Do you know, I have never rented a rental car. It is possible that it is much, much easier than I expect. But because it is unexplored, it feels mysterious and difficult (and expensive).
I am an anxious driver. I feel comfortable driving Toyotas, Subarus and, I imagine, Hondas (I have heard that Toyotas and Hondas are very similar). Can I…ask for that? Or do I have to take what I get? I have heard people complain that the car they’d reserved was not the one they got, which implies to me that (1) you CAN ask for what you want and (2) you may very well not get it. At every hotel we stayed at on our recent road trip, I asked in the Special Requests field for an extra towel (I like a separate towel for my hair), and there was never once an extra towel; this makes me think that Special Requests don’t even show up, or that “extra towel” is not something they expect to see in that field.
New/unexpected costs tend to make me Panic and Freak Out. Examples: the astonishing extra taxes on a hotel room when we stayed in a big city (the taxes alone were more than I would normally spend on a hotel room); when you order a soda at a restaurant, thinking “How much can it possibly cost?,” and it’s six United States dollars; parking garages and other paid/city parking; the way a rental truck is “$19.95/day” but then is actually hundreds of dollars because of mileage and fees. I am worried renting a car will have similar things to panic and freak out about.
And I have heard that you do NOT need to get the extra insurance, as long as you have car insurance yourself. Is that true? WHAT IF IT’S NOT TRUE AND I SAY NO AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS??
I imagine rental car companies are like airlines and hotel chains, in that they try to reward you for brand loyalty? And I imagine that will end up causing me stress, the way it does with airlines and hotel chains: I never seem to be able to actually USE the points/incentives, and it always seems like they’ve split up the market so that I am constantly dividing my loyalty, and I end up with a useless loyalty account for every single brand. Are some car-rental brands known to be better than others? or is it like airlines, where one person swears they will never use Delta again and they only fly United, and the next person says Delta is the only airline they will ever use and they would rather walk than fly United?
Are there things to know about saving money on rental cars? Like, is it cheaper if your rental starts on a certain day of the week, or lasts a longer/shorter number of days, or if you collect/return it to a different location? I have heard you HAVE to fill up the tank before you return it, or else they will absolutely fleece you on the refill fees. I am worried they will try to charge me for some minor damage that was already there but that I didn’t notice / didn’t think was important enough to make note of. I am not very observant.
Are there things to know about REDUCING THE HASSLE? I have heard people complain about waiting a long time to get a car. Is that just something that sometimes happens and isn’t particularly avoidable?
Re: previous damage. It is worth taking some time to really look everything over. I also always take a couple videos of the outside of the car . This actually saved us this summer. We rushed through the inspection a bit and didn’t notice a BIG dent until the next morning. I thought someone had backed into it overnight, but looking back on the video it actually was there previously. When the company tried to charge us for it we were able to show evidence that it was already there and they closed out the claim against us.
Re: insurance- you do need to check with your credit card, not all of them have this benefit. I researched this because we rented a car in Germany. The credit card insurance is just for the car itself. In the US and Canada, your car insurance should cover you for the liability portion, and the credit card covers damages to the rental car. Abroad you may need to get liability only coverage. Thankfully I have never had to make use of the insurance.
This is all correct re: insurance in my experience, also.
You can make requests! But you may not get it. Generally you reserve a certain class/size of car, which IME is pretty accurate, but occasionally they run out of that type and you get something else. If you can rent and return to the same location it’s usually cheaper. Also, if you have a Costco membership, check out their car rental portal! I find it’s pretty good.
Yes, go through Costco!! At least log in and see what their rates are. For a while we were able get an even better discount through some program associated with my husband’s work, which I realize is unhelpful, but if Paul’s employer sends people on trips regularly they may have access to something similar.
One thing – if you are not comfortable driving the something else, you can refuse it. They will eventually get you something you can drive from another location. It will take forever. Sometimes hours. I have only done this when the only thing available was a giant SUV (think Escalade) or the memorable time all they had was an F-250 truck.
My overall recommendations:
– Feel free to book using an outside site (Kayak, Priceline, Expedia) but make sure you’re searching for locations that are ON SITE, not offsite where a shuttle may be needed. Of course, some airports (San Diego and others) require you to take the bus to the car rental center.
– For a first time renter, I’d suggest you stick with the big names- Hertz, Avis, National, Alamo, Budget. Frankly they are all about the same.
– If you have Costco membership, definitely book with them.
– Check with your insurance company. Generally, no extra is required.
– Almost all sites will show total cost. Don’t be shocked if it’s $40/day for 3 days but comes up to $250! Lots of taxes and fees, but they will not be a surprise.
– Always fill tank before returning. If you use the prepay option, they’ll charge you for full tank capacity even if you only use 2 gallons!
– As noted above, take a full video of the car and photos of any existing damage. A lot of bit rental car locations now capture a full video as you depart.
– Tolls – generally you should opt out of the toll thingy. They charge $x per day PLUS tolls. If you skip that thingy, you generally just get a bill at the end with some reasonable processing fee.
– A new watch out – if you get to pick your car within a lot (take any car in row 7!) make sure you avoid electric vehicles if you aren’t familiar with charging options.
– Since you don’t rent cars often, don’t bother with joining to be a member of any program.
When you show up, you just have to show your ID and credit card. It’ll take a long time and they’ll push a ton of buttons and try to sell you on EVERYTHING – decline it ALL. They’ll use passive scare tactics, and just generally try to gouge. Be prepared to say No, No, No thank you, No. Then they will print off the rental agreement and hand you some keys.
Yes – seconding all of this! I rent a lot of cars and there can be some amount of Danger/Upgrade Theater, but if you just decline decline decline, they hand you the keys and you’re on your way and it’s easy from there. And it gets much easier after you’ve done the whole rigamarole once.
Different makes/models cost different, so you usually ask for a type (sedan) or make. Yes, they may not have what you reserved and you will get something else in that class. Or occasionally if there is nothing else in your class, you will get an upgrade for no extra charge. Yes, you can refuse their insurance. You can say in advance you don’t want to refuel the car and yes, what they charge for gas is ridiculous. So I always opt to refuel before return. I am usually renting a car at the airport, and there is always a gas station nearby that you can fill up at. If you have AAA, there may be rental car discounts. Returning to the same location is cheaper. I also recommend that you take a picture of the car at the drop off location. I have heard of car rental companies sometimes losing the car after drop off and trying to go after the last renter for stealing the car. Despite all this, renting a car is easier, and more boring, than it sounds.
Have you heard of Turo? It’s basically like Airbnb but for cars, you get to pick the exact car you will drive and it’s way less hassle to pick up than a rental car company. I’ve used it 3x now and have had a good experience every time.
Coming here to say the exact same thing! Have had three great experiences with Turo.
Turo isn’t covered by the rental car insurance of my Chase credit card, which does cover the insurance of traditional rental car companies. I don’t think Turo is covered under any insurance except its own, which for me makes it much less of a deal.
I had heard wonderful things about Turo and decided to try it while I was car-less for about 2 weeks. I kept it in our garage and used the car maybe 3x and 40 miles total. Unfortunately, the owner tried to get 4 new tires and rims (!!) from me saying I punctured a tire and thus needed all 4 replaced. Luckily I had taken some photos after returning the car (mileage plus no alerts on dashboard showing. no tire pressure issues, etc) but it was a week’s stressful fight with Turo proving my innocence and in the end, they sided with me and banned the owner for fraud. All this to say I’ll never use Turo again.
I have never rented a car either, but I have *bought* a car from Hertz Rent-A-Car. (They sell the cars once they’re no longer new enough to use as rentals.) (Also, this is the second post in a row of yours that I’ve commented on about buying a car, so I guess it’s on my mind lately.)
One thing I noticed was that many of the cars for sale had cosmetic damage — very obvious cosmetic damage in some cases. So I guess if you damage a rental car and they charge you a fee, they don’t always fix it? I thought they might be taking the amount off the sale price, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, since they didn’t seem to be any cheaper. And they don’t let you haggle, so you can’t ask them to discount it for the cost of a repair. So who knows!
Honestly, I find the most difficult part of renting a car these days is pairing my Apple CarPlay to the vehicle – ha! Every car is different, but it’s so helpful, especially when navigating a city I’m not familiar with!
Same. The connection process should be more standard.
My experience has been that you rent a certain size/class of vehicle but that there is some variation in what you actually get based on what they have available. The desk agent usually chats with you about your trip (# of people, luggage, purpose) and gives you a car accordingly. This would be a good time to share your concerns to get the best match they have.
Unfortunately it seems like all the rental car places have gotten much stricter with looking for damages/adding extra fees over the past few years. Hertz now has a tunnel that you drive through when you first rent the car and when you return that automatically scans for damage. I believe you talked about this years ago when buying a car, but it helps to go in knowing that you will be overcharged for something and building it in the budget accordingly. I will say that the my experience with the rental car roadside assistance has been great- nice to have help with finding tow companies, etc when traveling.
Book through Costco if you have a membership (and honestly, depending on the length of your trip, it may be best to become a member just for the car rental because all rentals through them include things that cost extra like a second driver, unlimited mileage,and waive any cancellation fees). The price Costco shows includes taxes and fees.
But don’t book through any other 3rd-party site (like Expedia) as they will boot those reservations first if there is a shortage!
The make/model won’t be guaranteed – they will give you whatever car they have in that category when you get to the rental desk. But – each company usually has a standard car make (i.e. Avis is typically Chevy). They may “upgrade” you to a higher category than what you booked if they don’t have it when you arrive (for instance, if you reserved/paid for an “Intermediate Car” (Toyota Corolla or similar), you might end up with a Camry (“Full-size”) or Mazda CX-50 (“Intermediate SUV”).)
You can’t use a debit card to rent at most places. Drivers must be 25 years old. One-way rentals cost more.
Fill up the tank on your way to return the car. They will charge more if they have to fill it up for you.
We have only ever rented through the big in-airport companies (Hertz, Avis, Enterprise), but we do it a few times a year. I’ve had to do it myself once and it was nerve wracking in anticipation and fine in practice.
– Type of Car: In my experience, you are reserving a category of car (SUV, sedan, small SUV) rather than a specific make/model. And the fleet can vary widely, depending on location. I always, ALWAYS get nervous about trying out a new vehicle, and it has always been okay. It does seem to often be the case that the cars are the lowest trim level of whatever model they are, and often lack common features that many vehicles have these days. Of course, I can’t come up with a ready example. Oh! I think this most recent trip, you couldn’t open the trunk with the key fob; that’s such a silly thing, but it was different from the car we own and it took a moment of adjustment every time. I just mean to say, even if you get the exact make/model of a car you are familiar with, it might not have all the features you are accustomed to. (I mean that as a HELPFUL comment, to reassure you that there isn’t a huge benefit to trying to get a car you already know, not as a “ANY CAR YOU GET WILL SUCK” comment.) If there is a way to drive around the rental car parking lot a few times, to get your sea legs, that could help. But also, there is no HURRY once you are in the car; you can sit in it and adjust all the mirrors and seats and get used to all the controls for as long as you want before you leave.
– Difference Between Companies: In my experience, there is no huge difference between different rental companies. We used Hertz a lot because my husband was a Hertz Gold Member (more on that later), but then we recently used Enterprise and that was fine, too. We have almost always gone based on price.
– Price: Renting a car is Very Expensive. It has helped me to book the vehicle well in advance of needing it (when possible) because I have plenty of time to adjust to the price and/or by the time I pick up the car, it feels like the money has “already been spent.” On our most recent road trip, I asked my husband if we had to pay by the mile and he kind of scoffed and said, No way, I wouldn’t have rented a car if we had to pay by the mile. So I am not sure if you even CAN pay by the mile; if so, it would only make sense if you are driving very short distances. My memory is that you can pay the whole fee up front, and you get a big discount over paying when you rent the vehicle. But I think it’s much like buying a plane ticket in that the up-front lower price is non-refundable. I wish I knew whether there are “peak times” with car rentals, but I do not.
– Memberships: I have only limited experience with this, but I think they are kind of dumb? I think as a Hertz Gold member, you could, like, go to the counter in a separate line? So maybe if there were a lot of people waiting in line, you could get there first. Lines CAN definitely be lengthy, but I think it totally depends on day/time/location. Some memberships allow you a “free upgrade” to a more expensive category of car; I do seem to remember that we got a membership or a discount with our credit card, and it allowed us to choose an upgrade. Sounds nice, but it was still just a random rental car. You know what, these days, it may be that one of the benefits of being a “member” is that you get to go choose a car off the lot, rather than waiting in line at all. My daughter was excited to pick any car on the lot when we traveled to CA last year, and we spent PLENTY of time walking around looking at different vehicles, but they were kind of all the same.
– Insurance: We have never purchased extra insurance. We always take photos of the car when we pick it up, but we’ve never had an issue with the company claiming damage we didn’t cause. We did once get a vehicle that had some damage when we picked it up, so we went back up to the counter and asked them to exchange it. They did, although they were snotty about it.
– Gas: Yes to filling it up right before you take it back. The rental companies charge a much higher per gallon price than the gas stations.
– Discounts: I mentioned we get free upgrades/memberships with our credit card; it might be worthwhile to see if your card offers any similar deals. We’ve also used AAA in the past to get a better price.
– Returning the Car: We often choose super early flights home, and have several times had to drop off the car before the rental company was open. They have simple procedures for doing this, typically a lockbox into which you can drop your key. We usually take a video of ourselves returning the key, just in case, though there has never been a problem.
– Other Thoughts That May Not Apply to You: Don’t rent a carseat unless it’s unavoidable. Some car companies offer them, which sounds great… but we did it once and the thing was horrifically filthy. Also, I have heard concerns about whether or not the carseats are safe enough for children, since you may not know whether they have been maintained correctly or whether they’ve been in an accident or anything. Speaking of cleanliness, that can vary WIDELY per company and per car. I try to always bring (or buy) a pack of Clorox wipes and then wipe down the interior of the car because it squicks me out. This last thing is super random, but I am bringing it up because it STILL makes me mad. We rented a vehicle with a ski rack when we flew west to go skiing. We paid extra for the ski rack. Then the vehicle with the ski rack had some damage to the doors and smelled heavily of smoke so we requested an exchange. They refused to find us another vehicle with a ski rack, even though they had several on the lot (just at an upgraded category of vehicle) and when I noted that we had *pre-paid* for a ski rack, they said, “The ski rack is not guaranteed.” So. Something to keep in mind, I guess. (I am still annoyed.) (We took the non-damaged, non-smokey, non-ski-rack 4-Runner they offered in exchange; our skis fit on the floor between the seats.)
Final Thought: You CRUSHED IT with the moving trailer situation. I am confident that the car rental is going to be JUST FINE.
We started using Turo a few years ago and have had nothing but good experiences. I doubt I’ll ever go back to a rental car company again. It’s been far less expensive. I imagine some of the same advice applies – find someone reputable, take pictures when you pick up car, take more when you drop off, etc.
Also be aware that most (except Enterprise) will charge you an extra amount per day to add another driver to the vehicle. It can add up quickly. My husband and I always decide ahead of time who is going to be driving the rental. The times I have rented from Enterprise we are both drivers since we have the same last name.
Also be sure to sit in the car before you drive off to figure out where things like windshield wipers, lights, etc. are situated. Seems like a small thing, but you don’t want to be doing that when you drive out of the parking garage into a rainstorm (ask me how I know)
And definitely check with your insurance. Mine covers liability but comprehensive/collision is not covered on rentals by my insurance. I do get the rental companies for piece of mind, even though I have never had any damage to the car.
At most companies your spouse is included for free, but non-spouses cost money. I know this is true for Enterprise and Avis, and I think Hertz!
And definitely check with your insurance. Mine covers liability but comprehensive/collision is not covered on rentals by my insurance. I do get the rental companies for piece of mind, even though I have never had any damage to the car.
If you can avoid renting at an airport you will save money because of the ridiculous airport fees they charge. Last time I flew home to Seattle, I took public transit to a different location and rented from them. A little more of a hassle, but I felt good about saving some money.
I would say just plan on more time than you think at the rental counter. Sometimes it is quick. Other times I’ve waited in line for an hour. So make sure you have plenty of time! Otherwise it’s really not too bad if you do everything online ahead of time.
This is definitely one of those areas where you can anticipate extra expenses. I avoid getting stressed out about it by thinking off it as the cost of doing business, but it is pretty annoying. Recently I rented a minivan on a family vacation and paid for a good chunk of the reservation with credit card points- yay, saved some money!- only to then have to pay another good chunk of change when picking up the car. I don’t understand it so I just think “cost of doing business” and “at least I saved some with those points” and move swiftly on.
On that same trip, I opted to not get the toll road thingy that allows you to save a little money if you use tolls- only after I declined that did my mom mention to me that she often uses the toll roads in the city we were visiting together, oops. Then, we were all set to have avoided using tolls the whole trip when we missed our exit on the way to the airport and were forced to use a toll for about one mile and were then charged like $20 for the privilege, I was informed later via email. No idea if that’s more or less than I’d have paid up front for the toll thing.
You certainly “save money” by picking up and dropping off in the SAME LOCATION- or, rather, they charge you through the nose if you choose instead to pick up in one place and drop off in another.
You probably want to know that many people are boycotting Enterprise because they are (were?) the main company renting vehicles to ICE.
Other than that, all the info you’ve already been given is great.
If you’re asking about renting, I’m sure it is because you need to rent a car. However, I’ll just throw it out there that taking multiple Uber trips often works out cheaper if that is workable for your destination.
The other comments make me feel like I have been taking my life in my hands and not even realizing it renting cars, cause I came to say it’ll all be fine.
So…it is possible I have been lucky being a little blaze about the inspection and all that. It’s possible I have lost perspective on what counts as expensive, or didn’t care most of the times because I was renting for my job. I have heard that for a long drive, renting a car can actually be cheaper than putting that wear and tear on your own car. It’s also possible that my experience has been different because although I have rented my fair share of cars, I have never gotten one from the airport – I get them from the local Hertz rent-a-car in my no-airport-having hometown. (We do technically have an airport, but only for propeller planes and I doubt that is where most of the car renting business in town comes from).
So I am just here to testify that you can be a bit of a bumbling idiot and still survive renting a car financially intact. In case that helps.
I rent cars all the time for work trips. Declining the insurance coverage will save a lot of money. You can get reassurance from your car insurance company about what your policy covers for rentals. Mine covers damage and liability. If you can avoid renting at an airport (unless you have to rent one after landing in a vacation spot), you can skip the airport fees and taxes, another big add on. Renting a sedan is relatively inexpensive compared to a minivan, truck or SUV. Also, I agree with the others about filling up the tank ahead of returning the car to avoid the exhorbitant gas prices the rental company will charge.
^^This!! ” If you can avoid renting at an airport (unless you have to rent one after landing in a vacation spot), you can skip the airport fees and taxes, another big add on.” – I always thought renting from an airport would be cheaper, but that is not true. I confirmed with the car rental worker – the airports have many more cars, but they are more expensive, because of the airport taxes/fees and because they have a captive audience. The off-airport sites (like the one in my little town) are much less expensive, but they do have a smaller fleet of cars – so you have much less choice.
Hello Swistle,
I just want to let you know that your detailed previous post about getting your passport was extremely helpful and that the post office worker at my appointment today was very impressed with how prepared I was. Also though, I want to tell you that the photo taking machine at the post office was broken (I chose that location because it had photo services). She said to go get our photos and bring them right back. But! The CVS she sent us to to get our photos at next door had no internet and their machines were down. And then the FedEx we drove to had a broken printer. And then the Walgreens (whose employee was very helpful and wonderful!) took a very long time and by the time we got back to the post office, the passport office was closed. Thankfully when we waited in line and told them what was up they took our newly printed photos and the passport lady accepted them no problem. I also must tell you because I believe you will sympathize, that my initial appointment was at 1, by the time all of this was done it was 2:30, and we no longer had time to go to the waffle dessert place which was supposed to be my reward for doing all of this and instead had to go straight to picking up the little kids from school. :(
You are owed TWO waffle desserts now!!
My hassle reducing tip is to join the National Emerald Club. If you do, you get to enter all your account info ahead of time, and then WALK STRAIGHT TO THE CARS. And you get to pick any midsize and up (within reason). No rental counter wait. It’s a serious game changer. I do not think there is a fee to join but I joined a long time ago.
I do not think I have ever seen a Honda, Toyota or Suburu available unfortunately. It’s almost always American brands, so you see Jeep, Chrysler, Ford cars. Sometimes Nissans.
Imagine the accomplishment and relief of going from a person who had never rented a car and didn’t know how it works to a person who has rented a car and knows what to do! Success! I’d try it out in a very low stakes scenario and see how it feels.
Are you picking up the car at the airport? You can book it online and choose the style of the car (minivan, sedan, etc) and when you get there they’ll check you in and say “choose any car in row B” (for example). The keys are in the car and when you go yo exit they’ll do a damage check with you before you leave so you both know the condition of the car. I rarely fill up the tank. The convince fee isn’t crazy, at least in my experience. You don’t need the extra insurance. I got an fully electric plug in recently and it gave me motion sickness (as an aside)
Hi Swistle,
If you were able to successfully unlock the trailer driving achievement, you can absolutely unlock the car rental achievement. Since it seems like you want a sedan and not anything too flashy, I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble getting what you want. I’ve only run into problems when looking for something specific or during really popular times. Definitely keep us updated on your progress.
I’ve been renting vehicles a few times a year for a decent number of years now. I am almost renting a minivan as I’m traveling with my 4 kids. My system is to rent through Costco Travel, which doesn’t require pre-payment, then check back every few weeks or so, basically when I remember, to see if the price has dropped as the price changes frequently. If it’s now a lower price, I redo the reservation at the lower price and cancel the old one. There’s no penalty for doing this. I’m always renting from airport locations as the convenience is 100% worth it for me.
I always decline all the insurance as I always use my Chase Sapphire Preferred card as it has good coverage for rental cars (but no coverage for Turo). I decline the fuel option where they fill it at the end and just refill it before I drop the vehicle off as they charge crazy prices for gas. I do try to remember to take before pictures and/or video of rentals both inside and outside before driving off to protect myself if they say I’ve damaged the vehicle, but I don’t always remember and it can be hard to do in a dark parking deck.
I am most frequently using Alamo to rent as they are one of the companies that rents through Costco and they’ve never given me grief. I don’t rental from Budget anymore since getting changed an insane cleaning fee due to our sandy shoes leaving sand on the floor of a Seattle minivan, but I don’t think all Budget offices are like this. I looked at the Google reviews for that office afterwards and it seems to be notorious for this.
The benefit of the loyalty programs is that you can often skip the counter and pick your vehicle from what’s on the lot. You do a brief check out with a person in a box by the parking lot exit if you do that and it’s much faster than standing in the office line and it’s nice to be able to pick your vehicle. This is mainly the larger airport offices though, not everyone does this. And since I’m mainly renting minivans, I’ve found I most frequently end up with a Chrysler Pacifica. I’ve found the Pacifica to have the easier Apple carplay connection set up than the few Honda and Toyota minivans that I’ve gotten as rentals. The Toyota Sienna Hybrid is very nice and fuel efficient though and doesn’t require plugging it in to charge.
I’ve only rented a car once but I did get advice that time from my mom who has rented cars a lot:
a) +1 to Costco car rental being good, and also some large companies have agreements with car rental places for cheaper rentals for their workers (this is intended for business trips but I believe can also be used for personal trips)
b) some credit cards have Loss and Damage Waiver as a perk, which I guess might pay if the rental car is damaged? obviously check the details yourself
c) Something I didn’t see anyone mention yet, many rental companies have a flat price for 5-7 day rentals that goes up significantly after day 8. So if your trip dates are flexible, or if you’re able to use taxis/rideshare/public transport for a day or two, that’s something to consider.
We just rented a car last week to drive from Boston to Montreal to drive our kid to college – we reserved a small SUV but they gave us a huge, long Toyota Forerunner, no options no choices. Oy. It was SUCH a headache in the twisty, crowded, construction NE city streets and tiny parking lots – my confident driving husband was a dang wreck by the time we dropped it at Logan again, NOT a picnic to drive to either, PHEW. I wished for a scenario where they offer you three cars, you pick one and then you feel like you have a choice of some kind and don’t feel burdened with a car you really didn’t want….but it sounds like some places do that anyway!