How to Rent a Cheal Rental Car

kiwisauce Jan 9, 2008 Cars
Do you want to rent a cheap rental car, or rent a car for cheap? Do you want to paying a lot less than $40 a day for a decent rental car when out of town on vacation. I have always been skeptical of web sites such as Priceline and Hotwire, however after a recent experience I now swear by them. I was able to pick up a full-size Chevrolet Impala in Los Angeles for only $18 a day, through a major company. That is much less than the standard price you would pay for a compact car on Travelocity, or directly through a rental car company's web site.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need

Steps

Step One

Research Prices

Research rental car prices on the internet. Check out the prices for a rental car on sites such as Travelocity, Expedia, or Orbits, as well as checking the major rental car company web sites for specials. 2

Step Two

Priceline.com

Log on to Priceline.com, and select the "Rental Cars" section from the top menu. 3

Step Three

Name your own price

Click on the "Name my own price" icon. 4

Step Four

Enter rental information

Enter in the Pick-Up/Drop-Off location of your rental, and the dates and times of your rental. Make sure you choose these correctly as you will not be able to change them once your offer has been accepted. Also, choose the type of car you wish to rent. 5

Step Five

Enter offer

Double check the information you entered, and now choose a price. I would recommend the following strategy. Go very low, with a "lesser" type of car, with the idea that when you raise your price, you will also raise the level of car you desire. 6

Step Six

Verify information

Review the information before you accept the offer. Once submitted the offer is final, and if accepted, cannot be changed. 7

Step Seven

Enter credit card information

Finally, enter your credit card information, and click the "Buy my rental car now" button. 8

Step Eight

If you shot low, your offer will be rejected, however, often Priceline will counter offer with a price a few dollars higher. Use this price to create a new offer, but this time choose a higher standard car. Why not go for a "Full-Size", "Premium" or even "Luxury" car. 9

Step Nine

"Congratulations, your offer has been accepted." After playing around a little, you will eventually get your great deal. Your rental has now been charged to your credit card. This includes the rental cost, and taxes, however it does not include any extra insurance. 10

Step Ten

Why not?

You will be surprised at what you can get. Enjoy driving your Lincoln Towncar around Beverly Hills, at a low price of $20 a day. With the money you save, I would highly recommend buying the full coverage insurance. 11

Step Eleven

If you are unfamiliar with the area you will be driving in, I would also highly recommend picking up a GPS unit. These usually run about $10 a day, but will save you ALOT of time in the long run not having to deal with maps, and getting lost. These are easy to use, and will guide you through voice prompts to your destination.

 

Overall Tips & Warnings

  • If you have to up your price, also up your rental type as well. You will often get a better car for much less than you expected.
  • Add auto insurance to your rental, for piece of mind.
  • Do not drink and drive.
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1 CommentsAdd a Comment
Sylvia McClain on Mar 21, 2010
 
Did anyone proof read this article? First teh title says "How to Rent a Cheal Rental Car." Shouldn't it read "How to Rent a Cheap Rental Car? And in the first paragraph it has this line "Do you want to paying a lot less than $40 dollars a day for decent rental car when out of town on vacation." Should that line read "Do you want to pay a lot less than $40 dollars a day for a decent rental car when you are out of town on vacation." Better prooof reading needs to be reviewed by whomever edits the articles listed.
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  • Last Updated : Jan 9, 2008