5 tips to rent a car at a lower price
When planning for a trip, it’s always best to know when the perfect time to book an accommodation and when to book a flight is. The same care should be taken when renting a car, so you can make sure you access the best prices. In this article, we’ll tackle a few elements to take into consideration when securing your ideal car for your trip.
1. Rent 3 to 6 months in advance
The best time to book a rental car is between 3 and 6 months before your trip. Anything sooner or later might mean paying extra or not accessing discounts companies might have during marketing campaigns.
Of course, if that window has passed, no need to worry – just book as soon as possible after organizing your trip. You could even receive a discount code from car rental partners after finalizing the accommodation booking.
2. Check the pick-up and drop-off location
If you want to secure a better deal for your rental car, you might want to compare prices between pick-up and drop-off locations. For example, some car rental companies have offices at numerous locations within a city, not only at the airports.
Although it might be cheaper to rent from a more unknown location, you should keep in mind that the choice is likely smaller and the fleet might be booked faster than at a main location.
3. Familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions
Most terms and conditions will state if you can cancel your car rental for free. If that’s the case, keep an eye out for future discounts and rebook when the prices are lower. However, try not to cancel your booking before securing a new one, so you don’t end up without a car at all.
4. Keep an eye out for when high season starts
The best time to rent a car is dependent on when the high season is at your destination. For instance, during peak tourist season, popular summer and winter locations can be sold out faster, so the prices might increase to reflect the high demand.
5. Don’t worry about the extras
When renting a car, you’ll likely be offered extras, like a fee for insurance, an extra driver or to add a baby car seat. Extras aren't influenced by the time of year or how far in advance you make your reservation (as they aren't affected by discounts or peak seasons), but are constant all year.
With that in mind, you don’t have to worry about the timing when adding extras when renting the car – luckily, these prices won’t change if you book one year in advance or choose to rent a car at the last moment.