Main menu:
RENTAL CARS & DISCOUNT CODES
Almost every family ends up renting a car atleast once in their lifetime. There are many companies that offer rentals from many locations across USA. Renting a car is a very easy and smooth process for people who just need a rental car and really don't care about saving money. Cars can be rented directly from rental cars website or through other famous travel websites. But if you are carefully planning your trip ahead of time and have some time to hunt for a best deal, then the following information will help you to get some good deals on rental cars.
Before renting a car try to find the answers for the following questions so that you know what you are looking for.
1...Which type of rental car do you need?
2...At which location (& rental company) should I rent my rental car?
Here is a little guide on finding answers to these questions
Which type of rental car do you need?
Again ask yourself the following 3 questions
a...Do I need a standard car or convertible or SUV or pickup truck or VAN?
This depends on your preference. Convertible cars usually cost more than standard sedan cars. The price shoots up as you move up the line.
b...What car size do I need?
Answer this question keeping in mind on how many people you want to travel on the car including you and how many large/big luggages you plan to carry with you on the car. Select the best car size for your trip (example, midsize or fullsize car) and decide.
Tips: If you plan to travel for a very long trip, then it is better to have some extra room for people for added comfort because you don't want your travel to be a bad experience.
c...What kind of roads will I be travelling on?
If you plan to travel off road or on unfinished gravel/mud roads for a long time, then you should probably select an SUV or a pick up truck for both safety and comfort.
Now you decided on the rental car size based on your trip comfort, road conditions and preference. Now lets see on where to rent your car.
At which location (& possible rental company) should I rent my rental car?
. Pick up a location which is closer to where you live.
. Rental locations within walkable distance is preferred since you don't have to ask others to drop you at the rental locations and pick up later.
. Another important factor that will affect your pick up location is your rental timings. Some rental locations aren't open 24 hours. The rental locations may have a specific time before which you should return the rental car for the day or else they will charge you for the next day on your credit card. Check this information either online or by calling the rental location directly.
. Usually major airport locations work 24/7.
Once you decide on the rental car type, possible rental company and rental location, you are done with the major part of the work. Now we will provide you with information from different sources to save on your rental car deal. Use the codes to get the best deals directly from the rental company wesites.
Tips and Tricks:
. Book your rental car using both coupon codes and contract id's (or similar) from the links given below.
. Decide on the type of car and select one rental company at a time and start the deal search. Try different codes and contract id combinations before you select the best savings option for you. For example, at National car rental a single contract id can be used with more than one coupon code. The savings differ for each combination.
. Some rental companies will offer prepay savings. Don't commit yourself by paying in advance to any rental company unless you are totally convinced that you cannot get a better deal than what you have. Check the rental companies 1,2 and 3 weeks before the rental period for the same car. If there are some last minute deals, then make a fresh booking with the new deal.
. You can always cancel an existing booking. So never stop hunting till you get a good deal. Always book the new deal, get the confirmation and then cancel the old booking.
. Make sure you double check the charges that show up on the rental bill (against the estimated charges from the confirmation email you recieved from the rental company during booking) before you sign the rental agreement during the rental.
. Sometimes renting the car before the booking time ( For example, renting at 4:00 PM when your booking was made at 5:00 PM) will add a full day charge to your booking. So always have a printout of the booking confirmation page/email with estimated charges when you go to the rental location. Make one more booking with earlier timing if you are not sure on your schedule.
. Book your rental cars online. In this way you get the best deal before hand and avoid the unwanted wait time on the rental location. Sometimes you can use the automated kiosks and avoid long lines if you have made your booking before hand.
. Don't forget to ask for a free upgrade while renting the car. But remember, if you already have a best deal booking with coupon codes, it is very unlikely to get an upgrade because you already have the best possible rate. So it is wise to choose your choice of the car while making your booking online.
. Finally don't forget to check the major travel websites like hotwire, priceline, etc and compare the prices with your booking. You may get a better deal from the major travel websites if you are lucky.
Tips on Getting Car Insurance
(Also Refer to the links given below under Rental Car Insurance)
. Make sure your rental car is insured before renting it.
. Always know about your insurance coverage limits. If you have an active insurance on your personal car, then your insurance company will probably cover your rental car as well. Confirm this with your insurance company and verify the rental car insurance coverage limits with them before renting your car. if your current insurance covers rental cars, then you don't have to get additional insurance.
. Make use of the available insurance coverage from major credit cards as well. Some credit cards like american express and citibank mastercard will offer insurance coverage if you rent using them. But at the same time you should call up their customer service and verify this information before trusting your credit card completely for the coverage. There are many terms and conditions which you should be aware of before depending on the rental insurance from your credit card.
Rental Car Saving Deals and Coupon Codes
First decide on the type of car, rental timings, pickup time and drop off time. Select one rental company at a time and start the deal search. Try different coupon codes and contract id combinations before you select the best savings option for you.
For example, at National car rental a single contract id can be used/combined with more than one coupon code.
First enter only the contract id go through the different discounted base prices you get and select the contract id that provides the best base rate. After selecting the best contract id, try different coupon codes (combined with the contract id) till you end up with the best overall price (inclusive of taxes and other fees).
Note: Some coupon and contract id codes will require you to show proof of membership with respective organizations.
The following links will open the gateways for most of the active coupon codes and contract id's . Happy hunting. We wish you good luck.