You\u2019ve booked your hotel and airfare for your next vacation and now it\u2019s time to reserve your set of wheels.\u00a0 Renting a car can be expensive but there are tricks you can use to ensure you get the best rates without sacrificing comfort. Use the following tricks to save money on your next car rental.<\/p>\r\n
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How do you know you\u2019re getting a bargain if you don\u2019t shop around?\u00a0 Instead of jumping on the first deal you see, take some time to comparison shop.\u00a0 Sites like Orbitz<\/a>, Travelocity<\/a> and Expedia<\/a> let you compare the rates for numerous companies at once. Although this is a good place to start, don’t book your reservation until you’ve checked with the car rental company directly. Sometimes you can find an even better deal on their website.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n People rent cars for different purposes.\u00a0 Some want a luxury vehicle they can use for showing off, while others strictly care about getting from point A to point B.\u00a0 If you have no preference about the car type, you can save money by letting the manager pick the vehicle for you.\u00a0 Thrifty<\/a>, Dollar and Enterprise<\/a> all offer special deals to customers who don\u2019t mind booking blindly.\u00a0 For a low price you\u2019re guaranteed to get a compact car or larger, but you won\u2019t know which one until you get there.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Car rental companies make a lot of money by charging you for extra benefits, most of which you don\u2019t need.\u00a0 Curbside drop off?\u00a0 Hop on the free shuttle and save your $25.\u00a0 Satellite radio for $8 a day?\u00a0 Not when you can listen to the local stations for free.\u00a0 If music is that important to you, download some songs on your phone and connect it to the car’s Bluetooth.\u00a0 Paying $17 per day for GPS is also a waste of money.\u00a0 Most phones already come with Google Maps which can give you directions for free. There\u2019s also a good chance that your own car insurance covers rentals so paying for extra protection may be unnecessary.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n There\u2019s no shortage of coupon sites on the internet which means you have countless opportunities to save.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sure where to begin your search, check out DontPayFull<\/a> or RetailMeNot.\u00a0 Simply type in the rental company\u2019s name and they\u2019ll give you a list of available coupon codes.\u00a0 Test them all out to see which nets you the biggest savings.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Signing up for a loyalty program can save you time and money.\u00a0 As a member you\u2019ll be able to skip the long lines and head straight to the lot.\u00a0 You\u2019ll also earn rewards points which can be redeemed for free rentals. Some agencies even let you add an additional driver (usually your spouse) for free.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Being a part of certain organizations can help you drive away with savings.\u00a0 AAA<\/a> members get special pricing when they book through Hertz<\/a>, Dollar and Thrifty.\u00a0 They\u2019ll even waive the fee for an additional driver or child safety seat.\u00a0 AARP<\/a> members can save up to 30% off their bookings with Budget and Avis.\u00a0 Drivers can also receive a free upgrade and discounted GPS.\u00a0 Additionally, some companies offer discounts to military members and their families, so it doesn’t hurt to ask questions.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n One of the easiest ways to score yourself a sizeable discount is to book your reservation online and pay in advance.\u00a0 This money-saving trick isn\u2019t even a secret.\u00a0 Visit any car rental website and you\u2019ll see both prices clearly listed side-by-side.\u00a0 In some cases, you can save up to 35% off the base rate when you pre-pay.\u00a0 The drawback is that your payment may be nonrefundable.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n You\u2019ve booked your hotel and airfare for your next vacation and now it\u2019s time to reserve your set of wheels.\u00a0 Renting a car can be expensive but there are tricks you can use to ensure you get the best rates without sacrificing comfort. Use the following tricks to save money on your next car rental. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-save-money"],"yoast_head":"\nLet the company pick your vehicle<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Decline the recommended extras<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Search the internet for coupon codes<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Become a rewards member<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Inquire about membership discounts<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Pay for your car rental in advance<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
File your taxes fast and ez in 30 minutes or less.<\/h2>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"