Ottakee Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Looks like we will be renting a car to drive to drive from Michigan to South Carolina. It is about 900 miles each way plus some travel in Columbia, SC. We need a full size car. It will be my brother and myself driving so we are related but not married or partners so we have to figure out that extra driver fee. I am a AAA member and we figured we could check with our car insurance place for discounts. Any other ideas/hints, etc? We will rent the car for a week even though we only need it for 4-5 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Take pictures of the car (all sides) before you drive off the lot with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Find out what your personal car insurance and/or credit card cover as far as rental car insurance. The insurance you buy from the rental company is very expensive and is often unnecessary and most people are already covered by (first) the credit card they rent the car with and (second) their own car insurance. This is not the case for everyone, but the vast majority, so check ahead of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Just remember a full-size car is what would be a mid-size or smaller car years ago. They aren't that big, if space is an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Sue Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Costco has great rates, if you are a member. Also, check on hotwire and priceline for better deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Find out what your personal car insurance and/or credit card cover as far as rental car insurance. The insurance you buy from the rental company is very expensive and is often unnecessary and most people are already covered by (first) the credit card they rent the car with and (second) their own car insurance. This is not the case for everyone, but the vast majority, so check ahead of time.Yes, check the insurance. AMEX, even at the Costco level, had excellent insurance coverage that applied automatically if you used their card for the rental. I was able to skip the insurance from the rental company. Fill up with gas as close as possible when you return. If the rental place has a policy of refilling, you may pay top price for that gas. Also check the tank at the time you rent the car. I'm not sure about this, but the rental company may put a hold on you credit card that is greater than the rental. If you are using a card with a low limit, that is something to consider, Check hours of the rental place for when you return, as some may be closed weekends. Airport rentals are usually open 24/7. When you pick up the car, ask about individual vehicles. IME, there may be several in your price range -- lower mileage, different models, etc. If you can establish a rapport with the people, they can steer you to the nicer cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Depending on the length of time you will keep the car, check the monthly rate. Last summer we found out it was cheaper for us to rent a car for a month and turn it in early than it was to do a daily rate for 20ish days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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