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Posted by Granite Head (65.213.192.3) on 07:11:00 08/24/12
In Reply to: A couple of questions posted by Christi
Hi Christi - We always rent a car but arrange our itinerary so we come and go from the same airport. I once did a one-way rental and it was, surprisingly, not more expensive. So here are my recommendations for minimizing your costs:
1. The person renting the car should check with his/her employer to see if they have a rental discount program. Both my current and former employers had a deal with National (a reputable company from whom I've rented dozens and dozens of times over the years) which was extended to personal use. Doesn't sound like it would apply in this case, but sometimes AARP discounts are helpful too.
2. Check with their own car insurance to find out if they are covered so they don't have to add $25+ a day to buy coverage from the rental company.
3. Check rates on the rental car company websites starting NOW. Hertz is typically the priciest, Budget might be the lowest, but you never know, so absent other discounts try them all. Book the one that is the most favorable now, it can be cancelled without penalty. Then check back every couple of months - more frequently as the date of travel approaches - for a better deal. Book it first, then cancel the older one. I do that all the time with National (and prices DO fluctuate up and down through the months) and have never had any problem.
4. I have never rented through Travelocity or other on-line discount travel site, you could check rates through them too, but I know their terms are likely to be different so be sure you understand the cancellation policies in particular before booking through them.
5. Try to find a deal that allows unlimited mileage so you don't have to be conscious all the time of how much you've driven. With respect to limited mileage ("1,000 free miles, 30¢ per mile thereafter"), that too may change between when you initially book and later rates. But when I was not able to get unlimited mileage, my employee discount has on occasion meant the difference between 30¢ per extra mile and 8¢ per extra mile, which amounted, the last time we rented under those terms, to $2 or $3 extra dollars total - so little National didn't even bother to add it to our charges (this was in Bozeman, BTW).
With respect to flights, I've come into one city and flown out of another at least twice and there was no significant difference in the total price from coming and going from the same airport. Once again, check on line now. However, with flights you can't cancel without penalty (unlike car rentals) so keep that in mind. My suggestion is, though, if you find a good deal, book it, because flight costs tend to drift up, not down, through time.
Otherwise, sounds like a great trip!
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