Posted : 9/1/22 | September 1, 2022
I love road trips. You can go anywhere and you never know what you will find. Small towns, beautiful parks, historic buildings. Stick to your schedule and you can stay as long as you want. There's a good reason why road trips have a mystical appeal.
I have traveled with them both domestically and internationally over the years. Some destinations are meant to be driven (think New Zealand, Ireland, Iceland, USA, South Africa, etc.).
However, if you don't have your own car, renting is a pain. No one likes to do this and we all worry about being cheated on.
While most of us travelers are familiar with low-cost airlines and budget travel companies, we generally know less about car rental companies.
Which one has the best deals?
What loyalty programs do you have to earn points and upgrades?
How to find a cheap rental car?
Which site is better to use?
But what about extras like insurance? Is it important?
I wanted to share my tips and advice to help you get the most out of your next trip, save money, and avoid common pitfalls that many travelers make when trying to find the cheapest car rental.
Step 1: Join the car rental and loyalty program mailing lists
Most car rental companies advertise deals to their customers first. Once you know your trip, get on the mailing list of the major car rental companies at your destination. So you can get all the offers as soon as they are announced. (To find the main car rental companies at your destination, simply visit your airport's website and see which car rental companies are available.)
Also, like airlines, many car rental companies have airline loyalty programs that offer benefits such as discounts, bonus upgrades, and free rentals. Enterprise, Alamo, and Hertz are three of the major players in the market that offer free loyalty programs. Sign up for everything so you don't miss out on any bonuses or bonuses.
Step 2: Check for offers and discounts
Some car rental sites share deals and discounts on their websites. For example, both the Budget and Avis websites have "Last Minute Deals" sections where you can find deep discounts as long as you're flexible with dates and destinations.
Most major car rental companies offer special discounts and deals for certain groups. For example, Alamo offers a 25% discount for AARP members (AARP is an interest group for people over 50 in the US), and Avis offers up to 25% off for veterans. Please check for applicable discounts or offers, such as corporate discounts, government discounts, premium discounts, or discounts from hotel or airline programs you are a part of, before making your reservation.
Many travel credit cards offer car rental benefits or discounts.
Step 3: Buy a car
While you can check each car rental company individually to find a deal, the best way to compare prices is to use an aggregator. These sites aggregate information from every car rental site so you don't waste time comparing prices before booking.
Find the best collector cars to use by pulling multiple cars from multiple sites to make sure you get the best deal (search over 500 sites for deals).
You can use the following widget to check prices and find prices quickly and easily:
Be sure to compare weekly and daily rates. For example, if you need a car for 4 days, compare prices for a 7-day trip as well. Sometimes it is cheaper to rent a car for a whole week and return it sooner.
Step 4: Compare the collector with the live site
After finding a car on Discover Cars, visit the car rental company's website to compare prices. For example, if you need a car in Canada for two weeks and Discover Cars has a deal with Avis, go directly to the Avis website and enter the same dates/destination.
You usually won't get a better deal, but sometimes if the prices are the same, it can be worth booking direct to get the bonus points and loyalty program benefits. However, Discover Cars will find the best price for you.
Step 5: Look at the sharing economy
Now that you've found the best deal, it's time to do a quick comparison with economy sites like Turo. Turo is like Airbnb, but for cars. Locals will list your car and daily price, and you can browse options and book a car. It's not available everywhere (currently in 56 countries), but you can find it in most major cities. Depending on your needs and the length of your trip, you may be able to find a cheaper deal.
Renters must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver's license and have a good car insurance score. You can pick up the car, park it, or find the owner somewhere to get the key.
Prices can be as low as $25 per day, making it a great option if you book early.
And if you're looking for an RV, check out RVShare, which is similar to Touro but focuses on RVs and RVs only. They have the largest inventory.
There is also a site called Imoova.com where you can transfer people's vehicles. Vehicles must be delivered by a certain date, so there is a deadline, but the price is usually only $1 a day, and many include some gas money.
Step 6: Book your car (and book it in advance!)
Book in advance. Assuming there are still plenty of things to rent, like flights, the more expensive the car gets, the closer the day gets! The recent outbreak has caused car rental prices to rise as people switch from traveling abroad to traveling domestically. I suspect that in the future more and more people will choose road trips, which means that the prices will be more competitive if you book early.
You can click here to get a quote directly from Discover Cars.
9 questions to ask yourself before renting a car
Now that you've found a cheap rental car, here are some things to consider before booking your rental:
1. Are there requirements for drivers? - In some countries, an additional fee is required if the driver is under 25 years of age. Others require driving experience (usually a year) before renting a car. Each country has different requirements, so be sure to read the fine print before booking.
2. What does your travel insurance require? - Car companies always force you to buy additional insurance when renting a car. But do you understand? Your travel insurance will depend on whether you have collision coverage, auto insurance, or travel credit card coverage.
Some credit card and travel insurance companies require you to decline insurance from the rental agency, while others require you to take it out and contact them first. Before you rent a car, make sure you understand what your travel insurance plan requires.
3. What is not included? - After buying a rental car, companies often try to sell you all kinds of extras. GPS, liability insurance, satellite radio, child seats - these are extras that are not included in most rental cars. Know what's included and what's not so you're not surprised when you pick up your car.
4. Should the pool be filled last? - Some car rental companies allow you to return the car as is. Others insist on pre-filling the pool; If you don't, they will charge you hugely inflated prices when you top up. Make sure you understand what to expect when you return the car to avoid a charge.
5. How to avoid fraud? - Take photos and videos of the car before the trip. Especially since the bumper, windshield and wheels are the most sensitive places. That way, when you return it, they can't hold you responsible for the previous damage.
6. Do you have unlimited mileage? - Unlimited mileage is slowly becoming the norm. This isn't always the default, so make sure you have unlimited mileage for longer road trips. Otherwise, it calculates the kilometers so as not to charge extra.
7. Do you need additional drivers? - If you are traveling with friends or family, you can share the guide. If you are not traveling with your spouse (some companies offer this as an extra driver for free), this means you have to pay for an extra driver, usually $10-$20 per day! If so, limit your add-on drivers or you'll be charged a fortune. Also, keep in mind that in some places (such as California) it is illegal to charge extra.
8. Where is the pick up/drop off location? - Many travelers pick up their rental cars at the airport. Although convenient, airports charge companies a fee to operate there, which is passed on to the customer. It is worth checking whether there is a price difference for places outside the airport. If they are easily available, you can get them cheaply there.
9. Is the car transmission automatic or manual? - If you're from the United States or Canada and you're used to driving an automatic car, you'll be surprised when renting a car abroad because a manual transmission is standard in most parts of the world. For this reason, automatic car rentals are often expensive. Make sure you rent a vehicle that you can actually drive (don't risk yourself learning about rental cars!).
Road trips are one of the best ways to discover a new destination, and the freedom of owning a car is second to none, allowing you to get off the beaten path and go on all kinds of adventures. Knowing a few things before renting a car can save you a lot of time, effort, and a lot of money.
Book your trip: logistics tips and tricks
Book your flight
Find cheap flights with Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines from all over the world, so you always know nothing has been left untouched.
Book your stay
You can book your hostel on Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they always offer the cheapest rates for guests and hotels.
Don't forget travel insurance
Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft and cancellation. This is full protection if something goes wrong. I've used it so much before that I never travel without it. Here are my favorite companies that offer the best service and value:
- SafetyWing (best for everyone)
- My Travel Insurance (for people over 70)
- Medjet (for additional release coverage)
Ready to book your trip?
Check out my resource for the best companies to use when traveling. I will list all the ones I used during the trip. They are the best in their class and you can't go wrong using them on your travels.
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