How to save money on Car Rental

If you’ve come to About Budget Travel, chances are good that you shop for the best deals you can find prior to each journey. You use the Internet to find good airfares and you seek out the best room rates for each night of your trip.

Do you give car rentals the same attention?

Many travelers operate under the misconception that car rental rates are all about the same, and that shopping is a waste of time. But rates do vary–sometimes by quite a bit–between companies and destinations.

Another truth: car rental companies reward people who make life easy for them and penalize those who don’t know the ropes. Here are five tips, in no particular order, for lowering your car rental expenses.

Low Cost Car Rental

Beware of hidden fees and extras.

If the rental company has to top-off the gas tank after your return, you will pay a ridiculous price per gallon. Always ask that the car be filled up prior to your departure, and then bring it back full of gas.

There are plenty of other additional charges that can take a nice rate to an ordinary deal very quickly. A weekly rate of $125 showed up recently for a compact rental out of San Antonio International Airport. That’s about $18/day. Not bad.

Go to the reservation page, and you learn that taxes and fees add more than $50. There’s 10% sales tax, something called a vehicle license fee of nearly $19 and an “arena fee” of $7.19. Now I’m paying more than $25/day. Keep that in mind when you see rates under $20/day advertised.

Airport rentals are best avoided.

In that previous example, there was also an $11.51 “airport fee.” It’s often very convenient to rent a car at the airport, but keep in mind that you’ll pay for the privilege. If you’re on a business trip, many times you can rent a car from your downtown hotel. If you can conveniently arrange a hotel shuttle or public transportation from airport to front desk, chances are good you’ll save money taking delivery off the airport grounds.

Decline the insurance.

Most travelers know this one, but there is a lot of pressure to change minds at the rental counter. Companies make big profits from insurance fees. Some clerks are trained to create as much anxiety as possible for people who decline it.

They’ll tell you their insurance closes expensive loopholes, which may or may not be true in your case. They’ll tell you stories about how a customer’s auto insurance or credit card failed to cover damages during a recent accident.

There may be truth in the stories, but the odds are slim that you’ll need any of this coverage. It is very likely, however, that your auto insurance policy at home covers rentals as well. Call your agent to verify it.

Also check with your credit card company to see if using the card to pay for a rental provides collision coverage. In many cases, you’ll find it a positive response.

In smaller offices, reserve the smallest car possible.

Most North Americans who rent cars don’t like driving compacts. Rental companies know this, and they usually order more mid-size and full-size cars.

If your destination is a smaller facility or non-hub airport, chances are good that they have only a few compacts. On some days, they might not have any compacts when customers arrive.

In that situation, if you’ve reserved a compact, they are obligated to give you a free upgrade. Many times, you’ll move up two categories for no additional charge.

I’ve done this many times over the years. Remember: you can usually pay an upgrade fee on the spot for a larger car if they call your bluff and tell you the compact is ready to go. There will be times when the smallest cars are all that remains on the lot. Those times are fairly rare.

In larger facilities, where the supply of cars is huge, this plan is far less likely to work. But it might be worth a try if you’re willing to risk getting a smaller car.

You’re also unlikely to make this strategy pay outside of North America. The rest of the world often prefers very small, fuel-efficient cars.

Pricing quirks and special offers can make a big difference in your final total. Click “next” and learn how and where to find the best deals.

Shop for quirky deals and special offers.

A recent search on Hertz.com showed a three-day rental of a mid-sized car from Denver International would cost $236 USD, nearly $79/day. If four more days are added, the total cost goes up, but only to $361. That’s less than $52/day.

How is that possible?

On day five, Hertz’s weekly rate took effect. Many times, reserving a car for a week (even if it sits in a driveway or parking lot) is cheaper than trying to get a daily rate on a shorter rental.

For that reason, it pays to try a number of time combinations when you consider your rental period. It might be smarter to pick up the car on Thursday, even if you don’t really need it until Friday. The Friday rental might come with a weekend rate that is more expensive.

There are times when a car rental bid on Priceline will save you money, but unlike hotels, there are frequent instances where the bid prices are very similar (or even higher) than the standard rates listed on company Web sites. It’s worth checking Priceline, but don’t expect it to save you significant money on every rental.

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