Budget Tips Get the Best Deal on your Rental Car
Rental car can be a big vacation expense if you are traveling on
budget. Getting the best deal on the transportation is very
important to keeping your vacation fun while staying within
budget.
One way to keep costs as low as possible is to choose the
smallest, most economical car you and your family are
comfortable with. Choosing a compact, subcompact or economy car
makes sense on a number of levels. For one thing, such budget
rental cars are generally less pricey to rent in the first place.
The other important consideration, however, is a gas mileage.
You as the renter of the car will be responsible for keeping it
gassed up, including topping off the tank before returning it.
Buying a car that gets great mileage will definitely help your
travel budget stretch farther.
If you need a bigger rental car or minivan, it is important to
shop around for the best deal you can find. While it is
important to shop around no matter what type of car you are
considering, it is even more important when trying to budget
rental cars for which there is a lot of demand, like
convertibles, minivans or SUV's.
Shopping around at a number of travel-related web sites, as well
as at the web sites of the budget rental car companies
themselves, is usually the finest way to grab the best deal.
1. Weekly budget rental cars
The length of the rental can have a huge impact on the cost as
well. Weekly rentals are often far less costly than a comparable
daily rate spread over a week. So if your vacation plans are for
a week or more, be sure to inquire about special rates.
2.Joining Renter Club
Joining the frequent renter club or using the same rental car
company each time is a great way to get some special coupons and
some very good deals. In addition, most budget rental car
companies associate with at least one airline to provide
frequent flyer miles or other types of rewards when you rent a
budget rental car.
In addition, many airlines run bonus programs where you get
extra miles or extra credit. So be sure to inquire about these
bonuses when making your reservation.
3.Insurance Coverage
Another great way to save money and keep your budget, while
taking rental car, low is not to buy things you do not need. In
most cases, this means waiving the optional collision insurance
coverage offered by the rental car company.
Many budget rental car companies really push this insurance, but
in most cases you are already covered and can securely decline
it. For example, most automobile insurance policies already
provide collision coverage for budget rental cars, so be sure to
check with your car insurance company before starting to plan
your vacation.
Even if your insurance company does not cover your rental car,
chances are one of your credit card companies does. Many credit
cards provide coverage for rental car paid for with the card, so
be sure to check with your credit card company to see if they
offer this coverage.
4.Going for Used Rental car
Another method to keep rental car costs to a minimum, and one
that many people are unaware of, is renting a used budget rental
car. There are a number of large national companies, and a
number of smaller local companies as well, that rent used rental
cars at a much lower price than comparable new cars. In most
cases, these rental cars are only a few years old, and they
provide the same protection, and the same transportation as more
costly new budget rental cars.