Need to rent a car for your vacation or business travel plans but find it frustrating, confusing and expensive? Following a few simple guidelines and tips will help you get the cheapest rental car deal possible while avoiding extra charges and fees.

TEN TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY ON A RENTAL CAR

1. DECIDE HOW MUCH CAR YOU NEED - This will depend on how many people will be traveling in the car and the distances you plan to drive. If your destinations are fairly close to your hotel, check into public transport - you may not need a rental at all. If that's not an option and you definitely need a rental, don't rent more car than you need for comfort and safety.

2. RESERVE ONLINE - Don't just rent a car from the first company you run across in the airport. Check rates and fees before you travel for cheap rental car deals and reserve in advance. You may get a cheaper rental rate if you book your rental and airfare through the same site. Some rental companies offer a discount if you make your reservation online and you may also be able to lock in that cheap rental rate, so that the rental company can't make any last-minute changes.

3. RENTAL INSURANCE - Do you need to buy insurance from the car rental company? Before you even contact a car rental agency, check into any existing coverage you may already have and don't buy insurance for anything you may already have coverage for.
* Personal Insurance - Contact your auto insurance agent about your current auto policy. Your agent can tell you what your policy covers and what it doesn't. In most cases, you won't need to buy a Collision Damage Waiver if you carry collision coverage on your personal policy. However, you should check into coverage for other possible claims for bodily injury and "loss of use". Loss of use is what the rental car company will charge you for down time on the rental car if it requires repairs. Check your policy limits, you may have the bare minimum and be liable for what your policy does not cover.
* Credit Cards - Call your credit card company or read your credit card agreement. It may automatically cover you for things like deductibles or you may get a cheaper rate for insurance on your rental car.

4. INSPECT THE VEHICLE - Before you drive the car off the lot, go over it and check for any damage, dents, scratches, etc. Make sure the headlights and directional signals work. Check that the odometer and the gas gauge readings match what is on the contract.

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