1 – Plan your itinerary . Trips of more than 150 or 200 kilometers per driver per day are quite tiring. After all, you’re traveling to relax, right? Just Renting a car….
2 – Register with the main rental companies to receive promotions and discounts.
3 – Book your car in advance . Almost always and the price via the internet is cheaper. Sometimes the car you have book will not be available and you will given an upgrade , i.e. a better car at no additional cost. If you are going to close directly on the rental company’s website, Google the name of the rental company and the word “coupons”, to search for a discount coupon that used before purchase, as well as open the items “promotions”, or “deals”. ” from the site, there is often one that fits your destination, or your credit card. Also see if the booking is refundable or not, in case you get a better deal, or need to change your plans.
4 – Not always the cheapest car is the one that offers the best cost-benefit . Especially on a long trip, paying for a more spacious model can be well worth it.
5 – Consolidators like car rentals, Priceline, hotwire and kayak usually offer excellent prices. But beware, prices often do not include insurance and other extras, which can double the rental price. Before closing, it is convenient to check the insurance value on the rental company’s website, as cheap rent is often offset by expensive insurance. The miracle of the 10 or 20 dollar rate does not exist!
6 – Using an unknown local rental company can yield good savings. But if you’re willing to do this, evaluate the company’s reputation on the internet. Remember that if you are outside Brazil, in a large rental company you protected by the Consumer Defense Code, which will not happen in a company that does not have a branch in Brazil. If you use a small rental company and the car is old, or poorly maintained, it best to cancel the lease, as it will a mess.
7 – Check if the rental company scores in any miles program . It will almost always yield some benefit.
8 – Returning the car in another city is an excellent way to get to know the United States. But it is unfeasible in Brazil, due to the high amounts charged, as well as in Europe, in the case of returning the car in another country.
9 – Avoid picking up the car when you arrive abroad for holiday, especially if it is a “ sardine class” . You will tired and, following direct travel, the chance of accidents increases greatly. It is better to take the car the next day, rested. In addition, just ask for a quote: picking up a car at the airport is always much more expensive, while returning it is free, and in many cases there are car rental companies close to your hotel or, in the case of Europe, at train stations, which are very central. Avoid picking up your car at the airport, but if you need to, compare the additional airport fee to the price of a taxi or Uber to a store downtown, or a hotel. On a rental of 2 weeks or more, the difference is likely to be worth it.
10 – Study the plates well if you are going to rent a car abroad. Especially those where parking is prohibited or “only for residents”, which can generate high fines. In Italy in particular, it is wise to check that the region where you are entering the car is not “historic”, which means at least 100 euros in fine. If you don’t want to go to this trouble, don’t rent a car in countries where you don’t speak the language well. In countries with different alphabets, like Thailand, I don’t even think about renting a car, after all, how am I going to read the sign “dangerous curve”, or “Police station 1km away, slow down”. Check out the full list of plates from Germany, for example.
11- Plan your itinerary in advance, considering something like 150 to 250 km per day, per driver. It’s especially useful when traveling in Europe, and it will help you know how much the toll costs and which road options are free of charge .
12 – Remember to take all drivers’ housing licenses ! It seems obvious but we end up forgetting. Check in advance with the rental company if an international card if required , which according to some websites is required in some countries, such as Italy and Greece. It requested at the Detrain in your state and expires along with your national driver’s license. In the United States, Mexico and Canada, an international card is not required.
It’s fact. Nothing equals the freedom of renting a car . There are no timetables, nor the need to buy tickets in advance, there is flexibility in the itineraries, and enough space for shopping and luggage. Especially for those traveling with young children and the elderly, there is no better means of transport than the car, and for two families traveling together, a large car is the most practical and economical way to travel on a trip.
On the other hand, as a rule, car in big cities is a greater expense than pleasure. The car is ideal for routes between small towns and on secondary roads. A tip is that if your itinerary includes a big city, especially in Europe or the United States, always book these cities for a Saturday or Sunday, when traffic is less and street parking is usually free. Or, consider the possibility of staying in a hotel a little further on the periphery, where parking is usually free and it is possible to go to the city with public transport.
Finally, there are countries with such chaotic traffic, such as India, where the tip is to rent a car with the driver, who knows the ways and tricks of the local traffic.
The most obvious and straightforward way to save money when renting the car can be… use a friend. In the end, if you’re able to have one additional person sharing costs – as well as the time spent behind the wheel the cost already reduced by half.
Another aspect that can dramatically affect your cost is the model of car you choose that you choose to use – both for the cost per day that charged as well as for the consumption of fuel.
However, even while it’s tempting to hire the cheapest vehicle you can get, make sure that it’s suitable for your requirements.
In the off-season and renting a car prior to the season could also result in savings.
Additionally, two additional elements that impact the price of the rental car is the possibility of returning it to the exact pick-up place – in this case you can expect to get lower prices – and the length of time that you maintain the vehicle. In general, the more nights you rent more nights, the higher your bargaining ability.
Once you decided on which vehicle to rent, it’s the time to look over the terms of the rental contract and any fees that will be paid.
I’m sure you’re aware of this, but it wouldn’t make sense to ever think of driving with the vehicle insured. It’s also nothing to determine the amount for the deductible in case that you are involved in an accident. Also, make sure the insurance will cover all potential drivers.
I will explain. What is the amount that you pay for the deductible determines the amount you’ll need to cover to activate the insurance coverage if you’re at fault for an accident.
Concerning the insurance that covers any potential driver In certain rental companies, the insurance standard covers only one person, in this instance the person who is
