I’m a big fan of road trips. You get to see the country; you can make fun pit stops. I once discovered an ostrich farm on a road trip! It backtracked us two hours. I couldn’t stop feeding them.
Road tripping is a fun, money saving option — most of the time. Between gas prices and car rental costs, road trips can get pricey. In some cases, the total cost of your trip is comparable to what you’d spend on airfare. But the good news is: it’s easier to find cheap car rentals than it is to find cheap flights. Here are some tips.
Use a Comparison Site
You know that annoying, time-consuming thing where you compare prices and discounts for every rental company you can find? A car rental site called Autoslash will do the work for you. Tell them where you’re traveling, and when, and they’ll find the best coupons and discounts and compare car rental costs for you. If there’s a better deal, they’ll refund you the money.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. They sounded like any other comparison site. And I didn’t like that I had to give them my email address to get the results. I was hesitant, but I did it for you guys (you’re welcome). And, actually, I was impressed with the results:
Fifteen dollars. A day. I’ve never seen prices that low. Of course, when you consider the taxes and fees, it ends up being more like $20 a day, but that’s still not bad. I also like that Autoslash highlights the cheapest option based on the total, not the daily rate. Some rental companies have higher hidden fees than others.
Use a Peer-to-Peer Service
There are so many peer-to-peer services popping up lately. (Don’t believe me? Ask Portlandia.) If you need to rent a car in a city, you might consider Turo. It’s a service that lets you rent cars from locals, and your reservation includes insurance coverage. Prices range depending on the vehicle, but you can generally find some cheap car rentals. I found plenty in the $25-30 range for an imaginary trip to Houston in two weeks.
Check With Your Insurance Company
Many insurance companies offer discounts at popular car rental companies. Progressive, for example, offers discounts at Nationwide, Enterprise and Alamo. When I checked prices through their link, I was able to find deals for $24/day, including taxes and fees.
Check Rewards Programs
I’ve written about this one before, but it’s worth recapping. You may be able to find cheap car rentals using your credit card rewards program. Just visit their website, search for car rentals by points, and then opt to pay for cash instead. This doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a shot.
Managing your money is like going to the dentist or standing in line at the DMV. Nobody wants to do it, but at some point, it’s inevitable: you need to clean your teeth, renew your license, and manage your money like a grown-up.
Love the video! I had not heard of Autoslash so thanks for sharing that tidbit. I love that idea and those prices are awesome. I mean where else can you rent a car for 20 bucks! Sometimes we forget about the Insurance companies but they are definitely a great resource as well. Thanks for sharing.
I hadn’t heard of the insurance company discount until recently. Lots of ways to save. RENT IT OUT!
Thank you for sharing this article. I love the idea you mentioned here and those prices are awesome. Sometimes we forget about the Insurance companies, but they are definitely a great resource as well. Thanks again!
Hi Kristin,
The article is great !!! I am going to use it finding the cheap car rental for my trip.
Great article Kristin. These are the necessary thing which one must check before hiring a car. In the race to earn money many companies establish their business without proper license and certifications. So, to be on the safer side and to ensure valuable investment of our money, we should go with a company that has a valid license to render services in the region.
Hey Kristin, you’ve really did a great post by sharing all the points help us while renting a car.
Cheers.
Thank you for sharing this article. I love the idea you mentioned here and those prices are awesome. Sometimes we forget about the Insurance companies, but they are definitely a great resource as well. Thanks again! I wish these tips are applicable to middle countries as well. You got any suggestions if so?
I have to say that the information here was the most complete that I found anywhere. I am definitely bookmarking this to come back and read later.
Regards
Amanda G / Editor at Atlanticchoice cheap Car Hire Liverpool John Lennon Airport
I read this article thanks alotz for sahring such a nice article for rental car i am travel agent alwasy read such type of article .
That time i dont need this but informition is going to be stored for future
I have to say that the information here was the most complete that I found anywhere. I am definitely bookmarking this to come back and read later.