How to Save Time & Money on Car Rental
Many people approach car rental as a lowest-price-possible contest rather than to concentrate on the value of the best deal they eventually would get, in terms of what type of car, what’s included (air conditioning, automatic gear shift, air bags, navigation) as well as what type of service they are going to buy.
The thing is, the car rental market has become a very competitive one and rates differences for comparable quality and service are relatively small, sometimes as small as $10 to $20. These minute price differences are going to vanish in the wind when you consider the long lines and lost time at the cheapest renter counter, drop charges for remote destinations, late return fines, and gasoline inflated rates as well as other service charges you didn’t think about when you shopped for the “best deal”.
Don’t get us wrong, we don’t like to pay higher prices more than you do. We do recommend shopping around and checking the various rates available, especially when it’s so easy to do it via the Internet at comparison sites.
All we say here you need to consider other things beside the price and when you compare please make sure you compare apples to apples and not apples to pears.
Things to consider when ordering a Car Rental Costa Rica
Who is using the car, are you by yourself on a business trip or you are traveling with the whole family? How much luggage are you going to have, does the car you are thinking about is big enough to have you all plus all your hand luggage and big suitcases? If not, consider to change to a mini van or a car with extra large trunk.
Do you need an Infant seat or a child booster? Make sure it is mentioned clearly with your order, usually there is a shortage of these seats and they are provided for extra charge.
Do you actually need the car in the town or city at the first few days? If not, consider to take a taxi, a bus, a train or the hotel shuttle into the city and when it’s time for you to go out of town and travel around, then, rent the car from the city location and by that save up to 15% on Air-Port charges as well as on city parking fees.
Are you going to a very warm and humid destination? If yes, it’s recommended to order a car with air conditioning, usually the price difference is negligible, and the problem is that it’s not available in all destinations like in some tropical countries.
Most major Costa Rica Car Rental companies allow for unlimited mileage, but it’s a good idea to check their policy before confirming. Many smaller local independent companies charge mileage after 100-200 free miles per day.
As mentioned before price is not the only factor to consider when choosing a car rental company? If you choose a very small, no-name company, don’t expect them to provide you with service across all country, what would you do if the car is needed to be replaced or serviced for some reason?
Frequent or preferred renter programs and affiliations
Frequent renter programs, like airlines and hotels, major car rental companies track their customers’ rental histories and offer preferential service to loyal customers. Most of the major companies offer frequent renter programs that are similar to airline frequent-flyer programs and hotel frequent-guest programs.
Preferred renter clubs, most major car rental companies also offer preferred renter programs or clubs. When you belong to one of these clubs, you get preferential treatment, including automatic upgrades when those cars are available. You can join these programs at any time, even if you are a first-time renter with that company.
In addition, always check for corporate rates if applicable to your situation. That’s how you will be able to save a lot of time and money when you rent a car.