One of the most expensive car rental options you can choose is a One-way Rental. If you pick up a car from one city and drop it off in another, the car rental company has to organise it to come back so the rental charge reflects those costs. One way renters are typically penalised with high base rates or drop off surcharges.
If a one-way rental is going to work best for you through eliminating the need to retrace your steps or save on the cost of an expensive flight, choosing a larger rental company that has branches in more locations will offer the best choice. Shopping around to take advantage of discounts and coupons will get you a better deal.
2. Check out Driveaway options
A good option for flexible travellers wanting a low-cost road trip without renting a car or putting miles on their own vehicle clock is what is called a Driveaway. A driveaway is an arrangement (usually made by a driveaway company) in which the owner of a car pays for a driver to move their vehicle from one location to another. All the driver typically has to pay for is their accommodation, food, tolls and any fuel costs beyond the first tank of petrol.
Most driveaway companies stipulate that drivers must be over 25 years old with a clean driving record. A bond or cash deposit of usually several hundred dollars needs to be paid upfront which is refunded upon delivery of the car to its final location in good condition.
3. Shop around and book your rental car before you go
If you are heading overseas, booking a rental car before you go can save you money. Several of the big travel booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity offer car rentals as well. On top of the big rental car brands, there are cars available through what is known as a consolidator, or essentially an agent or middle man. If you decide to book through one of these, ask if any extra fees are required, particularly at pick-up or delivery.
4. Manual or automatic transmission? Driving wheel on the left or the right?
Another thing to watch out for is that a lot of the rental cars in Europe are manual rather than automatic transmission. The latter is often only available on the larger, more expensive cars which can be less manoeuvrable on some of the narrow, twisting laneways found in Europe. Parking can also be an issue if there is limited parking available.
In the US the steering wheel is on the left hand side of the car, while here in NZ and in Australia, Ireland and England it is on the right.
5. Take a minute to think about the best place to pick up the car
Picking up a car rental away from the worst of the city traffic and stress is a good idea. Let your blood pressure level be a factor in choosing your pick up and drop off points.
6. ‘Small’ or ‘compact’ differs depending on location
What is considered a small car in the US is not necessarily considered a small car in Europe.