Booking Way in Advance is Highly Recommended!
I decided to travel to Rishiri Island and started looking for flights and a rental car around late May. Even then, when I contacted local rental companies like Rishiri Rent-a-car, they were all fully booked… I remembered how I struggled with car rentals on the Izu Seven Islands before, and that’s when I managed to book with Toyota Rent-a-car. So, I looked them up and found they have a branch on Rishiri Island too. However, online booking wasn’t an option; it said to call. I was like, “Seriously, that happens?”
Most Rental Car Communications on the Island are Primarily by Phone
So I called them, and indeed, they initially told me they were fully booked. But then they said, “We have a larger car available,” so I went ahead and reserved that. The good thing about calling was that I could have a conversation like, “If a smaller car becomes available due to a cancellation before my rental date, could you switch the model for me?”
Toyota Rent-a-car Has Special Island Pricing
Even though I appreciated the flexible handling for a phone reservation, the price I heard over the phone felt quite high.
When I researched again for this article, I found this special island pricing page, and after actually renting the car, I totally understood that there’s a good reason for it.
Unusual Procedures and the Reason for Island Pricing
While listening to the usual explanations at the airport rental car counter, there were two points that were different from what I’m used to.
- Gas and collision damage waiver fees are included in the rental price, and you can drop off the car at the airport. Also, when returning it, you should put the car key and registration in the glove compartment and leave the car unlocked.
- Payment and other procedures cannot be done at the airport rental car counter, so you need to go to the shop at Oshidomari Port at a convenient time during your rental period to complete them.
So, it seems that the island pricing is set to include gas, collision damage waiver fees, and the assumption of dropping off the car at the airport. Getting a quick explanation at the airport counter, receiving the car key, and being able to depart immediately seemed like a pretty sensible system in hindsight, but when I first rented the car, I didn’t know any of this, so I was a bit confused and went, “Huh?” (Especially when they told me to go to the office at a “convenient time” – that didn’t click for me at first).
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