Renting a car is a fairly routine aspect of travel, but in recent years, the costs associated with rental cars seem to have ballooned beyond ordinary.
“Rental car prices can skyrocket during peak travel times and at popular destinations when demand is up and inventory is down,” budgeting expert Andrea Woroch told HuffPost. “However, other contributing factors can hike up the price including insurance costs, extra services such as adding a second driver, plus taxes and fees. Not to mention, car rental companies keep prices high to offset the cost of maintenance, depreciation and other operating expenses.”
Although rental cars can get pricey, there are ways to cut down on the costs. Below, Woroch and other experts share their tricks for getting a better deal.
Rent away from the airport.
“Location matters, since airports charge rental car companies a fee to operate out of the airport, and those result in higher costs for renters,” said Jen Moyse, vice president of product at TripIt. “You can save money by opting for a rental car company located outside the airport.”
Although you might have to go a little bit out of your way, you can potentially find better deals by booking at a non-airport location.
“Demand is highest at airport car rental agencies, which reduces availability and selection while driving up prices, especially during popular travel times like winter holidays, spring break and summer,” Woroch said. “Consider renting a car on the way to your final destination or near your hotel. Ask your hotel if they have a free shuttle, which could get you close to the car rental office or just book an Uber or Lyft — which still may end up being cheaper even when you add in the rental car costs compared to what you’d pay to rent at the airport location.”
Earn cash back.
“Any time you’re booking a car rental online, always click through a cash back portal like CouponCabin.com to earn cash back on the booking,” Worth said. “You may even find a coupon code for money off your rental.”
She pointed to current deals on the portal, like 5.25% cash back at Hertz, 2% back at Enterprise and up to 11% back at the rental comparison booking site RentalCars.com.
“Considering you’re likely dropping hundreds of dollars on a car rental or maybe more than $1,000, that cash back will add up quickly, and this is on top of anything you earn through your credit card,” Woroch added.
Leverage credit card perks.
“Pay attention to which credit card…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Travel – Top Destinations, Vacation Ideas…