ZanCars

Long-Term vs Short-Term Car Rentals: Which Saves You More?

Sat - 25th Oct 2025

Have you ever thought about trying to rent a car in Zanzibar? There are multiple different options available when it comes to car rentals, and short and long-term rentals are the two primary factors to choose between. In other words, is it better to choose car hire Zanzibar just for when you need it (short-term), or does it work out more cost-effective to take on a longer-term hire car?

Well, if this is something you’ve been wondering, today’s quick guide covers everything you need to know about affordability when choosing a car rental Zanzibar to help.

Short Term Rentals: Perfect for One-Off Trips

In many cases, you won’t necessarily need a car for a long period of time. Perhaps you’re visiting Zanzibar on holiday and have an ideally located hotel, but just need a car to get you from the airport to your room? Or perhaps most of the sights you’re looking to visit are easy to get to on foot or by public transport, but you just need a car for one particularly far-out destination?

Well, in this case (or other similar scenarios), a Zanzibar airport car rental or short-term rental could be the ideal option. This allows you to hire a vehicle for a limited amount of time - and this will often be the cheapest way to hire a car. After all, if you only need it for a very short amount of time, what’s the point choosing a long-term rental?

Or, perhaps you’re a local resident who just needs a replacement car while your own is in the garage getting repaired? Again, in this sort of short-term situation, choosing a limited term rental may be more cost-effective.

Long Term Rentals Often Deliver Better Value for Money 

As we’ve seen, short-term car rentals are the ideal cost-saving option if you only need a car for one or two short trips. However, it’s important to also consider the cost of longer-term rental periods, as the freedom of driving in Zanzibar when you feel like it can often open up new opportunities for your trip or time locally.

Indeed, the costs involved with preparing a hire car for short-term rental can be pretty high, from arranging the paperwork to refuelling and cleaning the vehicle and much more. Given this thought, the costs involved for a rental company per day are far lower with a long-term rental than a short-term rental.

As such, while the exact cost of longer-term rentals will vary depending on each brand, it’s often worth considering this option if you need a car for more than a single trip. For example, if you’re visiting Zanzibar on holiday and need a car to get to and from the airport, and perhaps for one long journey during your time in the area, it will often be the same price - or potentially even cheaper - to hire a car for your whole week here rather than hiring the car out three individual times.

Plus, there’s no guarantee you’ll always get the same car with multiple short-term rentals, and keeping a car for the long-term also means that you’ll be able to use any fuel you’ve paid for. These little benefits can all add up, making long-term car rentals much more cost-effective if you need to rely on the car several times.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Quotes!

As we’ve seen today, while short-term car hire can generally be more affordable if you only need the vehicle once or twice, long-term rentals will generally deliver better value overall - especially if you’re planning on using the car daily. However, it’s always worth double checking with your chosen rental provider to see what sort of pricing and deals they can offer.