3 Tips for Renting A Car While Traveling

For many travelers, renting a car is going to be the fastest and least expensive way to travel around their destination area. While you can use public transportation, the privacy and convenience of having your own vehicle often trumps public transport while traveling. If you’re not sure about the best way to go about renting a car for your next trip, here are three tips that will make the whole car rental process much easier for you to manage.

Create A Refueling Plan Immediately Upon Renting

One of the biggest inconveniences surrounding renting a vehicle is making sure you get the car back with a full tank a gas. For many travelers, this requires a knowledge of the area that they just don’t have as visitors. One way you can make this predicament a little easier on yourself, according to Ed Hewitt, a contributor to Independent Traveler, is to make a plan for refueling immediately after you rent your car. Check the area surrounding your rental area, be it at the airport or near a different location, for gas stations you could hit on your trip back. Without having a plan for where to refuel, you could waste precious time you need to make the rest of your travels go off without a hitch.

Airport vs. Off-Site Rentals

Many people who choose to rent a car often pick the wrong way to rent their car and make their travel plans much more complicated in the process. Generally, there are two ways to rent a car: either at the airport or at an off-site location. The option you choose to go with will depend on the rest of your travel plans. Andrea M. Rotondo, a contributor to Fodors.com, recommends making sure you know exactly where the agency counter is if you’re renting at the airport to avoid getting lost or taking too much time. And while renting from an off-site location can often be less expensive, those options can also be less convenient due to having to make additional travel arrangement to get to the airport. Be sure to weigh your options before making your final decision.

Consider Going Through A Travel Agent

While you can rent a car directly from the car rental agency or some other third party broker, Catharine Hamm, a contributor to the LA TImes, shares that if you’re looking for the best deals, you may want to book your rental car through a travel agent. Travel agents often have built up relationships with a lot of different rental agencies and can use their network to help get you the best deal for your trip. This could mean getting an even cheaper price for your rental than using traditional discounted websites.

If you’re unsure about how to best go about renting a car, use the tips mentioned above to help you skip over some of the mistakes other renters often make during their travels.