Travelers love to get the cheapest way to move around while on a trip, and there is nothing better than the freedom a car offers. Having the possibility to choose when to move and where to go on a trip is quite a relief from waiting for public transport. Car rental spears you the struggle to find the bus station next and give you a more comfortable trip.
Nowadays car hires companies are in every airport and every city. You can hire a cheap car wherever you go which makes your displacement easier and sometimes cheaper. Today we will talk about the pros and cons of local and international car rental, where to get the best car hire deals, and how much money/effort you will save if you rent a car on your trip.
Planning a trip is all about your comfort, Either local or international you have to consider every little move in your trip on order to avoid bad surprises.
Local trips: Taking some time off and plan a quick escape is a necessity if you need to clear your head from time to time. Transportation is the most important thing on any trip and using a private car on a journey means more comfort and control. Whether you’ll be picking a car from the airport of driving all the way to your final destination picking a car seems like the perfect solution for public transport struggle. Besides, you will have a private mobile place where to put your luggage.
International trips: Traveling to Europe or any other continent is one cool trip of course, but waiting for a bus or a metro in without even understanding the local language can be a bit hard especially with all of your luggage around you. Picking a car from the airport from a private car rental seems like a perfect idea for your extreme comfort. Besides nowadays cars are well equipped, they have AC, navigation for your directions and driving aids which makes the trip easier and more luxurious.
Saving money on anything needs a bit of research and some patience, tips out of other’s experience can spear you the research. Here are some tips for the cheapest way to rent a car:
Search for the best online car rental deals: Always use the internet to compare prices of the car hire companies in your destination. Sometimes prices change from a company to another. Make sure you always get the best budget car rental deals.
Prepay to save money: Reserving your car a while before your trip is always the best option. Just like booking and flight tickets prepaying can save you some money, while prepaying can save you up to 20% on average which is much better than renting a car with cash directly.
Rent outside the airport: If you’re flying in, the easiest place to get a car is the airport, but you know that everything easy is a bit more expensive. You will be paying an average of 10 to 30% more than the outside competition. And the best part that you can pick up the car from the airport even if the company is located elsewhere.
Read carefully the fine print for taxes and fees information: The seducing prices you find on the internet are usually false and once you get to the checkout they add multiple expenses, make sure you always read carefully every information and every fee added to the bill before you pay. Sometimes they add double the price in options and taxes, if they say 10$/day, in the beginning, it doesn’t mean that’s what you will be paying.
Don’t pay for extras you don’t need: Many short term car rental companies add multiple options and additional insurance you don’t need, like loss damage or personal effects coverage. If you are already covered and you have your own insurance deselect these options because there are always pre-selected.
Never prepay for gas: Prepaying for gas plans are always more expensive than filling up yourself. Most of car rentals sites put the option of taking full tank – returning full tank. That’s the best options because you might have a credit card that gives rewards for gas or even a gas dedicated credit card.
Rent cars from people? Airbnb car rental: Nowadays there are many new car rental application like Airbnb that allows personal car rental. This means that I can rent my car to other people, and it’s a bit cheaper than a normal car hire company.
Choose carefully the car you want to rent and always rent for a little longer: The type of car is very important according to the nature of the trip. If you are two persons and only small luggage it’s better to take two doors small hatchback. And the terrain you’re going to be at will determine if you need a 4*4 or not. Don’t forget to add a day to your renting period in case anything happens this way you will always be able to manage to give the car back on time.
Car rental coupons and loyalty rewards program: If you travel frequently in or outside the country it’s always better to get your membership in a car rental company and try to benefit from the AARP car rental discounts, or you can choose the AARP budget car rental to take advantage of the deals and get discounts every time you rent a car.
In conclusion, hiring a car, in my opinion, is always the best option to be as smooth and practical as possible. if you have more information or tips please comment below.