10 Tips for Renting a Car in USA

Do you need to rent a car in Usa for business or leisure? Well, better remind this 10 tips for renting a car in USA. [Take a look at our “good to know” articles! www.rentcar360.com/good-to-know]

1) Check to see where the agencies are located in the city you are going to. Most rental agencies have offices at the airport, and bus stations as well as convenient places around the city. You can usually arrange to be picked up at the airport or your hotel for your convenience. This depends on which company you choose. However, if you decide to have them pick you up, it could accrue an extra charge. It might be less expensive to take a cab or a tram to the hotel and then get your car.

2) Check the rental company prices as they may vary between companies at different times of the year, weekday rental, or weekend rental, also may depend on what is happening in the city, like a big event such as a concert, it also depends on how many days it is rented for. You can check out what is happening in any city online. Just do a search on the city you are going to and look at local events, future events, or conventions happening in the area.

3) Be a careful driver as you are responsible for all damages that occur while you are in possession of the rented car. This includes all damage to the rental car, any personal injury to persons in the car or in another car that you hit. To avoid this cost it is a good idea to get insurance on the rental car. You have two options on insurance: you can get liability insurance which covers the damage and injury done to the occupants of the vehicle you hit, but does not cover your injuries or the damage to the rental car.

The best choice is to get comprehensive insurance which is more expensive but covers all damages to both vehicles in the case of a collision, as well as paying so much on the personal injury that may occur in an accident. You could also decide not to take the insurance because if you already have insurance it may cover you in the rental car as well. If you pay for the car with a credit card the card may also cover you in some respect. Always check to be sure which is cheaper before you make your decision.

4) Make sure to check the gas gage and make a note of how much gas is in the car when you pick it up, and be sure to refill to that point when you return it. If the car has less gas than it had when you picked it up the agency will charge you double the price to refill it themselves. Some companies also offer prepaid gas. Although it is sometimes cheaper per gallon than at the pump, if you don’t use all of it you are losing money. You are giving away gas that you paid for if you leave more than a gallon or two in the tank. Think about this before you do prepaid gas.

5) Driver license: renting a car in Usa is not difficult. For example, it is not required to have an international driver license in the USA. If you have a valid driver license you will be legal to drive. Just pay attention and read the drivers manual online if you have questions about certain things. You might check the laws in the state you will be in. Each state has its own driving laws. It would be a good idea to brush up on the laws of that particular state.

6) Most rental agencies require a person to be 25 years old to rent a car (See www.rentcar360.com/rent-a-car-under-25-years-old). This is for insurance purposes it is higher to insure someone who is under 25 years old in the USA. Some rental companies will rent to younger people but will charge more. All people that will be driving the car have to register with the rental agency. This may cause the insurance that you purchase to be higher because all drivers have to be insured to drive the car.

7) To rent a car cheaper check the rates in a small town near where you are flying into. Picking up a car outside the city can save you as much as one hundred dollars. Also check to see if the rental includes GPS with the price or if it is extra. This depends on which agency you choose. Some include the service and some do not. Use the tram to get out of the airport instead of renting a car there. If you don’t mind traveling a little out of the way you can get a much better deal.

The out of town rental agencies are going to work a lot harder to please you because they do not get the business that in town agencies do; and need the advertisement from you if they please you. You will not only get better rates but cheaper mile charges and other options that you would like but not usually buy from and in town agency because they are too high. Sometimes a little inconvenience can save you a lot of money.

8) Check the Airport for discounts on car rentals. A lot of Airports have coupons for the rental agencies that are at the Airport or in town. You can use these coupons at out of town agencies sometimes. This can save lots of money. Make sure you read the small print or ask if it can be used at any location of the agency or just at the one at the airport. You can also use your companies corporate discount to rent a car, if they have one. Also check with your hotel they may have discounts for certain rental agencies that they do business with on a regular basis.

9) Try booking ahead of time online (make an online research to see online prices: www.rentcar360.com/book-now-my-rental-car). Sometimes this is easier than trying to do it in a strange place. You can rent the car from the comfort of your home while you are thinking straight and not in a rush. This way you can make sure of what to expect when you arrive at your destination and don’t get pushed into a deal that is not what you planned. When you use the internet to book your car rental check out places like Rentalcars.com, HotWire, or Priceline you may find a better deal going through these than you can get at the agencies themselves.

They may have specials if you book ahead of time, or on a certain day of the week.

If you can plan in advance at least six months ahead of time the rates will be cheaper. This gives them time to make sure that what you want is ready and don’t have to look around on short notice to see if they can make you happy. They like a little time it makes it easier on them so they make it easier on your pocket book.

10) Last but not least of our 10 tips for renting a car in USA… the contract! Make sure of what is in the contract that you are paying for before you sign it. Read through it carefully. Check to see that everything that you marked it right and ask about anything that isn’t clear, or you don’t understand. Sometimes there are a lot of hidden fees, this is why you need to pay very close attention to the contract before you sign it. After you sign it’s too late!

It’s time to plan your Road Trip in U.S – Take a look at our deals!