However, by following these tips you should guarantee yourself a rental that is much cheaper than what you're quoted the first time.
Firstly, you can usually get a much better price by renting well in advance of your trip. This works the same way as with an airline rental. Companies want to know their equipment will be used, and as such, frequently offer high percentage discounts just to ensure that cars aren't sitting on the lot earning no income.
Call and ask if they offer advance car rental discounts and even pursue their websites. This is especially true if you are reserving in a low traffic season, but intend to travel in a high traffic one.
Airfare sites often have very good deals on rental cars, allowing you to make package deals and save costs on both. Once again, check the web. Price comparison sites are common and can often offer deep discounts.
You should always rent the smallest car that meets your needs. This is something most people don't realize, but the price differences between even a small and midsize car can be huge. Sometimes as well, you'll end up with a free upgrade due to shortages, but you'll always save on the price
For some reason a full week is often cheaper than five days. This makes no logical sense, but is something you should check into.
Always be careful to coordinate pick-up and return times so you won't be charged for an extra day. The same applies to your gas level. Make sure you return it with the same amount you left with. It's cheaper to accidentally throw a few extra gallons in than pay the ridiculous surcharges for returning it under-filled.
Lastly, make sure you call every company you can find. It's often easy to take the lazy way out, and book with the first company that offers you a reasonable rate.
This is the biggest mistake you can make however, as once you have a cheap quote, it can be easier to weasel better rates of the competitors even if you don't like to do this type of things it can save you a lot of money and it's pretty easy to do. Good luck and happy driving!
