Depending on your situation, a one way rental may be unavoidable. Perhaps having to return the rental car to its original location could cost you time you don’t have to spare or cause you to have to take a more costly flight. No matter what your personal situation is, know that with a few tips and tricks you can minimize what you have to pay out. You could look into making a special arrangement also known as a “driveaway” to knock down your car rental rate.

You would hire a driveaway company to move your vehicle from one place to another and decrease your car rental rate. This gives you the flexibility and freedom you need. Something else you should consider is hunting down special discounts and coupon codes. You can become a member of the car rental website or sign up for their newsletter for free. When you do this you’ll get discounts and coupon codes delivered directly to your in-box. This could be a great alternative and significant problem solver.

One great reason that you can get a great deal online is that you can take the time to look and see exactly what you are going to require for your trip. You will not have to deal with any sales agents trying to convince you that you need to by extra insurance and a bunch of extras that you really do not need. When you are not under pressure you will make better choices.

The next thing that makes looking for a deal online for your rental car is that you can comparison shop. You can look for the exact type of car that you would like to rent and what the car rental agency will charge you for gas. Then you can compare different car rental websites and see which one will offer you the better deal on the price of the car rental or the price for gas. You can then choose which car rental agency offers you the most affordable deal for your car rental.

So the next time that you are looking to rent a car no matter if it is for a day or for a month you need to look online. You will be able to get a great car at a very affordable price.

Often renting a car through a package deal online with such websites such as Priceline, Hotwire, or Orbitz can save you money when renting a car. Typically these will offer a package price deal: a flight, hotel and car rental in the city you are planning to travel in that’ll be a better rate then if you booked all three separately. This is not always the case though. The best option is to look for car rental agencies in your destination city. There are sometimes offers that you may take advantage of through their direct websites.

Look on their websites for promotion codes, discount offers, and anything that will save you money when looking for a car rental. The direct websites will sometimes offer a discount for a car rental that you may not find in the package deals offered by the websites above. It is always best to compare to save yourself some money in the long run a little research can save you big dollars.

Depending upon the website, it is sometimes hard to tell exactly where you will be saving the money; is it the flight, the hotel, or car rental that saved you money? If the site does not offer an automatic breakdown of these, it is best to check it by checking for the flight first, then adding the hotel, then the car rental to get a good comparison.

Online is your best and cheapest way of finding what you want at a reduced rate. Walk-in customers to a car rental take the chance of not getting a car or paying a higher rate.

For starters, getting a hassle free rental rate, begins with reading and understanding the terms and conditions before you make your reservations. Here’s why…there are fees, taxes, charges for drop off, mileage restrictions, liability coverage, collision coverage, travel restrictions, charges for gas and many other fees that could apply. Excessive charges can be a deal breaker and prevent you from being able to afford the car you want.

Here’s something else you need to know. In many cases, it’s cheaper to rent your car for a week instead of a couple of days or a weekend. Whenever weekly rates kick in, you will always pay a cheaper rate than if you rent for less than five days. Also, be on the alert for upfront fees. For example, if you don’t have a major credit card to rent your card, renting with a debit card could require a deposit of $100 or more. At this point, you can now make your car rental rate work for you instead of against you.

Second, if you are too young you may find it is more difficult to rent a car. Some credit card companies usually give young drivers low credit limits which are inadequate for renting a car for even a week. Make sure you have a valid credit card with enough balance in it to settle this issue. Next, some rental car companies are willing to sign a contract with a low-credit-limit customer who meets their needs. You may need to rent the car several times consecutively throughout your single trip. Paying credit cards several times during the journey may seem inconvenience, but your credit limit is low after all. You may as well use an upgrade coupon to rent a compact-sized car to save you a few bucks. If the car rental company does not own such compact car, you may get a larger-sized car instead. The other issue you need to settle is the additional insurance charges that some car rental companies require in their contracts. It is because they do not usually have a car insurance policy for rent cars.

The first, and best option, is to be automatically covered by your existing policy. Depending on your company, this might be included in your policy or available for a small surcharge. The easiest way to find out is to call your insurance agent to determine if you are covered in a rental, and if so if there are any restrictions. Insurance companies are picky in this regard, so it’s best to find out exactly when you are and aren’t covered. However, this will usually be the cheapest route.

Next up, check your credit card company. Some companies will either cover you outright or offer you insurance at a discounted rate - just don’t forget to actually pay with that credit card. This won’t work for you if you have a student Visa card, but if you’ve got an American Express Centurion stowed away, it’s worth a shot.

Now, if neither one of those applies to you, you can also purchase insurance directly from the agency. This will usually be the most expensive, however it’s still going to be less than the cost of a small accident. Is the cost worth it? Well, that really just depends on how good of a drive you are and where you’re planning on driving. To some, the peace of mind is worth it.

Finally, you could be a rebel and drive without insurance. Just remember, a small fender bender will cost you $500, a head on collision might cost you the cost of the whole car. Hope you’re feeling lucky.

Many people complain that insurance is a scam, but when things go wrong insurance is the first thing they turn to. It’s best to make sure your insurance needs are covered before traveling, that way you can drive assured knowing that you are protected.

Age - Many people do not realize that renting a vehicle before age 25 costs a whole lot more. This is because people under the age of 25 are considered to not yet be fully mature and end up making bad decisions or do not yet have full control of their driving abilities. The age of 25 and older is considered a more responsible age where rental companies have no problem on charging you less for your rental.

Season - The holidays are especially hectic times to find a rental car. Choosing a rental vehicle in advance can help to lock in lower prices for a rental while providing you a way to actually choose a vehicle for your travel plan.

Length of Rental - You may find that taking on a rental car opportunity costs less for the longer length of time you rent it for. A daily rate is much more of an advanced rate for 6 days than it would be to take on a weekly rate. You may even end up paying less than the price for 6 days!

Promotions - Many companies offer promotional discounts which could be redeemed at any rental service, even if with a comparative price rental car search engine.

The first major tip anyone can recommend is that you look for rental car facilities away from the airport. Rental counters at major airports bank on the fact that you have no way of getting from the airport to another facility to find a car. The sad fact is that companies can charge hundreds of dollars more per week just for renting from an airport. If you can find an airport taxi or cab to a car facility a few miles from the airports, you can save some serious money. If you have no way of getting to another facility, try and fly into a different airport, one with lower rental car rates. Lastly, if you already know when you’re going to be flying out, try and book a rental car in advance. You can sometimes strike deals with rental car companies if you book months in advance, and out of season.

The first thing you’ll want to do is reserve your car rental ahead of time. Most people that wait until the last minute to pick up a rental car get charged substantially higher rates. Not to mention they run the risk of not finding an available car in their price range. Since most rental car companies are a good distance away from an airport terminal, you often travel by shuttle to get there. Imagine that when you get there, all the cars left are already reserved! Another shuttle back to the airport, then another shuttle to another car rental place to start the process all over again. Save time, frustration and money by taking the time to do some research online. First decide what class of car is in your price range. Is it economy, luxury or somewhere in between? You’ll find hundreds of potential deals including special online rates, sales, discount codes and more.

-See if you can qualify for a discount through your credit card company, AAA, or your employer.

-Find out if your hotel or airline offers a discounted car rental rate if you use one of their chosen vendors.

-Peruse the car rental ads in your local paper’s travel section- often you can find coupons good for upgrades or discounted rates.

-Choose a smaller and more fuel-efficient car. Sure, that gas-guzzling SUV looks nicer than the economy car, but it will cost you a lot more in terms of both car rental rate and the amount of fuel you will use.

-If you can find a promotional code for the car rental agency you prefer, enter it on their website.

-Check your auto insurance policy to see if you have rental coverage. If you do, there’s no need to purchase the extra insurance at the rental counter.

Renting a car doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little effort and some comparison shopping, you can get the car (and the car rental rate) that fits your needs without breaking the bank.