Now that travelling across international borders is finally a possibility again, those of us out there who love to visit destinations across the world are finally ready to jump back into it.  On top of that, folks who have wanted to explore but haven’t really gotten the chance to for whatever reason in the past now have a great window of opportunity.  The tourism industry is booming right now, so why not tap into that potential, right?

That being said, when we do decide to set out on an adventure, there are some things that we need to prepare for.  One of the biggest things, of course, is transportation.  Admittedly, it’s probably not going to be our top priority when we are prepping for travel, but it can have a surprisingly big impact on how enjoyable a vacation turns out to be.

Of course, this is true even for business trips.  Often, our companies will end up handling the arrangements, but that isn’t always going to be the case.  Sometimes, it will have to be something to sort out on our own, and that’s when things can get rather complicated.

As travelers, though, there are ways that we can prepare ourselves for this sort of thing.  If you’re curious about it, you might want to stick around today – we’ll be covering some of the ways that we can get ready for an international trip and how to schedule a car rental service, since that can be one of the most stressful parts about the whole trip.  Thankfully, we can make it so that it’s not nearly as stressful!

Visiting Norway: How to Plan and What to Expect

No matter where we’re going, there’s always going to be a certain amount of stuff that remains sort of constant in terms of how-to prep.  Most of the time you’ll need a passport (if you’re travelling internationally, that is), as well as a suitcase for changes of clothing and the like.  However, once you decide where you’re going, you can get a lot more specific in your planning.

Now, as you can see here, https://www.worlddata.info/europe/norway/tourism.php, Norway has a rich tourism industry.  There are a ton of sights to see in the country, and it’s a popular destination for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of cold weather.  So, that’s why we’ll be focusing on it today.

Let’s imagine that you’re planning on travelling to Bergen, or it’s at least one of the stops that you’ve got on the itinerary.  Getting around will be a pretty important thing to consider, given what the city is known for.  As far as why you’d visit, there’s tons to see.

Bergen is a huge port city, and to a lot of folks it is considered the “gateway” of sorts to seeing the fjords in Norway.  This alone makes it worth the stop, honestly, but exploring in general would make for an awesome vacation.  Once you land in the airport, you’ll have all sorts of opportunities to go around and experience the awesome scenery and sights that are available here in Bergen.

The trouble is, though, that you’ll need a way to get around.  Sure, public transportation is an option, but that involves following the schedule of whatever bus, trolley, train, or even taxi service that you decide to hitch a ride on.  Realistically, that’s not really something that everyone wants to deal with when they’re on vacation or on a business trip.  After all, being at the whim of someone else’s schedule isn’t always a great feeling. 

Having to rush around because of it certainly isn’t fun, at the very least.  That’s where a rental car can come in handy.  Not familiar with them?

Everything You Should Know about Rental Cars

For anyone who isn’t already familiar with them, getting a rental car probably seems as easy as just going to a dealer and saying “hey, I want to borrow a car for a week.”  Truthfully, this isn’t really what happens – as much as that would be nice.  Instead, there’s actually a lot of preparation that goes into it.  

To get a bilutleie in Bergen, as just one example, you’ll probably want to reach out to the rental company you’re intending to work with beforehand.  Thankfully, at least, it isn’t too hard to find one these days.  There are plenty of websites out there that allow you to compare various rental centers before you even contact them, which is pretty nice.

Wondering why you’d want to do that?  Well, picking the one that has the lowest rates per day is a pretty big deal, but you also want to get an idea of what sort of car you’ll be driving at those prices.  Unfortunately, sometimes they won’t give you something very good at lower prices, so that’s just something to be aware of.  This isn’t true for every dealership, though, and that’s why comparing them beforehand certainly doesn’t hurt.

Reading customer reviews in general is a solid idea when you’re checking out possible venues or rental cars for your vacation or business trip.  Sure, we probably shouldn’t take other people’s opinion as gospel, so to speak, but at the very least it can give you a gauge for what you can expect when you’re working with a company.  

How it Works

As far as renting a car for a set period of time actually works, thankfully it’s not too complicated.  While there are certainly things that you’ll want to keep in mind, at least it won’t be a total shot in the dark now, right?  The main thing to remember is that you’ll want to have some documentation ready before you call them or submit a request online.

Obviously, have your driver’s license on hand.  Having a clean record is going to be pretty important, and you’ll also likely need to be over the age of twenty-five to have a rental car.  That’s a limit in most parts of the world, at least.  That way, the rental company can feel a bit more confident in lending their vehicle to you.

What else is there to be aware of?  Well, it largely will depend on where you’re trying to drive.  In this case, that will be Bergen.  What should you know about it?

For one thing, keep in mind that you can actually pick up your vehicle both at the airport or at an off-site location.  There are certain fees that come with each of them, so you’ll have to decide which that you’d rather contend with.  Since that’s a matter of personal opinion, you may want to discuss it with the rental company to see what would be more convenient for you.

Of course, picking it up right at the airport probably seems the most convenient at face value, and to a certain extent, this isn’t an incorrect assumption.  Unfortunately, there can be problems with getting out of the airport quickly if you go for this, namely because of the lines that you might encounter.  Even if you’ve reserved a vehicle beforehand, you might end up stuck behind a lot of other people who’ve done the same – or who haven’t even done that and just went to the front of the line because they wanted to.

Alternatively, you can opt to pick up the rental at another location throughout the city.  Bergen has a ton of places that you can go to for that, thankfully.  Additionally, most of the time there will be some sort of shuttle at the airport that will take you to one of those locations.  Again, though, it’ll be up to you to decide what you prefer.  There’s no “right” answer.

Otherwise, though, it should go pretty smoothly for you.  No matter where you decide to pick it up, you’ll want to have your personal ID ready to show them.  That way, there won’t be any question of who’s taking it.

Once you have the rental vehicle, there are few things that you’ll want to do.  Make sure that you read over any of the contract and documents that you’re given so you can see where you’re allowed to take it versus where you aren’t.  For example, most of the time the rental companies prohibit driving on unpaved roads.  

So, as you’re thinking about what places you want to visit on your trip, double check on the roads that you’ll be driving on.  If you’re ever uncertain, you can ask a local or just use a taxi or shuttle to get to a further off nature site.  That way, you can be certain of what you’re getting yourself into.

While it may not be the most exciting part of trip planning, there’s no denying how important it is to think about your transportation for a vacation.  No matter where you’re going, but especially in a spot like Bergen, it can make things a whole lot easier for you when you’re visiting some of the attractions!