As a guy who does an obscene amount of driving over the course of an average month, I put a lot of wear and tear on my vehicle. As a result, whenever I have to have my car repaired or serviced, I will rent a vehicle for the duration of time that my car is out of commission. This happens frequently. My job(s) require me to have a vehicle; I cannot go for any length of time without one. So, as has been my custom for years, I will rent a vehicle so that I can continue to work while my personal vehicle is being repaired. As a result of my frequent car renting, I have learned a thing or two about how to get the best car rental deal, and I've learned how to avoid getting suckered into purchasing many of the "optional coverages" that most car rental companies urge you to purchase.

I have rented vehicles from just about every car rental agency in existence. While most car rental agencies operate pretty much the same way, there are a few differences between them. When shopping for a rental car, pay special attention to the following:

Courtesy Shuttles

Many car rental agencies will offer a courtesy shuttle for those who are in need of a ride to and from the car rental agency. A courtesy shuttle is a huge convenience that saves a person from having to arrange a ride from someone or, in some cases, having to walk to and from the car rental agency. As a guy who has a pretty busy and varied schedule, it's often hard for me to find a ride from someone who is available at the time that I need a ride. And, depending on the location of the particular car rental agency, walking or taking the bus may not be too practical. So, courtesy shuttles go a long way in determining whether or not I want to rent from a particular car rental agency.

Unlimited Mileage

A very important thing to consider when renting a vehicle is whether or not the car you are renting comes with free unlimited mileage. This little detail can run into a lot of extra money if you don't know this important fact. The majority of cars that I have rented all came with unlimited mileage. However, there were a few times when I rented a car that had a limit on the mileage that it could be driven before extra charges applied. Many cars will have a limit of 100 miles per day; anything over that number will be an additional charge. The additional charge might be a per mileage charge - such as 0.25 cents per mile - or a flat charge - such as an extra $25.00 per day. Not knowing this important detail of your

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