There are countless opportunities available for those interested in renting a car. This is true for every single destination in the entire world, ranging from when you rent a car in NY to when you rent a car to travel to an obscure part of Hawaii. The problem is that because of so many available options it is easy to make a mistake.
You do not want to rent a bad car. This would completely ruin the entire experience of the trip you are on. To avoid costly mistakes, here are the most important factors you have to analyze so that you can choose a rental car you will love.
Prices
The first thing most people think about is how much they are going to pay for the rented car. This is quite obvious. Daily rates can vary a lot based on hire length, what day it is, when you pick up the car, when you drop it off, and even seasonality.
Keep in mind that the newer cars are always more expensive to rent. This is why it is so important to think about the needs you have at the moment. If an older model can satisfy all of them, there is no reason to pay more for the newer models. This might actually save you up to 50%.
Size
Do not go overboard with the size of the vehicle you rent. You just need something that fully accommodates the needs you have right now. As an example, you want to get a car that will fit all the luggage. If you have children, all of them have to be as comfortable as possible. This should include child seats. If you go for a larger size for the rental car than your needs, you lose money.
Insurance
There is almost always some sort of insurance included in the regular rate you pay. However, it is not that comprehensive. You would need to pay extra in order to be fully covered if something goes wrong.
Many people will tell you that the insurance fee is a scam since you do not really need it. In reality, it is highly recommended to factor in the insurance rate since this protects you. Regardless of how good of a driver you are, you never know what happens on the road.
Distance
The distance you want to travel with the rented car has to be considered. There are companies offering two different rates. One of them includes unlimited kilometers. The other does not. As expected, the better option for you depends on where you will travel to and for how long. Remember that if you go over the rate in the contract and mileage is not unlimited, you end up paying a lot more for all the extra kilometers.
Rental Car Tank
The usual deal is that you get the rental car with a full gas tank. The rental company expects you to return the car with exactly the same full gas tank. When this does not happen, there is a pretty good possibility you will end up having to pay an extra fee to cover fuel price.
