Renting a car seems to be such a challenge to research! The websites just aren’t set up to let you do any comparing, even for the same company. I try to enter coupon codes and find they aren’t accepted, calling them paper coupons that have to be submitted (and may or may not be accepted) at the counter at pick-up.
We are planning one more college tour trip and I think the best plan for us will be to rent a car at home, drive to the first location, then fly from there to the next location.
Anyone have tips or tricks to find the best deals on one-way car rentals?
I’ve had to do this a number of times and there is no easy way. It really depends on the inventory at a particular rental location and whether they are willing to let a car go out of the area. I’ve had good luck with off-airport locations. You are just going to have to call around. MAKE SURE you read the agreement carefully and that there isn’t a mileage charge or a huge drop charge. There will definitely be an up-charge for the 1-way rental, but I got mis-led last summer (and I’m a lawyer and know better) and got hit with a high drop charge.
Hertz used to be the only company we used with no drop charge, just very high daily rates, but that could have changed in the years since we last did a one way rental. I agree with calling and reading carefully.
Are you a Costco member? For busy places like SJC, Costco always has the best rates (better than other discount codes and coupons). Well worth checking!
I’ve compared quite a bit and almost always find that Costco is the most competitive (although I’ve only rented one ways a few times). If you have a Costco card, give them a try.
I have to remember to look up Costco next time. The one way rates I’ve seen in the past, make purchasing a car, then selling it at the destination, seem like a better deal!
We have rented many one-way rentals and I always call each company directly. I specifically ask about any current “specials” as well as their AAA discounts. We have had luck with most major rental companies, Hertz, Avis, etc.
i don’t think you’re going to find a cost-effective option unless you’re not talking about much of a distance.
When we did this years ago, AAA travel was able to negotiate a lower-but-still-high price for a one-way rental. Now that so much is done online, I’m not sure that AAA would have the influence anymore.
You may find it cheaper to fly the whole way as a “circle trip.”
Check this web site – www.transfercarus.com – but use caution when dealing with them.
My son used them for a trip from LA to SF this past fall, and he did not get the “free” deal he thought he was getting, and was not successful in getting compensated – apparently the company thinks that “2 free days” = 24 hours. However, my son still came out well ahead of what he would have paid to rent directly from the car rental, because he basically ended up paying a discount rate for a rental with the drop off fee waived. This is a new company so hard to say whether my son’s issue was representative of problems.
The company works with major car rental companies – the problem my son ran into was communication between the agency that booked the car and the rental company itself – but he did get the car as promised and he was prepared for some sort of “gotcha” on the “free” part.
Wouldn’t it depend on where one is going? I.e. wouldn’t it be cheaper if you are going from a place with a surplus of rental cars to one with a shortage than the other way around?
Thanks all! I did find a deal online that is better than if we fly, but still not great…so I am going to keep looking. I hadn’t even considred Costso. I didn’t know they did car rentals!
Part of the issue is that we will want a car for 2-3 days at the first location (Atlanta area) so we will be renting a car anyway.
I will be glad when we are done comparing places so travel arrangements will just be to and from one location!