If you want your travel arrangements to be as smooth as possible when visiting a new place for business or leisure – renting a car is always a good move.
When looking for the best deal from an affordable car rental agency, there are several factors which are taken into consideration when calculating the costs that you need to pay.
Here is a comprehensive list of the factors affecting your car rental rates:
• The age of the driver or drivers
Most car rental agencies allow those who are 18 years old and above to rent a car. |
However, there are others who have a minimum age requirement of 25. In the same vein, some cities do not allow senior citizens to rent a car – so check on the age restrictions before booking a car rental reservation.
• The number of drivers who will handle the car
If you are going on a family trip and both spouses will be alternately driving, make sure to inform the car rental agency before hand. There may be additional charges that you would have to pay if you fail to do so.
• Taxes and charges
Aside from the main fees which include the daily or weekly rate for renting a car – there are additional taxes and charges that you need to be aware of. If you will pick up the rental car from the airport, you need to pay an airport surcharge fee and other similar fees.
Also, there are some car rental agencies which will charge you with a slightly higher rate if the pick up point is different from the drop off point. Before signing your name on the rental agreement, make sure that you are aware of these taxes and charges. Better yet, read carefully the fine print on the contract.
• Gasoline
Some car rental companies offer renters the option to 'prepay' for the gas that they will be consuming. The disadvantage of this option is that if you will not use the entire tank of gas – there is no refund to be had anymore.
The best way to go around this policy is to ensure that you will fill up the tank before returning the car rental to the agency. Similarly, if you will not be filling up the tank with gas and the car rental agency has to do this for you, you may be charged with higher rates.
• Insurance options
This is one issue that a lot of car renters are not even aware of. Some individuals agree to an extra car rental insurance that they do not actually need. It's called 'extra' because the car rental insurance may already be covered by your own auto insurance policy.
This is something that you need to check on when shopping for car rental quotes.
Now that you know what are the real costs involved when renting a vehicle, you can make an informed decision when the time comes that you have to rent a car for your own use.