Travelers don’t usually pay so much attention to scrutinize car rentals as they do for room rates or airfares. However, you should know that hidden charges in car rentals can make your ground transportation costs high, which would in turn affect your overall budget. So, if ground transportation accounts for a substantial portion of your journey, it would then be advisable to look for lower car rentals prior to your trip.

Firstly, the pricing process of car rental companies is difficult to understand. There are hidden charges that travelers don’t usually pay attention to. Moreover, travelers are under the misconception that car rental rates don’t vary to a large extent. However, the truth is that rental rates do vary sometimes and that too by huge margins depending on destinations and companies.

There is a silver lining, car rental companies, such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, also reward people with Enterprise coupons and other offers, which makes it easier for them to operate. Therefore, people who don’t know how to get a win-win deal end up paying much higher amounts.

So, let’s learn some tips to get the best deals on car rentals. These may help you lower your car rental expenses on your next trip.

Fill up the gas tank at your expense to avoid paying high gas prices

Rental companies are averse to fill the gas tank after your return. If they need to do that, they may charge you a ridiculous price for each gallon. Therefore, before hiring a car, always tell the company personnel that the car will be returned filled up before your departure. If the journey was long enough, then it pays to fill up the gas tank before returning the car to the company. Some companies don’t allow that without a fee though. In that case, make it a point to return the vehicle with as much gas in the tank as there was before starting the journey.

Advertised rates may be alluring, but taxes and fees may not be reckoned

There are many additional charges that can add up to very high rentals. In fact, taxes and fees on an $18 per day advertised rate may add up to more than $50 a day. Taxes and fees that may be added to the base price are sales tax, vehicle license fee, arena fee, etc. The rental company will extract every ounce of its expense from you. So, don’t get carried away by low advertised rates; keep in mind that fees and taxes can add a substantial amount to it. Discuss these fringe expenses with the operator beforehand.

Don’t go for airport pickups or drops

Airport pickups and drops may add a substantial amount to your car rental component. Rental companies usually charge a hefty fee for pick-up or drop-off at the airport. A shuttle service from your hotel or an airport rental may, in fact, be cheaper by a wide margin. In some cities, you can even get very good public transport service from and to airports. So, you can avoid including your airport trip into the car rental itinerary. This may save you a substantial sum of money.

Avoid car rental insurance

Insurance makes for a substantial amount for the car rental companies. That is why they insist their customers get an insurance. Some companies may push their customers to purchase insurance for their trips. However, this may end up pushing your budget to a great extent. With a great personal insurance cover, you would be safe and covered.

Go for compact cars

Compact cars come with a less charge, but many travelers don’t go for these. That is why many car rentals don’t have many compacts in their stable. However, if you don’t book a compact car beforehand and if your destination is a smaller facility like a regional airport then there is a high likelihood that the company won’t be able to offer you a compact when you land on their door. As they would be hard pressed for compact cars, they would offer you a mid-size or an even bigger car for the price of a small car. So you can travel in a bigger car at the rent of a small car.

Go for car rental coupons

One of the best car rental companies in the US is the Enterprise Rent-A-Car service. With Enterprise, coupons of various types for various services are put on sale often. You can check online for getting the nearest Enterprise location and get various offers on their deals and Enterprise coupons for whenever you want to avail their services. You can also check online sites to get a hold of various offers and Enterprise coupons.

With Enterprise coupons and the above-mentioned tips, you can rest assured get the best deals on car rental services.