- Posted On 24/09/2018
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Don´t rent from the airport . Find out why !!
Remember when people rented cars mainly for vacations or business travel?
Times have changed in Rent a Car. The car rental industry is growing by leaps and bounds with airport rentals historically being the main revenue driver.
However that segment has remained virtually flat over the past decade and a half the industry's growth is due almost entirely to the explosion of the home city rental market renting from a neighborhood location.
Those renting for neighborhood locations do so for a number of different reasons. However it doesn't matter if you are an airport renter or home city renter.
I've got a list of tips that are designed to help make your car rental experience as pain free as possible for your bank account.
#1 : Search the internet
this seems like a no brainer, but as is the case with many purchases you'll find the best rates on the internet.
Shop around buying online will afford you the luxury of seeing what rates are on any vehicle your heart desires without the inconvenience of having a sales person breathing down your neck.
Also many companies offer special discounts to people who rent online. Rates will obviously vary from company to company depending on vehicle availability location and other factors but rates aren't the only variable to consider.
Also look at the hours of operation, because some companies close early on weekends.
Depending on your schedule this might be crucial for you.
#2 : Go with the weekend rate
Rates are typically cheaper on weekends. At one company that was surveyed you could rent a subcompact on a week day for sixty four Euros. When we opted for a weekend rental the figure dropped to a far more reasonable twenty two Euros.
If you've got some flexibility with your rental arrangements opt for weekend rental.
Your pocketbook will be very grateful.
#3 : weekly does it
Weekend rates are great but better than weekend rates are weekly rates and they're usually the best of all.
At one company a subcompact went from a week day rate of fifty six Euros. That same car can be rented on a weekly basis for two hundred fifty nine Euros.
A saving of more than 30% if you use the vehicle for all seven days, and more than 10% if you returned it after five days.
If you plan on using the vehicle for five days or more just choose the weekly rate.
#4 : Think twice about insurance
When renting a car you'll be offered a collision damage waiver (a CDW) and the 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 good idea, but not if the duplicate coverage already is included in your own insurance policy. Most insurance policies offer liability coverage to protect you if you injure someone in an accident.
Some also cover rental car damage via comprehensive and collision coverage.
Check your policy or call your insurance agent to verify coverage before signing up for a vehicle. If you're renting the car with a credit card your card provider might also pay for vehicle damages associated with an accident.
So remember to contact your card company ahead of time to make sure.
There's one thing to be aware of. The collision damage waiver covers loss of use.
The charges levied by the rental car company to cover its lost income when the vehicles out of service. Sometimes auto insurance policies don't cover this loss. So if you have an accident, you may wind up having to pay this charge out of your own pocket !!
As such getting the collision damage waiver may be a good idea.
#5 : book your car early
This is not a cliché statement. The early bird usually gets a cheaper than everyone else rates depend on how many vehicles the company has available at any given time. And the earlier the rentals are made the cheaper it tends to be.
Reserve your car at least a week in advance.
#6 : Think twice about prepaid petrol
Renters generally have two choices when it comes to petrol :
You can pay for a full tank of petrol in advance and bring the vehicle back empty (or something less than full) , or you can opt to refuel yourself before returning.
Rental car companies suggests that paying in advance will add convenience and that the low rates offered will save you money.
Well : they are right on the first part, but wrong on the second.
Prepaying will cause you to pay for more petrol than you've actually consumed. From a financial standpoint prepaying is a bad idea, unless you're certain that you use the full tank
Also be aware that some companies charge a premium rate per liter for the petrol they provide.
#7 : Be careful of upgrades to larger vehicles
Sometimes rental car companies will offer free upgrades to larger vehicles. They will do this mainly because the compacts tend to be in high demand.
This sort of upgrade may seem like a great deal for you.
If having a larger vehicle improve your rental experience, then take the upgrade. But if you have no need for the extra space it's cheaper to decline.
Most but not all of the larger vehicles will burn more petrol, so that free upgrade isn't actually free
You could end up paying for it at the petrol station.
#8 : Stay clear of airport pick ups
Picking up a rental car at the airport can be more expensive due to taxes and fees. Try looking at nearby neighbour hood locations to save money.
A recent study showed that renting at an airport costs 11% more on average than renting at a neighbour hood location.
#9 : If you have kids seat them yourself
If you're traveling with a little one you can save yourself some coins by bringing your own child safety seat. Some rental car companies charge ten Euros a day for child safety rental.
Obviously this can add a significant amount to your car rental expenses.
So if you're able bring your own child safety seat.
If you're renting a mini van they'll some rental brands include integrated child safety seats at no extra cost.
#10 : Join the car club
Many of the larger companies offer club membership in which members pay a yearly fee in exchange for certain perks and privileges.
These clubs can save you money with benefits like free rental days and airline miles but you'll likely only see savings if your frequent renter.
If you fall into this category and use rental vehicles more than occasionally join the club.
Those are the top ten tips for getting the best rates on a car rental in Malaga