How To Save Money On Rental Cars While Traveling?

Are you looking forward to saving some money? Cut down a major fraction of your rental car costs with these mind-blowing tips. An easier way to really enjoy your vacation and explore your travel destination is renting a car. Not only is it really easy to do, but it is actually a lot of fun too. But, there are multiple pitfalls involved when it comes to booking a rental car. 

If you’ve never had the experience of indulging in car rental services, we will warn you it is a little confusing, very overwhelming, and a bit stressful. All of it at the same time. One tiny mistake, and boom! Problems scattered all around you. 

This is why Leisure is presenting you with a brief guide on how you can actually save extra money on rental cars. These tips will help you get behind the wheels without any added dose of drama. 

1. Booking Early 

The first thing you need to do as soon as you decide on a vacation is to confirm a rental car for the same dates. Lock your rental car before embarking on your journey. The best time period can be anything at least a week before the said vacation period. 

Regardless of the kind of vacation you are actually looking forward to, ensure you are booking your rental car a week before. If you go ahead and delay this booking, you will pay extra upon reaching the location, and the kind of choices you’re actually looking forward to might be reduced. Earlier bookings will offer people more flexibility and options. 

2. Look for more than two options

It is really easy to just look at one car rental service and book it right away. Sounds really enticing, right? It is not the most cost-effective option, though! 

You might be booking just any random car rental service for a higher price. But instead, you should be booking a rental car service that will actually cost you less. So, while booking, ensure you are looking at multiple options! 

This is one of the best tips to save money while traveling. It is your hard-earned money; you should really make the right comparisons and then book something!  

3. Look at all the requirements before booking 

If you are looking forward to a road trip and want a car rental service, you should be really smart about what you’re actually picking! Think carefully and then come to a final decision on the type of car you will be needing for the trip. 

Never underestimate the power of good wheels for an ultimate road trip plan. For the same, you need to start considering the purpose of your trip along with the number of travelers. If you are going to be traveling with colleagues, you should prefer a larger car for extra supplies on the road. If you are traveling with a small group of people, a small to medium-sized car will work wonders for you. But, if you are planning a luxurious road trip, book a high-end car. 

Know your requirements, and then book the right vehicle to save better. 

4. Read Insurance documents carefully 

Insurance is probably one of the major words that fly around car rental services. As far as car rentals are concerned, insurance works pretty differently than that on personal vehicles. So, when you rent a car, your rental services will also offer you insurance. The best bet to save money is to get it from your insurance provider. 

The primary reason? It will save you some extra money. Rental services will offer you insurance at a higher price. Always decline the insurance services along with car rentals services. Choose your preferred insurance brand over them! 

5. Inspect your vehicle before finalizing 

When booking a rental car, you should carefully inspect the vehicle. Take a proper test drive before you sign on anything. Usually, car rental service providers do not trouble any of their customers, but you never know who surfaces up to trouble you! 

This is why it is important to really inspect your vehicle before signing on anything. Check for all damages, dents and scratches, and any major or minor damage you can find. Even if something seems minuscule and insignificant, you should address it. Click a picture of all the damages you come across and inform the rental company. 

A pre-rental inspection of your vehicle is going to help you save a lot of money and troubles in the future. Take any and all reviews seriously! Yes, this especially applies to all the negative ones. 

When booking a car rental service, look for it online. Go make a quick Google search and carefully read all reviews about the vehicles and services. Read all reviews carefully and take in the feedback of how the customers really perceived the company's services in question. Keep an open mind and an eye out for any discrepancies you find from other customers’ points. If “bad service” is used significantly in different reviews, you should probably stay away from such a service. 

6. Don’t Rent From An Airport

If you plan to rent a car for your vacation and have forgotten to book one, or just did not get enough time, don’t book one from the airport directly. When you avoid booking a rental car from the airport, you are actually saying goodbye to extra surcharges. The location from where you rent your vehicle does matter. 

No matter how convenient picking up and dropping the vehicle off from the airport sounds, avoid doing that unless extremely necessary or you are in an emergency situation. You’ll have to pay a premium for the same vehicle. It is an extremely important travel tip to keep in mind when trying to save money while traveling. 

Final Words:

Ready to save some money while traveling to your next destination? Use these legitimate car rental tips to actually save some extra dollars! These tips will definitely help you avoid all kinds of budgeting hassle and let you enjoy your vacation in peace. 

Bookmark this article, keep this list handy for the next time you are traveling. You can also share this with your friends, family, and the people you think can benefit from these tips. 

Happy vacationing to you!