Car Rental Fee Saving Tips:
Check Discounts
If you are looking at renting
a car for business, vacation, or necessity, you have already
been exposed to all the different ways a rental car agency
can charge you extra for your rental. What they don’t tell
you is that there are almost as many ways to save money on
your rental car, and all it takes is a little research.
First of all, check the
internet for great car rental discounts, coupons, and other
savings. Check sites like hotwire.com, travelocity.com, expedia.com,
and other major travel booking companies to see what kind
of rates they can get for you. Often they can save you quite
a few dollars per day. These websites do business with many
different car rental agencies, and will find the best rates
for the area where you’re going and the length of time you
will need the car.
If you are a member of a
trade union or professional organization, you can probably
find some good discounts there as well. Often they work with
a select few agencies that have promised them certain rates
at certain times, and if they don’t stick to those rates they
won’t have the organization’s business anymore. Check with
your professional union or organization, then compare those
rates with the ones you get from the internet.
If you belong to a motorist’s
organization like AAA you can also get some great discounts
on your car rentals. Additionally, AAA offers other travel
products like airline tickets, hotel reservations, cruises,
and tours. A membership to AAA often pays for itself in savings,
so if you are planning on traveling a lot, consider a membership
to AAA. |
Other
organizations, like AARP, also offer discounts of all sorts
on travel products. Much like the AAA, this organization has
many discounts available for its members, which are people
over 50. You can also research automobile purchases, health
insurance, and other subjects as members.
Don’t forget the all-powerful
coupon! A search on the internet for car rental coupons could
net you 10 pages or more of selections, including coupons
from the major rental agencies (and not-so-major ones). Sometimes
these will come with coupons for other travel-related things
as well. Often the coupons come from special coupon sites
and they may as you to register for them—go ahead and register,
even if it isn’t required! They may send you other discounts
later that are reserved for members.
Renting a car can be an
expensive endeavor, but you shouldn’t have to break every
piggy bank in the house to cover renting a decent car for
a trip of business. Get online and search for discounts. You
can also save money by making sure the rental agency you choose
gives you the price you will pay when you return the car,
with no added fees—if the company won’t do this, find another.
Know how much it will cost up front and avoid nasty surprises
when you return your car. |
