How to Shave Money off Car Rentals When You Travel

When you travel, you don’t always have the luxury of taking your car with you.  Even if you take a car, it can fail along the way, forcing you to take out a payday loan to get it fixed so you can keep on traveling.  If you plan on renting a car when you travel, then take these tips into mind to save money.

Rent Away from an Airport

If you rent at an airport rental spot, you may end up being charged an “airport” fee. This fee is just a convenience fee that adds nothing to the quality of the rental. By going a little further out, you can get a rental that does not include this fee.

Rent the Smallest Car

If you reserve a car, reserve the smallest car you can get. The reason for this is two-fold. First, if you get to the rental place and their out of your size car, they have to upgrade you for free. Secondly, if you stick with the smaller cars you end up spending less in gas since they typically have better gas mileage.

Look for Coupon Codes

Some rental places will have deals online that will allow you to add a coupon code that will give you a discount on their rates. Do a quick search before reserving a car to see if one is available.

Pay with a Credit Card

Your credit card offers some insurance benefits that allow you to decline extra coverage. Extra insurance coverage costs a lot at a rental company, but is usually free with major credit card companies. Make the rental with a credit card and decline coverage.

Return the Car Where You Rented It

Try to avoid trips that have you drop off the car somewhere else as it can cost more to rent it. If you absolutely have to do more than one city, it can be cheaper to rent a car in each city, rather than renting one in one city and dropping it off in another.