Rental cars can be a huge chunk of a vacation budget. Knowing how to get a good rate frees up money you can actually spend on your vacation. And, I swear, sometimes the rental car people try to toy with your inexperience. Knowing how to answer their barrage of questions when you pick up the car can really save you a lot of money.
First, finding a good rate: Make sure to call around in advance. If you are a AAA member, they can offer substantial discounts. Costco members can also get a pretty good discount. Check where you bank or with your credit card company, a lot of debit cards and credit cards come with travel perks. Last time I rented a car, I was able to print out a free upgrade coupon from my bank’s website, and add it to the rate discount I had already received. Make sure to look at weekly rates. Sometimes, it is cheaper to rent the car “for the week” rather than just 3 days. This math is frustrating, but true. When you research daily rates, online or otherwise, make sure to call the company and ask them about fees. Sometimes, that $20 a day rate you found online can quickly add up to $30 at the desk. They’ll tack on all sorts of fees: airport fees, taxes, etc. The best price isn’t always the one that appears the lowest. On that note, if you can avoid airport pick-up altogether and go to a rental place in the city you are traveling, you can really rack up some savings. The airport fees and taxes can get silly.
Next, you can save a lot of money when you get to the actual counter to pick up your rental. The salesmen and women are notorious for trying to up-sell. In fact, sometimes I think they incite a level of panic in an inexperienced traveler. First, the insurance. If you have personal auto insurance, you are likely covered with a rental car. Call your insurance agent and make sure before you go on a trip. Most of the time, it is best to turn down their additional insurance coverage, if you are already covered with your personal insurance. {Though, be aware, when you turn it down, they will try to scare you into taking it.}
Next, the infamous at the desk upgrade deal. They ALWAYS have some sort of “deal” that you can only get right there at the desk. You can upgrade for only $10.00 a day. $10.00 seems like nothing, so why not, right? But $10.00 a day can add a substantial amount to your vacation. I say pass on their up-sell and go out to a nice dinner instead. Also, decline the GPS. Unless you are still dealing with a flip phone, you can probably download a GPS app onto your phone for much less—or better yet, you probably already have one on there. Finally, fill the gas up yourself. They will charge you a premium to fill it when you return it. It’s just not worth it.
Do YOU have any money-saving tips for rental cars?
~Mavis
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Jill says
There is a great stuffed pepper recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook. I’ve made it many many times. Stuffed with sautéed onion, corn, cumin, coriander, mixed with eggs, cheese, and a little milk.
Kendra says
Depending where you work you can also get special company pricing. I have a code that I type into Hertz which gives me my company rate and I’m allowed to use it for personal travel. Generally this is better than AAA/Costco, but not always. It is definitely work checking with your employer to see if they offer this.
KCB says
When renting a car recently, I found the best price through USAA.
Lisa says
I like a big GPS that talks to me! Having someone tell me what a phone app shows doesn’t do it for me. My son was in a car not long ago, and the driver (the mother of the group) was trying to drive while looking at her phone to see the GPS! Since most of us aren’t allowed legally to use a phone while driving, it is too tempting to do so if we have a GPS on it. At least in my opinion, and my son’s experience!
I don’t have any tips. The only time I rented a car there was only once choice at the small airport! I did have a AAA discount though.
Travel in general tip would be to shop around yourself. I found better prices going to the airline and car rental sites myself than using one of those “find the lowest” price sites, like Priceline.
Shereen Travels Cheap says
I bring my own GPS with me if I’m renting a car in the states. It’s cheaper to replace if it gets stolen than one of the rental company’s.
Airports impose a tax on on-site rental car companies, so this tax gets passed onto the customer. If there is a significant price difference in a rental at the airport than one that is off-site, and it is convenient (and cost-effective) to do so, consider renting from the more affordable site.
Always reserve the smallest car you can reasonably live with. The rental rules state that you can’t ever get a smaller car if the one you reserved isn’t available, but compact and economy cars are usually the first to go, so if you get there and they are out, they have to upgrade you for free. That’s how we booked a Chevy Aveo and ended up driving around in a Crown Vic. LOL!
Another great idea is to keep checking rates up until the day you leave. You can always cancel and rebook without penalty online.
I’ve got a million of ’em. I rent a lot of cars 🙂
Sakura says
I rent cars once or twice a month when I travel for business. Usually I can live with the price I get online. Yesterday the price I received from the company I mostly use was twice that of the other national competitors. I made a phone call to the company and asked if they would do a meet comp, they actually gave me an even better price. So my tips would be:
Stick with a company you like, I use Dollar Express. I don’t have to wait in any lines, I walk to the cars find my name on the screen and the cars good to go.
Call if you don’t like the price you find online. By making a phone call yesterday it saved me $110 for my 2 day 4 hour rental. That’s a lot for a few days.
Matt says
If you have an Airline frequent flyer’s account, check which rental companies offer bonus miles. I usually get around 500 bonus miles for renting with Avis and flying on Alaska Airlines.
For rental insurance, if you have an Amex card, you can enroll in Premium Car Rental Protection. It’s a flat rate $25 for the rental period. You get $100,000 of PRIMARY insurance for theft and damage with no deductible, $100,000 AD&D, $15,000 medical expenses/person, $5,000 personal property. This is all primary insurance, so you don’t have to involve your personal car insurance company in any claims, but this does not include liability insurance. Once you sign up online, you just have to pay for the rental with your AmEx card and you’ll automatically get charged the $25 for insurance.
Marie says
We fell into the add-on abyss once after our flight was cancelled and we were delayed over 9 hours. We arrived at our destination at 3am. When I signed on the bottom line with the night shift rental person, I checked the math and found close to $65 in extra charges before we even set foot in the rental car! When I politely returned to the counter, no one could explain why the extra charges were added on so they refunded the overages and upgraded us as well!
Another thing to keep in mind is to snap a few photos when you pu the car and return it. If the company claims you are responsible for exterior damages, you have the photos to prove otherwise.
Patrice B says
If you are planning to cross a toll bridge in a rental car, I think it is cheaper to drive up to the toll booth and pay the toll in cash. We made the mistake of using the rental car windshield toll permit while crossing the Oakland Bay Bridge last week. We were charged a whopping $16.75 – they added all sorts of fees for using the permit.
James says
Probably the best suggestion is bypassing the AIRPORT rental facilities. The ‘penalties’ associated with them, in the form of local taxes are often higher than the author notes.
Not mentioned at all are the rental companies’ add-on fees and ‘walk away’ insurance surcharges, some of which can nearly double the daily or weekly rate. Paying for the rental with most high-end credit cards will often provide the renter with the same or even better insurance coverage. Some, but not all regular auto insurance policies will also extend coverage to rented vehicles. That said, an extreme word of caution! KNOW the details and benefits of your substitute insurance coverage and before you decline the coverage offered by the rental outfit. If you experience an unplanned event and the alternate coverage is not quite what you expected, brace yourself for a substantial bill.
In my experience, I’ve also found it very helpful to be extremely flexible with the grade and type of automobile to be rented. Especially for weekend or week-long rentals, a bit more car than you really need can often be had for the price of a compact – if you know how to ask. Of course, the downside is fuel expense and it may drink a bit more than you expect. Lastly, always CHECK the fuel level before leaving the rental lot and return the car with measurably more fuel than you departed with. That extra $5 or $10 at the pump could save you $50 or more. And, a darn good article. Thanks.