You shouldn’t need a PHD to find the best deal on a rental car. However, sifting through and deciphering all the rent-a-car offers can be maddening. Here are some quick useful tips to help you snag the best deals at the cheapest prices and avoid getting bogged down online. Follow this advice and you will be cruising in your rental car quicker, cheaper, and hassle-free.
Do your homework. Compare prices by starting with the online travel agencies like Travelocity and Expedia. They often offer the lowest and most competitive rates.
Check the national rental car companies directly like Hertz, National, and Enterprise Rent A Car. Search for special deals, and promotions. Some rental companies provide more extensive service. For example, National offers the convenience of renting a car from one location and then allows you to return it to another. And Enterprise offers to pick-up before and drop-off after your rental.
Get creative with your bargain hunting. Try paying with a credit card, because most cards have discounts or points you can earn. If you belong to AAA, they often have AAA discounted rates for card members. Try calling the local car rental offices in your destination city and ask them for the “manager’s rate.” Or see if they can do better than a rental rate you saw advertised from another car company. You’ll be suprised how often they will.
While Priceline is a great tool for finding cheap car rentals, beware when you place a bid — it’s a binding contract. Be sure all of your info is correct, because you won’t be able to make changes to the details once your low-ball offer has been accepted.
Splurge on the insurance. Yeah, we know it’s a drag to pour your savings into full coverage, but it is well worth it. Before you do though, make sure you check with your credit card. Often times if you read the fine print – credit cards will cover car rental insurance automatically.
Soup-up your rental ride with a GPS unit and drive like a native.
Put the ragtop down, hit the accelerator, and enjoy the drive.
