While traveling, taking the budget into account is the wisest thing to do. No wonder why every traveler spends their initial planning hours in questioning what is the cheapest way to rent a car? To save a few bucks, discover how to get cheaper car rentals with the following tips:
Don’t rent at the airport
The airport is certainly not the best place to rent a car. Where there is a convenience of hopping right into a rental car before even leaving the airport, there is a high price too. You will find a significant difference between the rental rates of the companies present at the airport and the same companies at their rental offices located at a different place. The best way is to hire a taxi and visit the company with cheap car rentals rates. Renting a car there can save oodles of money. Figure out which is the cheaper option by comparing the prices and the associated charges. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of a taxi you hire from the airport to reach your rental location. However, there are times when many students can’t make it for road trips because of their college assignments and academic essays, which they have to submit before the deadline. There’s no point in overburdening yourself or ruining your fun; go for professional help instantly.
Consider shopping online
There are many online options available with the best rental car deals. Survey different rental companies and narrow your choices down to select the best and most fair deal. To name a few, Priceline, Travelocity, and Kayak offer plenty of discounts and payment options. Visit these companies’ sites online, compare their rates, and opt-out the cheapest one. Bear in mind that advance rental payments are generally non-refundable.
Benefit from membership offers
Rental car companies have a lot to offer to their members. For example, if you have a Costco membership, you can save money when you rent a car next time. Moreover, AAA membership can also benefit you immensely; they keep offering attractive car rental deals for their members. Hence, paying for a membership can help you get cheap, exclusive, and best car rental deals.
Book a Rental Car Aggregators
Another cheapest way to rent a car is to start your search with rental car aggregators such as Priceline or Kayak. This not only allows you to see various rental company options on the same platform. However, you can also filter for rental companies, which enable you to leave the car in a different country than the one where you rent it. Moreover, there’s no definite time or rule for renting a car, though. However, rental rates do drop during weekends, while weekday rentals can be expensive. Remember, the best time to rent a car is to book three to six months prior to your trip. Alternatively, you can book a car around four to eight weeks before you travel. With adequate time on hand, you can browse and choose cheaper deals. Besides, rates tend to increase a year ahead or when demand gets higher.
Go for economy cars
Unless you are not going with your entire family or large friends’ group, you don’t need a big, fancy SUV for your trip. Instead, a small, economy car would do you good. Besides, smaller cars are the most affordable option. They cost less to refill, and you will not end up with an upgrade. Just make sure the car is not too small for your group and luggage. Hold on to a single driver. Sticking to one driver can save you money because rental car companies generally charge a daily fee for an extra driver. Instead of paying more, it is best to appoint a single person for driving. You can leave other tasks of navigating, managing cash and finding parking to other groupmates.
Cover yourself with your insurance
If you own a car, use your primary insurance rather than a rental company’s insurance coverage. Or say, your father owns it, you can also ask him to add you as a driver to his insurance. This way, you can save the finances of insurance. However, beware about the credit cards as many automatically include primary insurance coverage when you use the card for a car rental. It’s better to skip it. Here again, if you are the person in your group having the ease of insurance, but can’t say yes to your friends for the trip due to your studies, contact Perfectessay. Let them take care of your homework while you can chill out.
Fuel up the car yourself
The prepaid price a rental car company offers is usually quite exorbitant. In most cases, you have to pay such sky-high rates or return the rental car with a full tank of gas. To save yourself from an extra fee, you can pump up your own gas before you return the rental car. However, gas stations located close to airports also sell gas at higher prices. To deal with this, you can use the GasBuddy app and explore nearby gas stations and their current fuel prices. After comparing those rates with rates offered by rental companies, you can settle on the best deal on fuel. Additionally, you can check out GlobalPetrolPrices and compare the prices of different types of fuel. This will help you select a rental car aptly as diesel might be cheaper than gasoline based on where you are traveling.
Book with Free Cancelation
Paying in advance for the rentals is a red flag since the money is not refundable. However, booking multiple cars with no cancellation fee can do the trick. You can cancel your reservations without paying anything if you find a better rental rate later at some other website. Besides, sometimes rates get reduced, or a different rental company introduces a new discount offer. So, you can cancel your previous bookings and seize the cheaper one. Companies such as RentalCars offers the facility of free cancellation.
Conclusion
Enjoying a trip doesn’t have to be costing the earth. While the tips discussed above would help you rent a car cheaply for your road trip destinations, there is another way. You can skip the rental entirely. Instead, use public transportation, or simply, walk by the beautiful alleys and boulevards.
Remember, if you travel on business you need documents on the cost. Ask your accountant.
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