Wherever you’re travelling to, whether you are flying or planning a road trip, hiring a vehicle is on the top list of priorities to get organised when planning a vacation.
It can be an expensive booking, which is why an AVR van rental discount code might really help you out. Furthermore, there are several useful suggestions you can follow to save you the most money while getting you the best deal.
It’s A Tricky Time To Hire A Car!
Unfortunately, due to the boom in travellers after the pandemic, car rental prices in the US are soaring as never before. Nowadays, across the US, you can expect to pay on average $109 a day for car rental which is a massive 90% increase from 2019.
The American traveller may have been able to bounce back to normal, but the car rental industry can’t. This is due to several different factors, from the shortage of semiconductors that slowed down car manufacturing to the fact that a lot of firms sold of their stock during the pandemic.
The market is likely to remain tight, the prices are expecting to remain high, as the industry continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
However, there are various things that travellers can do, tips they can follow, to find a car rental option that won’t break the bank or blow the budget.
13 Top Tips for Car Rental!
1. Shop around. Start early with your research and comparison work and use a comparison site to give you a rough idea of what the rental will cost.
2. Book as early as you can. The mistake a lot of travellers make is booking the flights and hotel and leave the car rental until the last minute. This won’t get you the best deals!
You can book a refundable rental early on, then have another check across the prices across the rental companies before you go and see if there’s another deal you can grab.
Rental agencies often run a special deal for last minute bookings so you can cancel the refundable reservation and opt for the cheaper option.
3. It might seem more convenient but try and avoid renting from the airport if you can. There is usually a premium charge when renting from the airport and although it’s handy having the car right there when you land, you are likely to find a cheaper option away from the airport.
4. Be aware of car rental excess. This can add as much as an extra $40 to your hire, bumping your seemingly affordable contract well into the sphere of unaffordability.
The best way around this is to acquire independent rental care excess coverage insurance which would save you upwards of 50% of the cost of busing insurance directly from the rental desk.
5. Another suggestion for when it gets to the rental desk – avoid the upsell. As in all trades, the rental agent is going to try and get more money out of you by attempting to sell you “comprehensive cover”.
They might try and get you to purchase a collision damage waiver, but this will only cover damaged caused by another car, not single vehicle damage. It also does cover a lot of damage to many commonly damaged vehicle components.
6. Go for a weekly rental deal over a daily deal. If it fits in with your travel plans, weekly care rentals can save you a lot of money. You can often find a deal that means you play less for a whole week than you would for just five days.
7. Check and budget for parking fees at your accommodation. The fee incurred from the cost of parking is one that can really sneak up on you as a traveller. Hotel overnight parking fees can rack up quickly so make sure you plan for them.
8. This might not be a suggestion that you’d expect, but you can save yourself some money by bringing your own Sat-Nav or using your mobile phone for navigation. Many car rental agencies charge you an extra daily rate for hiring a GPS which would add on well over $100 a week.
When using your phone, you might be worried about using your data so investigate the free options available than come with pre-loaded maps, so you don’t have to budget for another expense in the form of an eye-watering phone bill.
9. If you’re travelling with children, you’ll save some money by taking your own travel seats. You will need to pay an extra charge to hire a seat from a rental company, and travel seats are allowed as checked baggage on flights, sometimes even free of charge.
This being the case, it makes sense to take your own travel or booster seat for your kids if you can.
10. Check out the fuel policy for the rental. A full-to-empty policy is common and under this policy, you are charged for a full tank upfront but then told to return the car empty as no refund is given for unused fuel.
This will work out to be a huge waste of money so it’s worth the time and effort to investigate the policy beforehand. In general, it’s better to fill the car up yourself anytime you rent a car!
11. Don’t believe everything you read in the reviews. Reviewers are often easily frustrated and complain over matters that could have just as easily been avoided.
Disregard these kinds of reviews when you’re picking the best rental company and focus on the ones who comment on customer service, cleanliness, quality, or cost.
12. Choose a designated driver and stick with it. In many cases you will be charged more money if you want to add more drivers to the rental policy. Therefore, it’s a good idea if you can elect one person to stay behind the world instead of paying for extra drivers.
13. It’s ideal if you are 25 years old or more, because in the United States you’ll be charged a “young driver” fee if you are under 25.
