How to book and find the best deals on rental cars
Our trusty steed, a Jeep Renegade, that we rented during our multi-city honeymoon trip to Croatia in 2019. Honestly, I was hoping for a MINI Cooper but this served us well over the few days we needed to get from Zagreb to Split.
Booking a rental car is often an overlooked step when planning a vacation. Many people take this step for granted and approach the rental counter without a plan or much research. From personal experience, I can tell you that overpaying or waiting for a rental car after a long day of travel can be brutal. Sometimes, depending on your location, finding reasonable rates for rental cars might be impossible. This could be due to a lack of inventory or to the nature of seasonal travel fluctuations. I'm here to provide you with tips and tricks to secure the best deal on a rental car that meets all your requirements for your big trip.
Figure out what kind of car you’ll need
This may seem like an obvious step, but the size of your party and the amount of gear you plan to carry will dictate the type of car you need. While some people may care deeply about the brand of car they rent, my priority is to see what I can get for my money and how that impacts the daily rental rate. If you're planning on hiking or camping, you'll likely need additional storage. Traveling with children? Opt for more space to ensure comfort on the road. Vans are generally cheaper than SUVs, but if you're planning to traverse rugged terrain or go off the beaten path (since vans have lower clearances and typically offer less traction than SUVs), then you may find your options limited. In terms of rates (for a standard car), I consider $30/day or under to be reasonable, around $60/day to be average, and anything over $80/day to be darn near criminal. I don’t rent luxury cars because a) I ain’t rich and b) I’d rather spend money on activities, meals, or nicer lodging.
Start researching rates
As soon as I know my pick-up and drop-off locations (since most rental companies will charge extra if these locations differ), I head straight to Autoslash.com. This website aggregates prices from a multitude of rental car sites and various discount programs (such as USAA, AAA, and other associations) to provide you with the best rate for your destination(s) and preferred type of car (e.g., sedan, SUV, etc.). After entering all of your information, they will email you with their findings within a few minutes. You are more than welcome to verify their results by visiting the respective rental car websites, which may have their own promotions, or using aggregators like Priceline or Expedia. For some reason, I tend to prefer Priceline because they often offer more reservations with free cancellations, which is ideal in case your travel plans change or you have to deal with an emergency.
Hidden fees and discounts
There are other strategies to minimize spending (or increase it if you're not careful) when renting a car. Nearly all rental companies offer a discount if you rent a car for an entire week—keep this in mind if your trip is around six days, as it might be more economical to rent for the whole week. Additionally, renting from airport locations is typically more costly than from centers unaffiliated with an airport. It may be less expensive to rent from a branch or company just minutes away from the airport, although you will need to take a rideshare or taxi to reach there. Although not the most efficient option, this might be worth considering, especially if inventory at airport counters is low or depleted during busy periods. I have already mentioned this, but picking up and dropping off your rental car at different locations will certainly be pricier—this may not be viable if your trip requires point-to-point travel or it is simply more convenient to leave the rental car at your final destination. Make sure to compare prices and assess how much the premium or fee for different drop-off locations might cost between companies.
Consider a car sharing marketplace
That’s right! There’s even an Airbnb for cars. We used Turo for our family trip up to Maine a few years ago and it was a pretty seamless experience. We didn’t have to meet or talk to the owner, everything was handled via the app and it was pretty easy to get access to the car (it was parked in an open commuter lot), load up, and get on our way. They also offer more unique cars depending on your preference—maybe you want a super expensive convertible for your honeymoon to explore the Oregon coast. Or maybe a Jeep to conquer boulders and creek crossings while you’re off-roading in Colorado. Like anything, be sure to look at reviews and make sure the owner is well-vetted (with recent reviews) and responsive.
Understand your insurance
Travel or rental car insurance can be tricky to understand. Sometimes your own personal insurance or even credit card can kick in before any policy you purchase through the rental car company or a third party like Allianz. Be sure to bring proof of insurance with you (printed or easily accessible on your phone) so that in case the unthinkable happens and you do wind up in an accident, you can provide that information easily to any of the affected parties, police, etc.
Compare, compare, compare
Like flights and hotels, booking rental cars during the week can be a more affordable option if your travel plan allows for it. These companies don’t want their cars sitting unused outside of the weekends so their rates will typically be a little lower. And you might find a deal on a nicer car or manufacturer that wasn’t available or as affordable over a weekend. All-leather interior, Sirius radio, and heated seats—here I come!