In Ha Noi, most car rental agencies said they would rent cars for a minimum of seven to 10 days during the holiday at VND12 million (US$532), double the price on ordinary days. — Photo kienthuc.net.vn
Automobile rentals have doubled in price in the run-up to Tet (Lunar New Year), which begins in late January.
In Ha Noi, most car rental agencies said they would rent cars for a minimum of seven to 10 days during the holiday at VND12 million (US$532), double the price on ordinary days.
Daily costs of car rentals will be at least VND1 million ($44.32), depending on the kind of car, a rise of 30-50 per cent compared to other days.
In Ha Noi, a Hyundai i10 car (2014-2015 model) will cost VND12 million for seven days beginning on January 26, the first day off for Tet for government employees.
Customers must deposit VND5 million and the rest will be paid upon returning the car.
Other car rental packages for Tet for seven days include rentals of Vios at VND14 million ($620.59), Camry VND17 million ($753.57), Hyundai Santa Fe VND20 million ($886.56), Toyota at VND15-17 million and Fortuna at VND15-20 million.
Luxury car models for rent such as Mercedes C250 cost VND1.7-1.8 million per day.
Most car rental agencies in Ha Noi said they could meet only 20 per cent of the demand.
Car rentals with a driver will cost an additional VND600,000-700,000 per day compared with VND400,000 on normal days.
Customers will have to negotiate the schedule and surcharge with the driver in case the trip exceeds the number of daily kilometres regulated by the car rental agency.
Car rentals that include a driver are more expensive, but if there are damages, the customer will not be responsible.
In HCM City, car rental activities have also become busier.
A representative of a car rental agency in Tan Binh District said the number of customers renting a car had increased since the beginning of the new year.
“The agency has nearly 50 cars from four-seat cars to nine-seat cars for rent. More than 80 per cent of customers have booked to rent,” he said.
Vu Ngoc Thieu, 48, of Go Vap District, who signed a contract to rent an Innova for 10 days, said although he was able to afford to buy a four-seat car, he preferred to rent.
“The streets are narrow and have become too crowded. My family only needs to use a car during the holidays. I decided to rent one, so I don’t have to worry about parking at my house,” he said.
Car rental prices have doubled in HCM City.
For example, Kia Morning (2010-2013 model) rental is now VND1 million a day, up from VND500,000 on normal days, the cheapest price of car rentals.
Rental prices for other cars such as Innova and Fortune (2010-2013) are VND1.8-2 million. The rental price for a Kia Sorento is from VND2.4 million.
According to a car rental agency in HCM City, due to high demand during the holidays, customers are advised to book early so they can choose their desired car.
“On average, we receive 20 phone calls to rent a car every day. Many customers have completed their bookings,” he said.
Unlike Ha Noi, in HCM City, customers will have to pay 100 per cent of the contract upon signing the contract and the minimum time for rent must be 10 days.
He also advised customers to check the status and condition of the car before accepting it. The procedure is to submit a family passbook and a motorbike for deposit and its registration certificate.
Most visitors in the city rent a car to travel to Vung Tau, a coastal city in the southeastern region, Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province, and Da Lat, a resort city in the Central Highlands region.
Tet is Viet Nam’s most important traditional celebration, which honours family reunions and recreation.
During the period, some families travel, while others decide to visit pagodas or return to their hometowns, expressing best wishes to each other and showing gratitude to their ancestors. — VNS