by Hope Lee

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: February 18, 2009

Renting a car for a trip is often a matter of finding out what rental car companies are available at the airport location and then booking the best rate. However, many travelers give up savings that could be theirs by simply renting at an off-airport location. But this is not always the best choice! Confused? The answer is that there is no one best way to rent a car. It depends on the location, policies, and personal travel needs.

Discovering which option is best for a trip takes a bit of research. Following these steps will help you discover which one is right for your next trip.

Step #1 Research prices & location information.

Using an on-line travel tool like Travelocity or Kayak, find out the best basic rate available for both on-airport and off-airport locations. In a large city, use the address of your hotel or overnight stay to discover if there is a local branch office available nearby, which can often net a large discount. Once you've discovered the best basic rates, check the websites for the lowest one or two to find out if there are any coupons available and to make sure you've got an all-inclusive quote. Taxes are often higher for on-airport locations. If the off-airport location is cheaper, proceed to step #2.

Step #2 Research transportation options to and from the off-airport site and figure the total cost.

There are different types of off-airport locations and not all will offer the same transportation options. Many off-airport locations are listed under the airport code and indicate that a shuttle will be provided to the rental site.

However, there are also local branches of rental agencies to consider, which may or may not provide transportation to the airport. If the hotel is near one and the hotel provides a free shuttle, then there is no additional cost and there may be substantial savings. In other cases, a cab ride may be needed, but the savings could still be substantial. Finally, there may also be a loophole that saves money at the beginning of a trip and time at the end. In many cases, alternate location drop offs are free within the same city. So a car could be picked up at local branch office of a car rental agency and dropped off at the airport, all for the lower local branch office rates.

One example of how using a local office saves money can be found in La Crosse, WI. Renting a car from the Hertz airport office would cost $49/day, while renting from their local downtown office costs $39. With the downtown office a $10 cab ride away,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>