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Book early
Especially if you're heading into heavy-travel season. If you know you're going
to need a rental car, book it as early as possible. You may not only lock in
lower rates, but you'll likely have access to more classes of cars � including
the smaller cars that, for price reasons, are the most popular in the rental
fleet. |
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Avoid
Airport rentals
In that previous example, there was also an $11.51 "airport fee." It's often
very convenient to rent a car at the airport, but keep in mind that you'll pay
for the privilege. If you're on a business trip, many times you can rent a car
from your downtown hotel. If you can conveniently arrange a hotel shuttle or
public transportation from airport to front desk, chances are good you'll save
money taking delivery off the airport grounds. |
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Book small and bump up
Can you live with a compact model but would like a full-size sedan? Another
reason to book early. If the smaller vehicle's unavailable the day you've
arranged for pickup, you can request that the agency stick to the price they
quoted � but for the larger vehicle that's available. They may only meet you
halfway, but it's worth a shot. |
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Look beyond national chains
Be sure to check out rental car deals available from smaller, regional chains
and local independent agencies. They may have lower prices than the big national
chains. |
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Snap up deals on weekend and weekly rates
Some rental car companies offer rock-bottom rates on the weekends, as much as
50% lower than the daily rates offered during the week.
"If you have flexible dates, you're better off going on the weekend,"
Helperin says. And don't overlook specials on weekly
rates. Daily rental rates are so expensive that renting a car for five days (and
paying the daily rate multiplied by five) could be more expensive than the
weekly rental rate. |
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Get back on time
Your car probably won't turn into a pumpkin, but you're likely to pay for an
extra day even if you're five minutes late. Read the fine print and use your
cell phone for accurate time. |
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Beware of hidden fees and extras
If the rental company has to top-off the gas tank
after your return, you will pay a ridiculous price per gallon. Always ask that
the car be filled up prior to your departure, and then bring it back full of
gas. There
are plenty of other additional charges that can take a nice rate to an ordinary
deal very quickly. A weekly rate of $125 showed up recently for a compact rental
out of San Antonio International Airport. That's about $18/day. Not bad.
Go to the reservation page, and you learn that
taxes and fees add more than $50. There's 10% sales tax, something called a
vehicle license fee of nearly $19 and an "arena fee" of $7.19. Now I'm paying
more than $25/day. Keep that in mind when you see rates under $20/day
advertised.
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Tips to Save on your next Car Rental |