Things to Keep in Mind When Renting a Car

Everyone loves to travel. It’s a time to recharge, see new places and disconnect from work. But there’s at least one part of travel no one really enjoys: renting a car.

The car rental process always seems needlessly complicated and designed to rip you off. Never fear—we’re here with our leading tips for renting a car to make it as painless an experience as possible.

Price check

You want to start looking for a car rental well ahead of your vacation, usually at least two months prior to your trip. Look at sites like Expedia and Kayak where you can compare prices across several different rental car agencies. This way you’ll be able to find the best price on the type of rental you’re interested in. And if you’re very cost conscious, try bidding for a rental via Priceline.

Don’t worry about additional car insurance

This is one of the most important rental car tips. Almost every car rental agency attempts to lure you in with additional insurance. The reality is that your existing car insurance policy likely covers collision damage on a rental car. Many premium credit cards also provide insurance coverage for rentals as well. Learn your policy and don’t waste your money.

Reduce the number of days you rent the car

This makes sense, right? If you rent the car for fewer days, then you save money. For example, on the day you’re returning home, you might be able to take a shuttle from the hotel to the airport, allowing you to return the car the day before.

Skip the airport surcharges

Like so many aspects of travel, you’re charged for convenience. Renting a car at the airport is more convenient, but you pay up for this. To avoid this, take an Uber or public transport into the city you’re visiting, then pick up a rental at a non-airport location.

Do your research, but take negative reviews with a grain of salt

If you’re looking for tips for renting a car, you’re probably reading reviews of car rental agencies as well. Spoiler alert: Many of these will be negative. Some are from customers who have very specific complaints or were the victims of bad circumstances. You should pay attention if you see consistent complaints about customer service, the cleanliness and quality of cars and overcharging.

Always fill up the tank

Almost every car rental company out there is going to charge an additional fee if you return the car with less than a full tank of gas. You might think this fee is no big deal—that is, until you get the bill, which is often 30 to 40 percent more than the gas actually costs.

We hope these rental car tips help you out before your next trip. If you’re looking for an affordable car rental while your vehicle is in the shop, check out Qwest Automotive Service. We provide cars that are more reliable and better maintained than the average car agency. We also offer a wide range of services, from transponder key programming to suspension work, radiator repair and more. Give us a call right now to learn more about what we can do for you.