Saving Money on Car Rentals
You can travel and have a nice vacation and while still staying within a budget. When renting a car, check online for potential prices. Usually checking a site such as Travelocity.com that gives you several different car companies to compare prices is a great start. This way you will automatically see the lowest priced car companies for the size vehicles you are considering renting.
After you narrow it down from that step, go directly to those particular companies to see if they are offering any specials that are listed on their website. If you have an Entertainment Book, are members of AAA, Costco, or other companies offering discounts, there are usually special discount codes that can be entered into the discount offer section where you fill out the other rental information. If you are not members of any of the above, Yahoo or Google something similar to “discount codes for Avis car rentals.” This should bring up several sites such as couponcabin.com or retailmenot.com that will show you all discount codes available to use. Make sure you read the requirements on the discounts offered because some require a specific rental length or car type.
Many car companies have their own membership clubs that offer discounts or frequent flyer miles. Sign up for these. Anytime you can get free air miles you should take advantage of this. However, beware, some car rental companies will charge you more if you want frequent flyer miles, so it might not be worth it.
When filling out the paperwork, the rental company will ask you if you want to take out insurance on the vehicle. Do not do this if you have your own car insurance, since that will often cover rental cars also. Check with your insurance prior to renting to make sure. Plus, if you have a portable GPS, bring yours with you instead of renting one. Rental of a GPS for a week will nearly cover the cost of buying one.
If you do not need a large SUV or a convertible, if you want to save money, then do not rent these types. Only get the largest vehicle you need. Usually the larger vehicle or the specialized ones are more expensive. Under some instances however, such as with high gas prices, these larger vehicles can be rented for less. Do your homework before renting and you can save money.