochi, takes a car there for 2 days, goes to fetch his family, for example, to Kazan, brings the family with all their suitcases to Sochi and surrenders the car. Like a life hack how to save on air tickets.
On average, an ordinary auto traveler drives 50-150 km per day, so the 250 km / day limit does not matter. Think for yourself, Crimea is small, and most distributors prohibit traveling outside the peninsula, so you have to try hard to drive 1750 km in a week (7 * 250 = 1750), the whole meaning of rest is lost.
Payment by card and cash
Almost all Russian bank cards MasterCard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron and MIR have been operating in Crimea since 2016. Therefore, now there are no problems that were observed before. You can easily pay for petrol with a card or withdraw cash from an ATM.
If we talk about car rental, then you can book a car on the MyRentaCar website with any card, debit or credit. But upon arrival, when making the remaining amount and a deposit, the options may be different: card or cash, depending on the specific rental. It is best to clarify this, either in the technical support of MyRentaCar, or from the rental manager, who will contact you a couple of days before your arrival..
Acceptance and return of a car
You will be met with a sign at the Simferopol airport, so you won't have to look around the airport. The whole procedure of accepting a car takes about 10 minutes. You need to sign a lease agreement with the rental manager, indicate the current mileage, fuel level and mark any damage on the inspection sheet (the diagram is as follows).
When inspecting the car, take your time, go around the whole car and thoroughly inspect / touch everything. Be sure to pay attention to the interior, windshield and tires, which are not covered by any insurance. During the inspection, I would recommend that you take pictures of everything, and it is better to shoot everything on video. If suddenly you do not notice something and do not mark it on the inspection sheet, then the video will come in handy.
As a rule, the car is delivered to you with a full tank, and you also need to return it with a full tank. If you return a car with a partially filled tank, you will be charged the cost of gasoline. You get a car in its pure form, you need to return it plus or minus, otherwise they will take about 500 rubles for a wash. And if you make a mess of the salon, then they will also consider dry cleaning.
Autotravel across Crimea - nuances
- Roads are being repaired, but not very actively. The main tracks are quite normal, with the rest of the roads, as luck would have it. In cities, the central streets may be normal, and some gateways are broken into trash. In general, everything is in order in Sevastopol, Yalta, Alushta, Simferopol. Regarding traffic, locals drive quite dashingly, overtaking on steep mountain bends.
- The cost of gasoline is 3 rubles higher than in Moscow. In 2017, the 92nd cost an average of 39.30, the 95th - 43.30 rubles. As I wrote above, you can pay for gasoline both in cash and by card. There are plenty of gas stations on the southern coast of Crimea, in the main cities, and somewhere further from the resorts to go, there is less often. But the distances in Crimea are small,
you will not shake. - Many parking lots in Crimea are paid, cost about 20-100 rubles per hour. There are also free ones or where you pay a fixed amount for several hours at once. More often than not, parking attendants charge bribes, not automatic machines. Parking at Simferopol airport for 15 minutes is free, then 200 rubles / hour or 1200 rubles / day
- There is no need to take the navigator from the rental office, since everyone now has smartphones. Install Yandex.Navigator and drive yourself calmly. In conjunction with a local SIM card, you will also receive information about traffic jams. By the way, maps can be downloaded in advance (or at the hotel via Wifi) so as not to waste mobile traffic. I will also recommend two good applications with offline maps (you need to download it in advance): Maps.Me and OsmAnd. In both maps there are all sorts of different paths (useful when visiting attractions), and there is a navigator mode, both auto and walking.
- For mobile internet, you can use a local operator «Wave mobile». Take the cheapest tariff without a monthly fee and an option «Internet 2 GB for 90 rubles». For a navigator, mail, instagram and social networks is enough. You can also other operators, the main thing is that the SIM cards are local. And then, for example, my SIM card of the Moscow Megafon in Crimea is almost in international roaming with the corresponding tariffs. In Crimea, 3G coverage is almost everywhere and 4G is already found.
- The most convenient way to book hotels is through Booking.com, it works great on the territory of Crimea. Looks at the rating, read reviews and make a reservation. But Airbnb does not work in Crimea, only if through a VPN. But all the same, there are very few ads in it and they are indicated on the map somewhere in Sochi, terribly inconvenient.
Airbnb does not work in Crimea
P.S. I already have personal experience of using the Renatcar service. You just need to gather strength and write another post about it..
P.P.S. I would be glad to receive your additions and advice regarding car rental in Crimea and, in general, autotravels around the peninsula. I will try to update and supplement the post.
