Tip 1: Renting in advance
When booking a plane ticket, it is best to book in advance, the same goes for renting a car. A general rule, prices increase in last-minute bookings and the best bargains are obtained if the booking is made at least 14 days before the vehicle pick up. Book a car with HAPPYCAR without any risks and have free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up.
Tip 2: Check Rental Terms & Conditions
Just like reading the warranty on a new TV, one should always look at the Rental Terms & Conditions. Many times, customers arrive at the counter and are surprised by extra costs that they did not budget for. By looking at the terms & conditions, customers will be informed of all the extra costs for services such as airport tax.
Tip 3: Breaking the Myth of Renting from the Airport
There are many articles on the internet that say renting a car from the airport is the most expensive pick up location. Luckily, that statement is not a 100% accurate. When using HAPPYCAR, travelers will be able to see all the pick-up locations in a city and their prices. With our platform, we tend to have cheaper prices at the airport and a larger selection of vehicles to choose from.
Tip 4: Pay Attention to the Pick-up & Drop-off Times
Rental companies charge by the day and not by the hour, so pay close attention. For example, in a reservation, whose pick up is on November 29th at 2 p.m. and whose return is on November 30th at 3 p.m., it will be charged as two days and not as 25 hours.
Tip 5: Limit Your Number of Drivers
If travelers are planning on renting a car with friends or family, make sure that there are only one or two designated drivers. Rental companies on average charge $9 per day to add an extra driver. Before booking, check the Rental Terms & Conditions to see if the rental carrier charges extra or not for this service.
Tip 6: Bring your own GPS or Car Seat
The extra cost to acquire a GPS in the rental office is a minimum of $12 per day and can reach up to a total of $90. But, it is also possible to use a Smartphone to access offline mapping. Don’t forget the charger then, as these applications use up a lot of battery in your device. Most rental offices offer the possibility to book a car seat with the vehicle, but not all companies do. The extra cost of a car seat can be as little as $11 per day and can total up to $100. If travelers can bring their own car seat this will help reduce the overall cost for the booking. But before that go through the entire process about the history of car seats and how travelers utilize it.
Tip 7: Don’t Forget to Fill up
Most rental offices will inform customers to fill up the tank when returning the vehicle to avoid an overpriced charge. This is an extremely important way to save money. When leaving the rental car premises make sure to look and see if there is a gas station nearby. On average rental companies charge $8 per gallon to fill up the tank or they have a set charge of around $50 depending on the company. When booking a rental car online always opt for the Full to Full (Best Fuel Option).
Tip 8: Be Cautious with Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Lanes
When driving on the Parkway, Interstate, Turnpike or other roads in the United States be aware of the Electronic Toll Collection lane at Toll Plazas. Many cars in the US have an E-Z Pass or a different Electronic Toll Collection system (depending on the state) to drive through ETC lanes which tend to be faster than stopping and looking for the exact change at a toll. Some rental companies offer their customers an ETC system. Rental Companies only distribute an Electronic Toll Collection system to customers on the day of pick up and will be charged for the entire duration of their booking.
About HAPPYCAR
HAPPYCAR (https://www.happycar.com/) compares the offers of all large and small rental car companies worldwide. Select your pick-up location and date range and see all offers at a glance. The best: With just a few steps, your desired rental car is booked quickly and comfortably. No hassle comparing different car rentals and car rental offers on different websites – with HAPPYCAR it is now fast and easy! At the same time, you can save up to 60% on your rental car.
Press Contact: Carolina Gerberding
Telephone: +49 40609430329
Email: Carolina.Gerberding@happycar.com
Website: www.happycar.com
