When traveling for business or pleasure, one of the biggest expenses can be the cost of renting a car. Luckily, savvy car renters are able to find the best deals by following a few easy tips before making a reservation. Below are some pointers that travelers should use to save money on their next car rental.
• Reservations Matter
Never try to rent a car without a reservation. The “walk up” rates that are offered by rental car agents are extremely inflated when compared to the rates quoted over the phone through the companies’ 1-800 numbers. Place a call to the company’s reservation hotline to get a better deal, even if the rental car is needed that same day.
• Rent Small
Employees of major rental car agencies will say that their fleets are always running out of economy and compact cars, despite the number of reservations they receive. This means that customers who reserve small cars usually leave the lot in something a little more comfortable, while still paying the economy-class rate.
• Use Online Travel Websites
The best deals on rental cars can be found on Internet travel websites. Customers are likely to save up to 50% off of the total cost of their rental by using a third-party travel website instead of booking with the actual rental car company. Another added bonus of these sites is that customers can reserve hotels and airfare along with their rental cars, saving money on entire vacations and business trips.
• Avoid Unnecessary Fees
Depending on the location of the rental car agency, certain taxes and fees may apply. For instance, rental companies located at airports generally have mandatory concession fees and municipal taxes that do not apply to locations off of airport property. Speak with representatives at different agencies to find out which fees apply to their specific location, to save anywhere from $10 to $50 per rental.
• Understand Insurance
Rental car companies encourage each customer to purchase their supplemental insurance to cover the rental car. While these waivers relieve the customer of financial responsibility if anything were to happen to the rental car, they also can cost an additional $30 a day, or more. Customers should check if their personal car insurance policy covers rental cars before nearly doubling the cost of their rental by purchasing unneeded insurance.
• Discounts, Discounts, Discounts
Many customers are unaware of the variety of discounts that are available to them. Automotive clubs, retiree associations, certain credits cards, and even local supermarket shoppers’ cards can bring discounts from 5% to 20%. Also, customers can mention their place of employment while making a reservation, because some companies have contracts with rental agencies that allow employees to save money on rental cars, even if the rental is not business related.
• Use Your Own
Car rental companies offer their customers the ability to add convenience features to their rental cars for additional daily fees. This could include navigation systems and/or satellite radio service. Customers who already have their own GPS units and satellite radios can bring them along on the trip and save upwards of $15 a day.
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