Last Minute Cheap Car Rental Tips

One of the best ways to save money on car rentals is to find last minute deals. Companies offer last minute specials to attract customers. It is not always easy to find these specials but it is well worth the time to search for them.

When to Begin Searching for Specials

If you know well in advance that you will need a rental car, you can delay your search to within two weeks of the date you want to lease the car. You will get the deals about one week prior to the rental date. Take into consideration the time of the year you are looking for last minute specials. It may be near impossible to wait until the last minute during high travel times such as holidays and expect to get a reduced rate. In fact, you risk getting stuck with a rate that is much higher than if you had made a reservation in advance.

Where to Look

The best place to learn about last minute cheap car rental specials is online. You can compare rates from various car rental companies who are offering discounts. For this to be effective, you need to get rates from as many rental agencies as possible. Look for companies located in different parts of the city where you want to rent a car so you can decide which option is best. Once you select a few to look at more closely, you will be able to review terms and charges of each rental agreement.

What to Look For

The closer you get to your rental date, the less flexibility you have in securing good deals. Many last minute cheap car rental deals have special conditions that restrict where rentals can occur, require a minimum or maximum number of rental days, or limit the types of vehicles you can rent. Rental companies often offer discounts on economy cars as smaller vehicles are less desirable for car renters. If you do not care about the type of car you rent, you may be able to get excellent last minute rental deals. You also want to consider where the rental car companies are located since airport rentals cost more than renting from other companies. It may be cheaper to take a taxi to the rental agency. Once you have identified the car rental company with the best deal, you need to lock in your rate by making a reservation as soon as possible. Be sure to read the fine print on the discounts you receive. Many prevent changes after the reservation is made and do not allow refunds. If you know for certain your trip will occur this should not be a problem. However, these restrictions can be costly so consider last minute specials only when there is no chance of cancellation on your part.