Everything You Need to Know About How to Rent a Car

Ready to Hit the Road?

Planning a vacation to keep yourself away from the daily hustle and bustle of the city? Maybe you are wondering how and where to rent a car that could increase your convenience and complete your trip within your estimated budget.

Finding a suitable car rental is a tedious and time-consuming process. However, it is worth spending time shopping around, reviewing your travel requirements, and comparing deals on car rentals. This research will help you find a suitable rental car at the best price available in the market.

A rental car offers a lot of benefits that other transportation modes don’t. A few reasons why you should opt for a rental car are:

It saves time as you don’t need to wait for public transportation.
It provides the flexibility to stop anywhere you want.
It eliminates the need for you to carry the luggage around.
It is cheaper than the other modes of transportation.

This article provides you with the exact process you may need to follow to find a suitable rental car.

How to Rent a Car

Once you’ve decided to take that much-needed vacation, you should immediately jump into action and do your groundwork to find the best rental car.

Shop Around

There are over 15,557 car rental businesses in the United States. That’s a lot for you to explore. You don’t need to check in with all these companies and inquire about their rental deals. We suggest you handpick a few popular rental companies and compare their rental deals with one another. This step will help you determine which one has what you need at the best rate.

Looking for the best rates on quality rental vehicles? Airport Van Rental (AVR) offers the best deals on SUVs, minivans, and passenger vans, so you can head out on your vacation trip hassle-free.

Choose Your Location and Dates

Car rental prices vary based on the rental location, pick-up/drop-off location, pick-up date, return date, and the rental period. If you don’t have clarity on these aspects, you may not be able to compare the rental deals offered by the rental companies. Therefore, be aware of your location, dates, and rental period before you begin your search.

Select a Vehicle

The common vehicle classes that appear in every rental company’s fleet are compact cars, economy cars, full-size cars, convertibles, SUVs, minivans, and passenger vans.

Unless you have a clear understanding of your vacation travel needs, you will not be able to decide on the vehicle.

The following questions may help you select a suitable vehicle:

How many people are traveling?
What is the purpose of the trip?
Are there any old-aged people traveling along with you?
Are you visiting the countryside, national parks, and trekking sites during the vacation trip?
Do you want the car to be high on technology?
What is your budget?
What is your driving style?

Ask yourself these questions to better understand your travel needs and requirements. The more questions you can answer before your search, the better your search will be for a suitable vehicle.

For instance, if you are going on a road trip that involves off-road traveling and visiting national parks, you may need to choose an SUV with off-road capabilities.

Immediately after you decide on the type of vehicle, check with all the selected rental agencies about its availability on your preferred date at your pick-up location.

Review Requirements

Rental companies allow you to rent a vehicle only if you meet its travel policies, terms, and conditions.

The most common requirements include but are not limited to:

You should have a valid driver’s license.
Your age must be 21 or above. If you are renting a car in New York and Michigan, the minimum age restriction is 18 years.
You may need to have a valid credit card. If you are an underage driver, you will not be allowed to rent a car with a debit card.
You must submit one or two forms of identification.

The requirements may differ from one rental company to another. Consider giving the customer support team of the rental company a call if you have any questions on requirements or restrictions.

Make sure you review all requirements and adequately meet them before booking a rental car.

Submit a Reservation

If you meet the requirements and are sure about the rental company, rental location, pick-up date, pick-up time, rental period, and type of vehicle, hit the “Reserve Now” button and fill out the reservation form. If you opt for the “PayNow” option at companies such as AVR, you may need to pay the money immediately through the prescribed form of payment and complete the rental formalities at the time of picking up the vehicle.

Head Out on Your Trip!

Upon making the reservation, you can visit the rental location to provide the payment, submit the proof of identification, deposit the credit or debit card (if the rental agency’s policies ask you to do so), and sign the rental agreement. After finishing the pick-up formalities, the rental agency will allow you to pick up your vehicle.

The rental process does not end at vehicle pick-up. You need to make sure that the vehicle is returned on time as per the rental agreement, in the same condition you received it. If you delay the rental return, your rental company may collect additional rental charges from you.

Tips and Tricks for a Seamless Car Rental

A seamless car rental is the dream of every renter. Here are a few tips that can help you to rent a car at the best price and enjoy your vacation with peace of mind.

Reserve the car ahead of your schedule: Reservation ensures you get the vehicle you want at the best price possible. If you opt for a last-minute car rental, you may end up choosing a vehicle that is readily available at the rental agency.
Check into membership discounts: Many rental companies offer membership discount coupons for AAA and USAA members. For instance, AVR offers a 5% instant discount on rental prices for AAA and USAA members.
Choose one driver to avoid additional fees: Rental companies charge additional driver fees if you opt for multiple drivers. The additional driver fees may range from $10 to $200 per rental.
- Budget/Avis: Budget’s additional driver fees start from $13 per day per driver and go up to a maximum of $65 per rental.
- Enterprise: It charges $15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver.
- Hertz/Dollar/Thrifty: These companies' charges start from $13.5 per day per driver and go up to a maximum of $189 per rental.
- Alamo: It charges $15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver.

Check about rental car insurance: Rental car companies provide basic rental insurance coverage to meet the stage requirements. Be sure to check if your rental company covers loss damage waiver, liability coverage, personal accident coverage, and personal effects coverage. If all these components are not covered, you may need to take an additional rental insurance policy.

Easily Rent a Car with AVR

Finding a suitable rental car is not impossible if you spend ample time analyzing the best rental companies, reviewing your travel requirements, and comparing deals on car rentals.

AVR, a family-run company, has been operating in the car rental business for the past 12 years. We specialize in renting SUVs, minivans, passenger vans, and cargo vans that meet the diverse travel needs of customers. With over a dozen rental locations across the country, we offer flexible pick-up and drop-off facilities.

Book a rental van from AVR at a discounted price and hit the road to enjoy your next vacation trip.