Choosing a Car Rental Place: Picking a Location

Introduction to Locating a Car Rental Office

A rental car is normally the last thing that a traveler reserves. The airfare and hotel always rank far more important. But if a traveler will take a little extra time to ask questions when booking their car rental they can definitely save some money and get a much better deal.

Check Rates at Different Locations

Since rates vary so much between different car rental agencies and even between the individual companies themselves, you will want to check out the rates at different pick up locations in the area. For example, you will find that there is normally a difference in price between the cost of rentals in the downtown area and the airport. Sometimes the cost is lower in the downtown area but not always. In many cases it is just the opposite. So since there is no guarantee of which location offers the best rates, you will need to get quotes from both locations to determine which location offers the best deal. Many times the rate is determined by the day of the week that you rent the car and also what type of car you select.

Make Sure You Compare All Charges from Location to Location

You will want to take into consideration all the additional charges that will be added to your rental as well as the general rate to find the best deal available. If you are intending to rent a vehicle and drop it off at a different location, you may incur a drop off charge. Sometimes agencies will charge this fee if the vehicle is dropped off at a certain location because it is difficult to get the car back to its original location without some effort on their part.

As with the overall car rental charge, different locations -- even different locations of the same car rental agency -- can have different costs, charges and fees that they do assess. Airport car rental surcharges are a prime example of these types of additional costs or assessments that are associated with different car rental agency locations.

Compare Vehicles from Location to Location as Well

Additionally, you may find that the sub compact vehicle that you wanted to rent was really only a few dollars less than if you rented a mid size vehicle. So the few extra dollars you may spend may give you much more satisfaction and comfort so always ask a lot of questions.

In the end, by taking the top to shop and compare from location to location, you will be in the best possible position to get the most vehicle for the best price when it comes to looking for a rental car.