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Bargain
Car Rentals
Let's
begin with where you get your rent-a-car. It is recommended
that you don't book with a company that you have never heard of before.
In many cases, well-meaning vacationers get over- charged on their credit card
and it's next to impossible to work it out via phone later on.
If
you are booking a car rental online, find a website that shows the
cars in their fleet, including prices with all the different taxes
and add ons. That way you can see the value and not get hit with other
costs when you drop off the car. Some of the larger companies include
Avis Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car (USA, Canada, UK),
Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, National, Dollar Rent-A-Car, and
Alamo.
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Car
Rental Discount Codes
Car
rental coupon codes can save you money. The idea is that you use your
car rental codes to get a significant discount and the better the
source of the code, the greater the discount.
There are a
number of associations and organizations that provide discount codes. If you
belong to a professional association (such as the American Medical
Association), you may be eligible for a discount. Car rental agencies
also sometimes offer coupons and lower prices to military families,
students, and seniors.
Sometimes
you can find codes in the newspaper, magazines, or in mailings.
If you don't have access to theses, try searching for discount codes
websites. There are lots of them for many products and services.
Get the
Best Car
Rental Deals
Be
Sure to
look around for the best deals on car rentals. Call the major
companies or use the Internet to compare
prices and packages. This is a different type of search from looking
for discount airline tickets
because the car rental packages that are offered by the various
companies tend to vary more than simple airline prices. For example, some rental
packages come with insurance while others offer you different levels
of coverage.
If you call
a car rental agency, find out what their current rates are as well as
their higher rates. Sometimes you get a quoted rate but if you call
back a while later, they give you a different rate. One common reason
is that they started running low on cars for the days that you want to
rent and so they raised their fees.
Free
Upgrades
A lot of
people reserve a small car which will satisfy their needs, in advance.
When they get to the car rental agency, they ask for a free upgrade.
This tactic is common and may be worth your while. Agencies that rent
cars want to give you the best cars they have so that you become loyal
to them and call back for your next vacation or business trip. As such, they frequently
offer free upgrades using in-house car rental discount codes and
coupons.
The only downside
of this tactic is that if you hoped
for a larger car at no extra charge, you may get shafted. Also, note
that if you have a coupon, it may not be of any realistic value
because the stated terms are too limiting. There
are coupon codes for free car rental upgrades in addition to the cost
saving variety.
Similarly,
if you want a small 2-door car but they are out, request or search for
prices for different size vehicles that may be more plentiful during
the time you will need it.
If you enjoy
free travel, check out the BrianX free
airline tickets article as well. You'll learn how travelers get
complimentary tickets for easy "work."
More Tips
Car renters
can also benefit from lower prices by exchanging frequent flyer miles
or similar loyalty plan points.
If you
really want a bargain car rental, the best thing to is to
rent a car during low season and for a longer period of time. For example, renting
for a week may add up to about the same as renting for 4 or 5 days. So
if you will be traveling for about a week, ask for the weekly rental
fees as well as daily fees.
Another way
to get a cheap car rental is to find out about any differential
pricing. For example, car rental prices are programmed into a
central number but call the local dealership which may offer a better price if they have a
local special running.
When
booking, consider asking about the brand names of cars that the
location carries. Moreover, if you know anyone who has rented in a
specific city, ask them where to go. The service, quality, and availability
may vary across locations.
Also, find
out if a car rental location has 24-hour access. Many close at 10pm and
open at 6am. Be sure to get their procedure for car pick-ups and
drop-offs before you reserve.
People who
are looking for one-way car rentals should be aware of where they can
drop it off.
Types of
Cars You Can Rent
Car
rental agencies rent a range of vehicles for different purposes. Ask
about convertibles, mini-van, SUVs and other sports utility
vehicles, jeeps, limos, hummers, 4 wheel drive (4WD) for rough
terrain, and
everything from two-door cars to 15-passenger vans.
Points to
Keep in Mind when Renting a Car
Whether you intend to rent a sedan or a convertible, there are a few
items you should keep in mind. First, the minimum care rental age is
frequently 18 years old and sometimes up to 25. As mentioned
above, you probably should stick with the
national and International car rental chains.
If you have
to return your car, many places offer free shuttle service to and from all
local airport locations.
Who Needs
a Car Rental?
Short
term business trips rarely require car rentals because most traveling
is typically done by taxi. People on cruises obviously don't need cars
because the cruise ships take them to various ports and other vacation
destinations for short visits (frequently about a day). Vacationers
are the target market of car rental chains and the industry is very
competitive.
So what it
boils down to is, if you aren't taking a bus tour and you don't have a
friend or relative at your vacation destination, you're probably going
to want to rent a car.
Now the
thing is (there is always a "thing," isn't there?!), the car
rental companies are well aware of this fact and do quite well with
your vacation dollars. Ever hear of a car rental company going
bankrupt? It's pretty rare. On the contrary, airlines continue to file
for bankruptcy on a regular basis. They keep lowering their air fares
and it is sometimes possible to buy
discount airline tickets that are cheaper than your car rental!
Popular
Car Rental Locations
The
following are among the most popular places where cars are rented,
especially for people planning vacations (although businesses
certainly rent cars frequently as well): Orlando, Miami, Florida, California, Las Vegas, New York, Maui, Honolulu, Hawaii, NYC, London
UK, Europe, Italy, Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, Toronto, Montreal, and
Calgary car rentals.
Good
Luck!
Use
this info wisely and you'll get the most out your car renting
experience. Be sure to check out this other articles that are full of
practical and useful info.
How
to get free plane tickets
Hedonism
Resort review in Jamaica
Review of Royal
Caribbean cruises
Backpacking through
Ibiza Spain
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