Please educate a car rental ignoramus About This Page:

[Shell_of_the_South]

My family needs to rent a car for an upcoming trip. I have never rented a car in my life, and I have no idea what to look for. Should we make a reservation ahead of time? Is there particular agencies who have better prices or policies than others? Any hidden fees we should look out for? Any info you can share would be greatly appreciated!

[my2girls]

I would definitely make reservations ahead of time. Most car rental places have web-sites. You can go online and pick the type of car you want. We don't generally rent a car, but the few times we did, we did not take the extra insurance. Our auto policy was plenty. We also did not fill up on airport property. Gas is much cheaper away from the airport. I also think Enterprise is cheaper than Hertz. But that's my personal opinion. Definitely read the contract before you sign anything.

[poohmaine]

I would absolutely reserve a car ahead of time!

Check the rental car section of MouseSavers.com. Mary always lists discount codes and coupons for several rental car companies.

If you reserve a car over the Internet, make sure you make copies of your confirmation and bring it with you. If they give you a hassle over pricing at the check-in desk, you have your paperwork to confirm the price. (This has only happened to us once and the paperwork saved the day!)

Check with your auto insurance company and see if you're covered in a rental car. If so, you can waive the rental company's insurance.

Personally, I have done very well with National. Never a hassle, always great service.

[Colexis Mom]

Defnitely do your homework and rent ahead of time As mentioned above, check Mousesavers, or an Entertainment Book if you have one for coupons (BJs/Sam's Club/Costco have them as well)! There's also Rental Codes.com - Car Rental Coupon Code Source - Avis, Budget BCD, Dollar, National, Thrifty & Enterprise.

[disneyfan822]

I haven't rented a lot either. I went on Orbitz website to compare before I chose because you can get a list of all the car companies and their price per day for the type of car you are looking for. Then make sure you look at the address for where you can pick the car up, etc. And look at the fine print. I found out after I booked the rental car that they only accept credit cards for payment at the time of picking up the car. I was planning on using one debit card the whole vacation that goes with my vacation club account, but now I'm making sure I'll have at least one credit card with me. (Probably a good thing anyway) And I went ahead and got the insurance since I was a little confused on whether my car insurance covered damage done to a rental car. I knew it would cover if I had an accident, but I wasn't sure if someone stole something out of it or did some type of damage to it, i.e. vandalism, if it would be covered, so I got the insurance anyway.

[Chrissi]

You need to have a credit card to rent a car. Otherwise, most often, the rental agency will actually charge you a standard deposit amount (around $800 in our experience). The rental fee will be deducted from this ultimately upon return of the vehicle and the remainder refunded, but it's money out of your pocket during your trip and the remainder can take as much as 5 days to reappear in your account.

[jdvm]

Do you have a friend who works with a big company? If so, they may have a preferred rate or your friend may have elite status (Like National Emerald Club or Hertz No1 Gold) and can make the whole process a lot easier and cheaper.

Check with your insurance policy and find out what additional insurance you might need renting a car (you probably don't need any, but make sure).

Lastly think of convenience as well as cost. There are a few rental agencies that have cars on site at the Orlando airport (I use National for this reason) while others such as Hertz (whom I usually use) are located off site and it can be a pain to deal with a bus ride to and from the airport to get and drop off a car. There are lots of options--such as buying a tank of fuel (at a high price) so you don't have to fill up the car when you return. Just don't be shy and ask a lot of questions and you'll be fine,
John

[IdahoDisneyMom]

We use Costco's link often, and have had good luck with them.

Never get the smallest car available, not only will your family be squished, but they often don't have much "oomph" in the engine (and sometimes no AC). Our insurance covers rentals, so we've always waived their insurance.

If you need a car seat some companies rent them, but if your kiddo is more comfy in his/her own, then check it at the airport and bring your own.

Always fill up before returning the car - they'll charge you a much higher price, and maybe for a full tank when all you needed was half. Look for agencies at the airport, but don't count out ones off site.

They have frequent shuttle buses that you hop on to outside the baggage area, and they take you right to the agency. Sometimes they're cheaper than the ones inside the airport.

Check the hours of the agency - some run 24 hours (often listed as 12am-11:59pm), while some close at 10 or so. If your flight's delayed they won't stay open for you.

Good luck, it's really not a tough thing to do!!

[TroianRae]

We used Alamo in May and loved it. We're using them again in just 3 weeks. Both times I've used a discount code as well as a coupon and saved $$ ($40 in May and about $30 September trip). I found these at MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts as well as the "Alamo Rent A Car is one of the largest value oriented rental car companies offering lowest rate guarantee for leisure vacation car rental deals, business rentals and discounted weekly specials in over 1000 locations including Orlando, Miami, Florida website.

Good luck.

[duck addict]

Add ons: (NOT optional)

Don't be too shocked when you see the additional taxes and airport fees that are added on. They are often not included in the reserved price

[Huntermom]

I always go to Expedia or one of the travel websites to get an idea of what the rentals are going for. I then check out the individuual car rental companies' sites as they are often a little cheaper.

You do not have to use a credit card. If you wish to use a debit card, check that out too. There are several companies that accept a debit card with a charge logo. I know with Alamo if you have a flight itinerary there is no extra charge to use a debit card. In Orlando, I like to use Alamo because if you prepay, you can just pick up the car from the lot and then show your credit/debit card as you leave the parking lot. It bypasses the sometimes hour plus lines,

I have had a probalem with the "lost reservation/pricing twice." It was the same company. Once when I forgot my paperwork at the hotel and just this may when I reserved for my son over the phone and when he went to pick up the car, they tried to charge him an outrageous price. He declined the car, walked over to the next company and got a decent price.

Diane

[iamgrumpy]

Originally Posted by Chrissi

You need to have a credit card to rent a car. Otherwise, most often, the rental agency will actually charge you a standard deposit amount (around $800 in our experience). The rental fee will be deducted from this ultimately upon return of the vehicle and the remainder refunded, but it's money out of your pocket during your trip and the remainder can take as much as 5 days to reappear in your account.

If your your flying to the desitination and you have round trip travel documents then a few companies will let you rent with a Debit Card not just a Credit card. I know Budget, Alamo, and National let you do this.

We rent from alamo all the time and we never use credit cards. So we have to show our Round Trip Airfare Tickets before they will take the debit card but it has never been a problem.

We like Alamo because they allow you to use a Rate Code and a Coupon to discount their car rentals. Those codes have been found on Mousesavers.com but I also am a member of Costco (BJ's does the same thing) and they give some great car rental rates as well.

Another thing to check is your Entertainment book if you have one or know someone who does.

What you would do is make the reservation online (or over the phone) but prices tend to be less online. You would enter the coupon and rate code and it figures out all the charges.

Extra charges that you might need to add on or like to...
Their insurance (which if you read your personal car insurance may not need as most cover rentals)
Car Seats (if you need one and aren't bringing your own) /Booster Seat

They will ask when you pick up your car about the insurance if you didn't pre-add it onto the reservation if you want it...if you decide that your insurance will cover it and you don't want to pay the added expense then just say no thanks and they usually don't hassle you. I know we never had trouble with Alamo trying to oversell the insurance.

Make sure though once you book you keep checking the rates because they change all the time. I have started off at a rate that is over $200 on some trips and by the time we leave have gotten under $150 for 7 nights.

Hope this helps any questions please let me know !

[nursemom]

Hello, our family has rented cars for long drives (Cape Cod, Mass.) every summer for years. We always use Hertz through AAA. We have never purchased additional insurance. We have found the price to be much cheaper if you do not pick the rental up at an airport. This works if you are renting from your home location, though. Try to find an office off the airport property if that is conveneient. . The website will tell you all the locations. It saved us quite a bit! Good luck and enjoy the trip.

[DrDolphin]

I think you've gotten some great advice so far. Let me add one piece. Before you pull out of the garage - take photos of the car from the front, back and both sides - to show what it was like when you received the car. Consider it an insurance policy.

Also - don't let the person at the counter try to pressure you into an upgrade. If you've rented the right sized car for what you need - just decline. I would DEFINITELY review your automobile policy to see if rental car coverage is included and your home owners policy to see if items stolen from a vehicle are covered. If you - then decline the EXTREMELY expensive insurance that they will try to sell you. Like Nancy Reagan said "Just say no".

Have a great trip!!

[marianne e cornett]

Here's some more advice if you want it! Read the info at the bottom of the reservation page online. Budget (and others) put a hold on your debit card for a big hunk of money. Then they refund it at the end but it does take a few days to get back. Meanwhile your money you planned for the rest of your trip is not usable. A credit card is much easier and faster too, if you should get a refund of any kind. Plus check your credit card. Usually they offer a backup insurance to your car insurance so that anything not covered by your car insurance will be covered by your credit card. Our American Express has this feature. And overseas, our American Express card becomes our primary insurer, so we don't ever need to take that expensive extra insurance. Have a chat with your insurance agent and your credit card company and they will give you all the dish. Regarding booking: Book early as possible online. Pick the best deal you can find. You don't have to pay till you pick it up. Don't use Travelocity or other such site as you will have to pay in full ahead. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, if you just reserve with the company itself, it is alot easier to keep checking rates and rebook if rates go down. That being said, the rates over holidays (especially high season in Florida) only go up. So if you book early you will probably save alot of money. We booked in May and have a rate including all fees and taxes for a convertible of $468 for 10 days. As of today, the cheapest rate anywhere for an economy car is over $900. And we have also found that certain types of cars sell out at popular locations during busy times. Now for some good news. We have found that with Budget (and I believe the last time it was Dollar) that they no longer charge for a second driver if it is your spouse or significant other. So if you both want to drive, check out the fine print online again. Don't let them tell you that you have to pay for that extra driver. However, if you have kids who want to drive that is a whole nother kettle of fish and I recommend not even going there. LOL We always walk around the car with the check out person at the gate and have him mark any damage down on the papers and sign it. I also have them note if it is a little dirty (if it is real dirty they will give you another car) or if the gas is not completely full. Then I keep the rental papers in the glove compartment as you will need them in case of accident or being pulled over by police. (Hopefully neither of these will happen). We have basically had good to excellent experiences with all the companies we have dealt with and they have all gotten better and less high pressure over the years. And honestly, we have paid the most for Hertz but also gotten our best service from them as well. But we shop for the best price always. Hope this helps you a bit. Bigred (P.S. If you want to rent in Europe, I have had several excellent experiences with Budget there.)