All of us look forward to saving as much as we can. When it comes to traveling, it matters even more. Although many travelers focus on saving through cheap airfares and hotel deals, there is a lot more attention that needs to be paid to the car rental costs. You’d be surprised to come across how high these can be. One common misconception is that these car rental rates are all the same and there is no point in planning before time.
You certainly need those wheels on your next trip. However, you can save through so many ways to cut down the never-ending cost of car rental. Here are some of our best advice.
1. Join a Loyalty Program
Although there are still a lot of travelers who hesitate upon joining any extra programs, there is no reason why you shouldn’t. A loyalty program is great because signing up is free of cost and the long-term benefits are great. It might be stressful to understand the procedures initially, but who would mind getting upgrades and perks? With being a loyal member, you’ve significant chances of improving your status. Just like frequent fliers are benefitted with the loyalty program of an airline, joining a rental car loyalty rewards program would be a great way to save!
2. Make Use of Coupons
Before booking, it’s always worthwhile to look out for coupons and deals related to car rentals. No matter what time of the year you’re traveling, there’s plenty for those in need. The best part of possessing coupons is that you’re rewarded for over and beyond the discounts you get as a frequent flyer. At Alamo, Avis, Dollar, and Budget, you will come across the hottest deals on car rentals.
3. Avoid the Airport
Because of the convenience, a lot of us end up making the mistake of paying higher at the airport. To save a lot more, all you have to do it to allow you more time and commute out of the airport vicinity. This would help you to come across several choices of offsite agencies that would offer you some great rates. Although this challenges your convenience and comforts, you can benefit in the form of huge savings.
4. Lengthen your Reservation
A lot of us when trying to save money book for exactly the same duration as needed. Try doing it otherwise next time. This is because reserving for a longer time can substantially lower your base rate. For instance, weekend rates are often higher in comparison to weekdays. Luckily, many car rental companies give a good return even if you hand back the car earlier than expected. However, for the clarity of procedures, it is a must to go through the terms and conditions before agreeing to the contract.
5. Gas Cost
Unfortunately, a lot of us consider this cost insignificant. It is a must to do a research about the gas costs to estimate them over a period of time. GasBuddy is a great mobile app that allows you to find out the cost of gas no matter where you go.