I’m planning on making a trip from San Jose, Ca to Los Angeles. Cheapest Ticket flight I found roundtrip is $150 if i leave on Thursday afternoon and come back Sunday (at dawn). However, I’ve been looking at car rentals and its also $150 to rent from Friday (noon) and to return it on Monday (morning). Leaving on friday would be more convenient for me. So how does renting a car work exactly? Is $150 including gas or its just the basic fee plus gas (whatever miles I drive)? I’m staying a friends house in LA, and he will be driving for the majority of time i’m there so I don’t need to drive the car around LA.
$150 including insurance, and im between 21-24 so there’s that fee included also.
You have to fill up the gas tank before you return the car. If you don’t, the rental company will charge you an exorbitant amount per gallon to do it for you! So you, you have to pay for gas yourself.
@MaineLonghorn Do they provide a full tank of gas at the time you receive the car? And do you think it is cheaper to fly or rent a car?
Yes, the tank will be full when you get it. But you have to replenish it yourself. I have no idea which way would be cheaper. You’ll have to run the numbers yourself.
@MaineLonghorn thanks for the info!
You could get a better deal by renting at a non-airport location of the same company (Hertz, I assume?) - you will not have to pay airport taxes and fees.
Make sure that “unlimited mileage” in your rental contract does not have any actual mileage limitations (i.e., “unlimited means up to 500 max” or something like that). And yes, you will have to pay for all gas you use, so that would add to your costs.
Have you checked alternative airports? SJC is a commuter airport, so incoming flights on Sun eve and Monday morning are pricey because many return to work after spending their weekends with families back home.
Much better to have the convenience of an airport rental location, especially for a dawn return.
Don’t rent from an airport location if you can help it. You pay exorbitant airport fees that can increase your rental by up to 30%. You can use any travel comparison site to check car rental fees but be sure you can rent and what the extra fees are since you are under 25. Make sure you go all the way through the screens to get the final price. Calculate the estimated miles you will drive and multiply by the current price per gallon of gas. Then you can compare the real costs. Sometimes we find it is cheaper to fly and sometimes it is cheaper to drive. Also consider what it wil cost you to get around if you don’t have a car at your destination.
When you pick the car up inspect it carefully and take picutures of any blemishes and the the car company agent to sign off on them so you do not get charged for them when you return the car. Fill the tank just before you return the car.
Check the hours of the rental location in any case. But agree that an off-site rental location will often have better rates. And agree with the above advice to inspect it carefully and take photos, as sometimes they will try to charge you for damage later that you didn’t cause (infrequent, but it does happen). Also, when you leave the lot, note the location of nearby gas stations. You need to gas up within a short distance of the rental place on the way back (~5 miles), so it is easier if you have an idea of where the stations are. Although a smart phone can help you out of that bind these days. 
And keep the gas receipt, recently a rental place asked for it (first time that has ever happened).
Also… if you need cruise control, you probably need to rent a compact class vehicle or higher. Economy vehicles don’t usually have cruise. But at a few places, even the compact ones don’t (I’m looking at YOU, Fox Rental, after a miserable long drive for college visits without cruise control!).
Another thing to do is take your time familiarizing yourself with the car before you start up and drive off the lot. Know where the headlights & brights are, windshield wipers, how the AC/heat/defroster work, etc. It is easier to figure out on the lot than when you are driving on the highway and need them.
I keep my paperwork from renting and the photos for at least 12 months just in case something comes up (an unpaid toll ticket, etc).
Have you tried changing the rental date from a Thursday to Monday? This is usually cheaper. You can still leave Friday.
Also, rental rates change daily so book a rate that can be canceled and book the newer rate. If you have access to a Costco membership and Capital One CC, their rates are very good.
Google coupons and promotions for various rental agencies. National lets you stack promotional codes, but you have to do some work looking for the codes up front. And if you currently own a car you insure, check to see if your insurance will cover you if you are in an accident with the rental, many policies do so you do not need to buy coverage from the rental company. (may be different for you since you are <25yo). Some credit card companies also provide free coverage so you can decline the rental companies coverage. You do know you must use a credit card to rent, right?
What airline are you flying? I just got a great rental car deal from Southwest Airlines…I’m flying them to Cleveland. Sometimes if you piggyback your rental car (or hotel) from your airline, you get a better rate.
If u are arriving via plane, then how do u pick up the rental car from other than the airport location if u don’t already have a car?
Use AutoSlash–they’ll look for cheapest rental and send you an e-mail. They keep updating for cheapest rate.
Love it–saved us a bunch of time and money.
A friend got a ride once to where she was staying and actually rented a car from a local car dealership. It was half the cost of rental from the places at the airport. But yes…she needed rides both ways.
To the OP…do you really NEED to rent a car? If you don’t…don’t!
I believe OP was comparing the cost of renting a car and driving on her trip to the cost of flying instead… San Jose to LA.
If the cost is the same, and this OP does not need to drive in LA…then I would suggest flying.
The OP is not flying - s/he is trying to compare the cost of driving a rental SJC to LAX and back vs flying. Also, the $150 was the price of the cheapest itinerary which was not convenient to the OP, so the actual price could be different.
I think that if the difference in total costs is $50, then the hassle and the dangers of driving are just not worth it. If the savings are significant, then driving makes sense. It is a 5 hour drive, about 300-350 miles. So if the car does 30 mpg, it is 10 gallons of gas. Assuming the price of gas is $2.50, gas would add $50-60 to the cost of rental. Therefore, driving could make sense only if the price of ticket is over $250.
Check out the Bolt Bus. It stops in San Jose and in LA different locations (e.g. Union Station). There are also a couple of competitors. Similar to a plane ride in comfort, very few stops, supports your crazy schedule, and has free Wi-Fi. Last I checked it was $30 (one way or round trip? Don’t recall). Sometimes they have promotions- do a search & check Groupon. You will do better if you do not need to participate. If you are driving, you will need to be alert. If flying, you can relax during the 1-1/2 hour ride; but must move to the airport; through the airport, through security, at the gate, in-line to board, etc. With the bus, the elapsed time is about the same, but is uninterrupted time settled into a seat allowing you to work, study, create, or just web-surf.
Cheaper, more convenient. I would do the bus. Bolt Bus is run by Greyhound bus lines; a large well-established company.
@bunsenburner, gas is NOT $2.50 in CA, it is about 25% higher (especially along the highway!) It is 12 gallons EACH WAY.
Rent a car and drive down Hwy 1 (Santa Cruz --> Big Sur; stop in Monterey) when you have time. But for this trip fly or take the bus!