Get your motor running. Get out on the highway. Looking for adventure. And whatever comes my way. (Except for mysterious taxes and fees, costly add-on services and products, and paying the wrong price). Do you look forward to travel with a wistful happiness that can’t be broken by even the surliest of flight attendants, waiters, or travel buddies? Are you excited to start your getaway when your plane hits the tarmac? Good, then you know that it all ends in tears, frustration, and murder-suicide for even the most doe-eyed optimist at the rental car counter, where customer transactions can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 500 hours. And for WHAT? The thing is, the vast majority of rental car customers are new to the process, confused by all the “add-ons,” and mystified by the information and money required to simply drive away with a Ford Focus. Renting a car is not an exact science. Not all rental car rates are created equal, nor do all rental car companies “speak” the same language.
I’m here to keep you from going to jail.
Here are 6 tips on how to successfully rent a car:
- Make a reservation in advance. You know what size of car you’re getting, what the rate is, and most importantly, you know that you will actually GET a car. Those long lines? Mostly people that get there with no reservation.
- Have a credit card with an appropriate amount available for the credit hold. Rental car companies do not accept cash. Most don’t accept debit cards anymore (airport rental locations won’t accept them at all). They will also hold funds on your credit card as a deposit, generally about $200-300 over the total cost of your rental. So if your rental is $200, prepare to have $500 available on your card.
- Know the insurance options and what you will need to buy, if you haven’t already included this in your reservation. If you have a car payment, your insurance covers rental car collision damage AND liability, but you are still responsible for the deductible if you are in an accident. If you have car insurance but don’t have a payment, first of all, way to go!, and secondly, you definitely have liability, but may want to consider purchasing collision. If you do not own a car, buy both, and please be careful, Person That Doesn’t Drive Regularly.
- Fuel Me Up, Scotty! Filling up the tank with gas before returning it sounds like a great idea, but it’s sometimes difficult to know WHERE to fill up (and rental car companies require that it is within 10 miles, and they DO sometimes ask for your gas receipt), especially close to the airport. Airports like St. Louis and Indianapolis have gas stations a stone’s throw from the terminal, but this is a rare, yet extremely blessed, occurrence. My suggestion: If you really aren’t going to drive more than 75 miles in the car, then take the $15 option, even though it’s more per gallon than to fill it up yourself-it’s more about the hassle to put $6 of gas into the tank. Other than that, it’s not that difficult to do yourself, but plan your route in advance so you know where the closest gas station is (and how to get to it!).
- Don’t take a number, GET a number! Have you ever been on a rental car shuttle and the driver asked you if you were Avis Preferred, or Hertz Gold, or Budget Fast Break, and then they let those people off first? Sign up for the rental car program with the company where you book. It doesn’t cost anything-you plug in your credit card, license #, and preferences on insurance, gas options, and GPS. You literally arrive, get your stall number from a screen display, load your gear, and get on the road. In 5 minutes or less, you’re out of there.
- Upgrade at the counter, not in advance. Sometimes the difference between one grade of car to the next is $10/day or more, but if you ask about an upgrade at the counter, sometimes you can get one for less, or for free! What happens is that those clowns without reservations can seriously affect the inventories of cars, thus creating an opportunity for them to get rid of cars that they need less of, in order to hang onto cars in high-demand rate classes they know they will need.
Don’t let car rental conundrums ruin the beginning of an amazing adventure! Plan in advance and know your options, and you will have a smooth ride every time!
Here’s how to find the best deal on a rental car:
In order to determine what the “best” deal is on a rental car, I put together rates found on Expedia.com, and the websites of 3 major rental car companies that are found at almost every airport, or in every city.
The results, please!
Pricing was based on a 3 day trip over a weekend in January with pickup from Chicago O’Hare. The rental start time was 8:00am on a Friday and the return was 9pm on Sunday. Prices to the left are the per day quote, with the amount in parantheses as the total rental amount. Prices do not include insurance, fuel options, or GPS/Sirius Radio rental.
Expedia.com Price List
Enterprise Hertz Budget
Compact $33 ($162) $49 ($232) $38 ($186)
Economy $33 ($162) $49 ($232) $38 (186)
Mid-Size $34 ($131) $50 ($236) $39 ($190)
Standard $24 ($126) $54 ($252) $43 ($205)
Full Size $25 ($131) $55 ($256) $43 ($209)
Enterprise.com; Hertz.com, Budget.com Price List
Enterprise Hertz Budget
Compact $32.36 ($161.17) $41.22 ($202.11) $62.70 ($120.15)
Economy $32.36 ($161.17) $41.22 ($202.11) $62.70 ($120.15)
Mid-Size $33.28 ($164.54) $42.07 (205.51) $65.55 ($123.94)
Standard $23.33 ($125.06) $45.47 ($219.12) $76,95 ($139.14)
Full Size $24.66 ($130.38) $46.32 ($222.51) $79.80 ($142.93)
Although Budget appears to have rather high daily rates, their rates INCLUDE the taxes and fees that are added to the cost of the rental, as opposed to Hertz, that has low daily rates on their website but a larger total rental. So, what’s the best “deal?” Well…it depends.
It depends on the size of the car you’re looking for. Consider the number of people and luggage requirements. For the size and cost, I’d go with the full size option from Enterprise on their website. Full size vehicles generally include the Toyota Camry or Ford Taurus, and have large trunks and a spacious interior. If it’s just you and a rollerbag and every penny counts, go with the Economy option from Budget. Going with a direct rental also gives you the opportunity to earn points or miles with that respective car rental company, where you don’t get those with most travel site rates. A lot of “hot deals’ online are also non-refundable or non-transferable, which means that you are out that money if your travel plans change, but there are quite a few coupon codes available on the internet for 10% off, $15 off, etc, but are not accepted at all rental locations.
Don’t depend on travel booking sites to give you the best deal-do a little bit of homework, and you will reap the financial rewards!
