While travelling to some other location than their hometown people usually rent car to facilitate their journey along with saving themselves from weather changes. But renting a car at an unfamiliar destination can increase their travelling budget, if they have not rented it carefully. You can get a rental car at best deals by taking some careful steps.
Today internet can provide you enough information to get a rental car at the best deals but if you find it difficult then you should go through this write-up to find some easy ways in this regard. The rates of rental cars vary considerably from time to time. If you are really looking to rent a car for your next trip then there can be many ways to get a car at best deal and save money. Some of the best tips to rent a car at best possible rate are provided here under for your guidance.
1. Recognise your need for a rental car: At certain places a rental car can be a costly affair to have with you. So before renting a car you should give another thought to it. You will have to pay parking charges along with fuel cost and rent if you have to stay at some hotel. In such situation you can consider for some other options like shuttle service, public transportation, taxi services, ferries and cruises etc. If you are on a leisure trip then you go for the places where you can spend most of your time at one place like resorts, beaches or theme parks etc. If you are visiting big cities like Washington DC or New York City then you can use public transportation facilities to avoid rental cars.
2. Plan in advance: When you book a rental car at last moments or during peak hours then you may have to pay more than usual rent. So to get rental cars at the best rates you should book them in advance.
3. Make payment while booking the car: Most of the major car rental agencies offer considerable discounts when you book your rental car in advance and make payment simultaneously. But after making payment in advance you may not get its refund in full, in case you have to cancel your booking later on. However you can save a lot if you avail this facility as per schedule.
4. Decline additional facilities: When you rent a car the agent may ask you to buy some extra facilities including GPS system, child seat and insurance etc. Though these facilities are worthwhile still you will have to pay additional fee for each facility. Your auto insurance policy can cover the insurance of your rental car. Some of the credit card companies also provide such facilities to their regular customers. So to save such additional payments you can ask your credit card company or the auto insurance company in this regard.
5. Fill up fuel before returning the car: When you pick up your rental car, rental agencies give you tank full of fuel. So you should fill up its tank before returning the rental car. Though you can also pay for it to the rental car service but they can charge hefty convenience charges from you for such services. You can avoid these additional charges by filling up the tanks of your rental car from a nearby fuel station before returning it.
6. Return the car in 24-hour intervals: The day of a rental car starts when you pick it up and continues for next 24 hours. For instance you have hired a car at 12 noon then you should return it before 12 noon next day to pay the rent of one day. Any delay in returning the car can cost you the charges of one more day, even if you do not need it. however, if you have to hang around for several hours the it can be worthy to pay for an additional day otherwise you can save lots of rental charges by picking up and drop off the rental car at the same time.
7. Bring your safety seat for your child: If you are travelling with your child the instead of asking for a safety seat from the car rental service you should bring one with you. Your child safety seat will not only help you in saving the additional charges but also allow you to use it while waiting for your next flight.
8. Rent car away from the airport: Though it is convenient to hire a car at the airport but to get them at best deals you should go somewhat away for the airport before hiring it. The rent of rental agencies away from the airport can be considerably less than their agencies at the airport. You can also search online to find the rental car agencies at your destination and find the most reasonable and comfortable agency for you by comparing their rates.
9. Opt for alternate time or date: If your schedule is flexible then you can try to find rental car at some other time slot or date to get it at a reasonable price. You can try for rental cars at best deals during off-peak season, off-peak time or on weekends as they are not in much demand during these periods.
10. Compare the price of various car rental agencies: You can also get a rental car at very reasonable price by comparing the rates of different car rental services. But while comparing their rates you should also compare the facilities provided by them. The price of the rental car should not be your only criteria to select the best one. Sometimes low priced rental car agencies can provide more facilities than highly priced ones.
Thus, by following the tips provided in this write-up you can certainly save good money by renting a car at good deals. But if you can find some other ways to get a rental car at better deals then please share it with us as it will be very helpful for us while telling such tips to others.
