Six Tips for Saving Money on a Car Rental

Six Tips for Saving Money on a Car Rental

The car rental industry is growing as more and more people opt for air travel, leaving them stranded in a new city with no means of transportation except for buses and the subway. With lots of companies advertising “low” prices for their car rental, it may be difficult to determine which one really is the cheapest. These six tips for saving money on a car rental will help customers find the best deal.

Tip 1: Beware of Prices Under $20

Things aren’t always what they seem – take, for instance, Enterprise’s deal of $20 per day for their economy Chevy Aveo vehicle. This doesn’t sound like a bad price on the surface; however, the minute the car is reserved, a host of fees shows up at the window: a license fee for $19, mileage fees at 3 cents per mile, an “arena” fee for $7.19, and sales tax (applicable by state). It brings up the true cost of rental up to $25 or even more per day.

Tip 2: Avoiding Airports

While it may seem to be the most convenient, getting a car at the airport is not one of the six tips for saving money on a car rental. Rental companies usually charge anywhere between $10 or $20 for an “airport convenience” fee if the car is rented-out at an airport counter. It’s cheaper and easier to get a vehicle straight from a storefront in-town – and even the taxi ride there will usually cost less than the airport fee the rental company was going to charge.

Tip 3: Declining Insurance

As hard as this is, it’s much better to decline the insurance that the rental clerk urges everyone to get. Most reliable insurance companies will cover all of the damages made to a rental vehicle. For peace of mind, it’s still a good idea to check your personal insurance policy to ensure that it covers rental cars. Rental companies make lots of money on insurance contracts with their customers; however the chances of getting in an accident are slim, and the chance that an insurance company won’t cover the car is even slimmer, so stay away from the company’s insurance to save money.

Tip 4: Get That Economy Car

Americans are afraid of driving sub-compact cars – they think the legroom, features, and overall comfort level will be diminished in these vehicles. However, reserve a sub-compact anyway, because often, the rental company will simply be out of compact cars to rent, and they have to give an upgraded car for free to anyone who reserved an economy vehicle. Customers can move as much as two car levels up simply due to a lack of vehicles at the rental storefront. While it may not work in larger airports or rental stores, smaller cities don’t have as many cars available for rental, and free upgrading is not uncommon.

Tip 5: Be Flexible with Dates

Many rental companies offer special weekly or weekend rates to customers. For instance, if renting a car for 4 days is $56 per day, it may a much better deal to reserve the car for an extra day to get the weekly rate. This may result in paying as little as $36 per day instead of $56, simply because the car was reserved an extra day. Even if family and friends have to bring it back to the rental store, it’s worth the extra $100 or $200 in savings. The same goes for weekends – it’s possible that picking up a car on Thursday instead of Friday yields much better daily rates.

Tip 6: Take Advantage of Special Offers, Coupons, and Discounts

Membership in AARP, AAA, or the AOPA may be very important when it comes to renting vehicles. Many rental companies like Alamo and Avis offer discounts and better deals to members in the clubs named above. In addition, clubs often give out coupons to be used at these rental companies. AOPA members, for instance, can get 20% off their rental of an Avis vehicle and a free upgrade to a larger car simply because they subscribe to the AOPA magazine. Reserve and active-duty military also get discounted rates.

When looking into getting the best prices on a car rental, remember that there are savings and deals for everything. Free upgrades, no airport fees, and special weekly rates can all combine to save a consumer hundreds of dollars. Look for rates online, refrain from getting insurance, and compare rental car prices on the Internet, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a car rental expert.