How to Ensure Your Vacation Rental Car Runs Smoothly

Getting on the right road with a rental car can come with unforeseen problems, so read the fine print and plan ahead. Photo: Rod Edwards/Alamy

Eric Hartley was looking forward to embarking on a 10-day holiday and was about to pay €309 (£260) for his hire car at Milan Bergamo airport last month, but was told his booking could not be processed.

The reason? The name on his booking - Eric Hartley - did not match the name on his passport and driver's license: Eric James Hartley. Despite not being asked for his middle name when booking through aggregator website ...