Car Rental Tips and Advice

Choosing a Car - Choose the smallest car !
Think carefully about what kind of vehicle you'll need. Reserve the smallest available model, according with your needs. It is useless to spend money on cars bigger than you need: Rent the smallest possible car.

Booking your Car - Book early !
Make your car reservation as soon as possible to receive an "early booking" offer, available at many car rental companies.

Compare Rates - Surf the web !
Cars can be rented from: major rental company (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty, Sixt), local rent a car companies, travel aggregators (Expedia.com, Booking.com, Opodo.com, Orbitz.com) or from car rental brokers (AutoEurope.com, EasyTerra.com, AtlasChoice.com). In all cases, you should compare car rental offers for the time and destination chosen by you. So, surf the net for best deals and rent a car offers !

The cost of renting car - Beware of hidden costs !
Because the cost of renting a car may contain a lot of:taxes, options or insurance plans, ask for final price with everything included. Rates vary according to the size and style of vehicle, but other charges may also be added to the rental price, including: Value Added Tax (VAT), airport surcharge, extra milleage tax, extra fee charged if a car is returned to a different location than where it was picked up, higher prices for fuel tank filling, etc

Car rental Insurance - Choose the right plan !
When renting a car, you'll be offered a collision damage waiver (CDW) and a loss damage waiver (LDW). The first covers you in the event of a collision, while the second covers any loss to the rental company. Both kinds of coverage are a good idea, but not if they duplicate coverage already included in your own insurance policy. CDW/LDW is usually an optional feature, however, a few companies require renters to purchase this waiver. Determine whether or not you need CDW/LDW and consider how much this CDW/LDW may increase the daily rental rate. Also, some credit card companies offer CDW/LDW insurance as a card holder benefit. heck this in advance in order to choose the best insurance plan offered by car rental company.

Read carefully the car rental agreement !
Be sure to read the rental agreement carefully to see what the rental rate covers, possible restrictions, and the liability for the renter. So, be sure you understand the contract and ask questions of your travel agent and the car rental agent if you are unsure about anything. The policies may vary among companies and locations.