happy family on vacation in rented convertible

How to Rent the Perfect Car for Your Family’s Vacation

There’s no denying that renting a car is very practical, particularly if you’re traveling with your family. With it, you can avoid being squashed in a bus or waiting for an eternity until the bus arrives.

Apart from being practical, if you decide to rent an automobile, you will get the opportunity to thoroughly explore every inch of the destination you’ve selected, which isn’t something that you would be able to do with a bus, train, or any other form of transportation.

Now, a lot of people avoid doing this because they think that renting a vehicle is expensive, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. If you would like to know how to do it effectively without blowing your budget, then just keep reading.

family on vacation in rented convertible with dad looking at kid's in rearview mirror

Rent the Perfect Car

First Compare The Prices

One of the best strategies when it comes to this is to first cast your eyes on car rental sites. Fortunately, there are a plethora of them online which means that you’ll be able to easily hunt down a website that offers the best prices.

The whole point of doing this is to find something that’s going to fit within your budget.

For example, if you’re planning on visiting New Zealand, particularly Queenstown, then I suggest looking for Queenstown airport rentals so you can compare prices properly and find the cheapest option.

The entire process is very simple. All you have to do is to enter the location, and the time (referring to the pick-up and drop-off date) and you’ll be provided with the most affordable prices. As simple as that!

Is Car Rental Insurance Mandatory?

I know that a vast majority of car rental companies love to accentuate the fact of how essential car rental insurance is. Even though there’s no doubt that it’s relevant, I wouldn’t perceive it as something that is mandatory.

Of course, most of them will do everything that’s in their power to try to convince you that it is as soon as you come to their office to pick up your vehicle, however, if you want to avoid additional expenses, then simply politely decline their offer.

Some of them will still be very persistent, however, there’ll be those that will eventually give up. Tenacious ones are usually smaller companies that need those extra bucks so they can earn more money.

But at the end of the day, it all depends on the place you’re traveling to, and of course, the company you select.

From what I know, if you live in the United States, plus you have an auto insurance policy, then you most likely do not need this type of insurance.

How come? Well, that’s because your auto insurance probably covers the collision damage, and at times, personal liability for a car rental.

However, I would still recommend you first contact your auto insurance company just to check if that’s the case.

Opt For Discounts Brands

Speaking of smaller companies, bear in mind that these are normally much cheaper and frequently offer vehicles at a lower rate in comparison to larger, more popular brands such as Hertz and Enterprise.

Recently I conducted research and uncovered that on certain days, the lowest-priced rental from smaller companies like Advantage is at least five dollars cheaper than the cheapest premium rental from the more famous brands. 

Of course, as I previously concluded, all of this depends on the location you’ll be visiting, but the point is to consider these companies whenever you want to skimp on costs.

Have Your Own GPS

Here’s another tip concerning this topic that you can definitely benefit from. One of the best things that you can do when it comes to this is to have your own Sat-Nav.

Why does it matter? Well, that’s because a vast majority of car rental companies will charge you a daily rate for having a GPS.

And that’s something that’s far from cheap even if you’re traveling within your country. You can imagine how expensive it’s going to be if you’re traveling overseas.

Even if you do not have your own GPS, you can always turn your cell phone into one.

You know that I would suggest Google Maps since that’s for sure the best option, however, if you’re not eager to employ data, you can opt for free alternatives, like Mapfactor, HERE We Go Maps, and Polaris GPS Navigation.

These are generally amazing options, plus with them, you do not have to worry about a huge phone bill.

As you can see, there are so many spectacular options when it comes to renting a vehicle, that you do not need to worry about spending too much money on it.

So make sure to follow all of these tips so you can rent an ideal car for yourself and your family.