How to Get a Car Rental

There's more to renting the car than just reserving it and paying for it. To make sure that you get the best deal, follow these steps and tips.

STEPS:

1. Choose three to four car rental firms that fit your wants and needs, do this either through the phonebook, or through the internet. Remember to scan every possible firm before you make a choice, you do want to overlook the best car rental because you got bored looking

2. Contact the agency and ask about their special offers, location, availability, pickup sites, rates, special rates, hotel and airline partnerships, extra charges, insurance, everything you can think of to lower what you have to pay for your car rental, or what would make the car rental more convenient for you.

3. Choose a pickup point; find one that is near you so it will not be a hassle. Some car rental companies pay for the cab ride you have to take; some pick you up at your home or at the airport and take you to your rental.

4. Pick a car for your needs. Find a car that seats all the people traveling with you. If you are alone just use a compact, some rentals charge higher for larger vehicles.

5. The next thing to do, after you decide on which to take, is to reserve it. Some car rentals include the reservation fee on the overall rent; some make it out to be an extra fee. You watch out for this when renting a car.

TIPS

For the best deal for your money here are some tips when researching, finding and taking out a car rental.

1. When getting a car rental, check for available upgrades at no charge. You want the best deal, and you want the best car. You should pickup your car early in the morning, when the other cars are still out. This way there would be a shortage on economy cars, and the firm might just give you an upgrade for a lower price.

2. Get an internet car rental. These types of rentals offer internet only discounts. Sometimes, the car rental agencies even accept what is called 'find a car at your own price' methods. You give them your budget, and they find the best deal for you, plus you get a rental from the comfort of your home.

3. Fill the gas tank before you return your car. Car rental agencies will charge you, at an inflated price, the cost of the gas needed to fill the tank.

4. Look for packages like fly-drive-stay or fly-drive. These will get you great discounts on rentals, and what's more, you have no worries about other details like a hotel or an airline: everything's there. You can find these packages from most travel agencies.

5. If your frequent flyer discount or free flight is about to expire, there are some car rental companies that offer to exchange these discounts for discounts on your car rental. Although, it is more cost effective to just fly with your frequent flyer discount, if the miles are expiring anyway, why wait?

These are just a few of the things you'll need to know, but always remember to be pesky, ask questions, ask for discounts, the only reason why people don't get better value for the things they buy is because they're too shy to ask.