For many of us, car rental is not interesting until we go on vacation. As soon as you have planned your trip, you start thinking about how and where to rent a car. Regardless of whether you need to pick up car rental in Ames IA, or Los Angeles, it will be a great way to travel throughout the United States.
Unfortunately, we often spend too much time and money when searching for the car that we don’t actually need at all. Do you want to find out how not to overpay on car rental and make your trip budget? Then the following tips will help you to greatly save on car rental in the USA…
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Don’t book a rental car through a travel agency.
(photo by Sandra Mello)
How do travel agencies make money? Everything is very simple. They earn on commissions that are got from customers. The rule is: the higher the price of the voucher – the greater the profit of the agency. Any travel agency wants to earn as much as possible, so you are often imposed such additional services, as buying a ticket, excursions and car rental. With car rental, they also tend to make a profit. In fact, you need only a few minutes to book a rental car. What’s more, you can order a certain car that you want to drive in the country of upcoming stay.
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Book your car as early as possible
Similarly to air tickets, the closer the date for which you need a car, the more expensive car rental. The biggest increase in the cost of car rental can occur shortly before such holidays as Christmas. The fact is that at such dates the demand for rental cars is very high and the companies that provide rental vehicles are not averse to making money on this, raising prices for services. Indeed, despite the increase in prices, people will still rent cars for any money.
Therefore, booking a car in advance will save you money and provide an opportunity for a greater choice of cars.
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Compare offers of different companies
Comparing different car rental deals is a great way to find a company that offers the best rental prices. So, check out several car hire providers at once in order to visually compare their conditions and select the best company, or just use a special car rental aggregator. When choosing a service provider, pay attention to the following items: no booking fee and no payment for canceling a reservation.
Also, don’t forget to clarify where you need to pick up the vehicle. The most convenient way is to choose a company that has the opportunity to provide you a car at the airport, railway station or at the hotel.
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Check out different pick up locations
Do you know that car hire at the airport is much more expensive than the service of the same company in city? This is due to the fact that car rental agency pays a lot of money to the airport for parking, and various additional fees. Therefore, the cost of services at the airport is much more expensive.
(photo by Steven Brandist)
In addition, the company sets a higher rental rate, because of the convenience for the client. Of course, if you order a car for one or two days, the difference may not be significant between the company working at the airport and the same company offering services in the city.
However, if you plan to rent a car for a week or a longer period, the overpayment can be significant. So, before booking a car at the airport, compare the prices of different providers and locations. It’s possible to order a much cheaper car in the city, even with the condition of delivery of the vehicle to the airport.
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Don’t forget to refuel the car
Some car hire providers can charge a higher fee if you return your car with not a full tank of gasoline. Therefore, before dropping off the vehicle, don’t forget to fill the tank at the nearest gas station. In some companies, in the case of not filling the full fuel tank, you will be charged twice as much as the gasoline price in the region of your stay.
Of course, take a check at the gas station, so that in case of a dispute about the amount of fuel you can prove that you have fulfilled all the conditions of the contract.
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Consider an economy car
You don’t have to take a car that consumes a lot of fuel. If it makes no difference to you by what car to travel on vacation, then rent a compact or economy car. As a result, you can save money.
Of course, the Mercedes S-Class looks impressive and you will certainly feel comfortable in it, but if you don’t need such a model, then this is a great way to save some money. By the way, you can spend it on other pleasures on vacation.
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Pay attention to insurance
(photo by RarotongaAirport CarHire)
Car insurance terms may vary depending on the state, but in general, almost all rental cars have damage insurance called CDW. Specify the size of the liability limit for damage in the event that you become the cause of the accident. It’s necessary that the minimum liability limit was not less than $1000-2000 dollars. Otherwise, even for a minor scratch in an accident, you can pay a lot of money. You can also buy extended insurance of your liability to third parties, but its price will be little higher.