Hit the Road
Your Guide to Smooth Car Rental Experiences
As you prepare for your upcoming vacation, renting a car can offer convenience and flexibility to explore your destination. To ensure a smooth and stress-free experience, it's important to be well-prepared. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind when renting a car for your holiday adventure.
1. Avoid Airport Locations
While airports typically boast a wide array of rental options, it's advisable to avoid picking up or dropping off your vehicle at these locations. This is because many car rental agencies impose additional fees at airport locations, regardless of whether you're flying or not.
Opting for off-airport rental outlets can often save you from these extra charges.
If feasible, utilize public transportation or ride-sharing services to reach off-airport rental locations and avoid the extra costs associated with airport pickups.
Factor in Convenience: While cost is important, consider the convenience of the pickup and drop-off locations in relation to your travel itinerary to ensure a smooth rental experience.
2. Beware of One-Way Rental Fees
Be prepared for additional charges if you return your rental car to a different location from where you picked it up. This practice, known as a one-way rental, can result in significant fees.
Therefore, whenever feasible, aim to start and conclude your rental at the same location to avoid these extra expenses. If you're planning a one-way road trip, be sure to budget accordingly for the additional fees associated with dropping off the car at a different location.
This offer entails a 7-day rental with pickup and return in Los Angeles.
This offer shows a 7-day rental with pickup in Los Angeles and return in Las Vegas.
As you can see here, you're paying almost 120 USD extra just for dropping off the vehicle at a different location.
3. Choose the Right Car Rental Company/ Booking Engine
While there isn't a single 'perfect' choice, we'll outline our recommendations in the following sections to help you make an informed decision when selecting a car rental company.
+ Big network: RenatlCars.com is a prominent online car rental agency, serving over four million customers annually across 60,000+ locations globally. It offers a wide range of rental options, from major names like Avis, Enterprise, Hertz and Thrifty to smaller, local brands.
+ Great Prices: It often offers competitive pricing and deals, helping customers find cost-effective rental solutions for their travel needs.
+ Customer Service: RenatlCars.com typically provides reliable customer service and support, assisting customers throughout the booking process and addressing any issues or concerns promptly.
- Dependenence on Partners: RentalCars.com is reliant on its partner companies, meaning that discrepancies such as unavailability of specific car models or delays are beyond their direct control.
+ Many Locations: Discover Cars operates in numerous locations worldwide, offering rental options in various countries and cities.
+ Wide Range of Vehicles: It provides access to a wide range of vehicles, including economy cars, SUVs, luxury vehicles and more, catering to different needs and preferences.
+ Transparency: The platform typically ensures transparency in the booking process, displaying clear terms and conditions, as well as comprehensive rental information.
- Fewer Deals: Although Discover Cars provides competitive prices, some users may find that the variety of discount offers available is not as extensive as expected.
+ Many Locations: Enterprise is renowned as one of the world's top rental companies, offering car and truck rentals at over 8,000 popular destinations worldwide.
+ Loyalty Program: It offers innovative programs such as the "Enterprise Plus" loyalty program, which rewards frequent renters with benefits like free rentals and upgrades.
+ Customer Service: Enterprise prioritizes customer satisfaction, offering reliable service, well-maintained vehicles and efficient rental processes.
- Long Tearm Rentals: If you're planning to rent a car for a week or longer, you might discover better deals elsewhere.
+ Affordable Cars: As another subsidiary of the Enterprise family, Alamo focuses on providing affordable car rental options. Its website is tailored to simplify travel planning, offering customers access to travel directions, weather forecasts, leisure activities and a range of other useful tools.
+ Loyalty Program: Rewards members earn a 5 percent discount.
- Few Locations: Alamo operates at less locations, most of which are at airports.
+ Huge network: Hertz, a major player in car rentals, operates over 10,000 locations across 145 countries and six continents. Additionally, the company owns budget car rental brands Dollar and Thrifty.
+ Loyalty Program: Hertz offers loyalty programs and partnerships that provide added value for customers, such as discounts, rewards and convenient rental options.
+ Great Reputation: With decades of experience in the rental industry, Hertz has built a solid reputation for professionalism and reliability.
- Short tearm rentals: Often more expensive for short term rentals than competitors
Hertz
Alamo
Enterprise
Discover Cars
RentalCars.com
4. Young Driver Fee
Many providers impose a "young driver fee" to cover the increased risk associated with drivers under a certain age, typically under 25 years old.
The fee varies among companies and locations but can significantly increase the overall cost of renting a car for drivers under the specified age threshold.
If you're traveling in a group, consider having an older member of your party rent the car. Many rental companies waive young driver fees if an older driver is listed as the primary renter.
As you can see , the young driver fee for a 7 day rental is $133 in this case
5. The Significance of Free Kilometers
Free kilometers provided by rental companies allow you to cover significant distances without incurring additional charges. This translates to cost savings, enabling you to allocate your budget towards other aspects of your trip.
Free kilometers provide flexibility in planning your road trip route. You can opt for longer scenic routes, take spontaneous side trips, or adjust your itinerary based on recommendations from locals or fellow travelers.
If you're renting a car for a short period or for local use, you might not need a large allocation of free kilometers.
Consider comparing rental options with and without free kilometers to determine which offers better value based on your anticipated mileage and associated costs.
Among others, Discover Cars, Enterprise, Alamo and Hertz are notable for providing rental options that include free kilometers in their agreements
6. Make Sure You Have the Right Insurance Coverage
Navigating insurance options for your car rental can be a complex, overwhelming and costly aspect of the experience. However, if you already have home or auto insurance, you may find that its coverage extends to include car rentals. Take the time to review your policies to determine what is covered and what is not.
The extent of insurance coverage across different rental providers and tariff options can vary significantly. It's crucial for you to thoroughly review the insurance details provided by each provider to understand the specific coverage offered, including any limitations or exclusions that may apply.
Comprehensive insurance policies may sometimes fall short in providing coverage for all car components such as windows or tires, leaving certain parts vulnerable to damage or loss. It's essential to carefully review the terms and conditions of your insurance policy to understand exactly what is covered and what isn't.
To prevent potential disputes with the car rental company, it's essential to thoroughly inspect the rental car before departure. Capture photos of any existing damages and ensure they are accurately recorded in the rental agreement.
When selecting comprehensive insurance, you can choose between a plan with or without a deductible. Opting for a plan without a deductible is recommended, as deductibles can sometimes exceed $1,000. The additional cost is usually minimal and you'll benefit from smoother pickup and return processes, as you'll be fully covered.
7. Benefits of Using Credit Cards for Car Rentals
Instead of a cash deposit, many car rental companies only accept a credit card authorization to ensure they are covered in case of damages or loss of the vehicle. The amount of the deposit often depends on the rental price and the type of credit card.
Some credit cards like the AMEX Platinum offer additional insurance coverage for rental vehicles, which may cover damage claims or theft. However, it's important to review the terms of the credit card insurance as they can vary depending on the card type and provider.
Certain credit cards also offer special rewards, discounts, or benefits for car rentals, such as free upgrades or discounts on rental fees.
Many car rental companies require a credit card as a booking guarantee. The card is often only charged when the vehicle is picked up or in the event of cancellations or damages.
To see the best credit cards for travelers, click here
