Save Money on a Rental Car to Follow in our Footsteps

At dare2go, we encourage you to rent a vehicle and take one of our road trips. Here are some tips, and a coupon, to save money on that rental car.

Drive yourself holidays have always appealed to many people. While we travel in our own vehicle, if you’d like to “follow in our footsteps” on a road trip we’ve described, you will probably need to rent a car; or maybe even a campervan, to follow one of our longer road trip suggestions. Here we want to help you save money on a rental car or campervan so you can do just that.

We’ve all seen the ads for cheap rental cars – and the smaller the vehicle, the smaller the price. Not only that, the smaller they are, the less fuel they use. You may also feel more comfortable behind the wheel of a smaller vehicle when driving in unfamiliar countries – maybe even on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Some of the roads we choose can also be quite narrow.

So, you make your choice of vehicle based on many things, but cost is a major factor. And then there’s the shock of the insurance cost when you pick it up!

An abandoned AVIS station somewhere in rural Australia.

Our Tips to Save Money on Car Rentals

Disclaimer: This posts contains affiliate links to products and services. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

1. Compare Prices of Rental Cars

At the very least, it is always worth comparing prices between aggregator sites and booking with a rental car company. In our experience, the prices for rental cars seem to be highest when you deal directly with the major companies, especially if you walk into their shops. Aggregators usually find the best price for you. You can use the same websites you use when searching for cheap flights, or there are specific vehicle rental comparison sites. Internationally, there are companies like carrentals.com (owned by expedia.com) and others.

We frequently rent vehicles in Germany, and always use a page called Billiger Mietwagen . We needed a car in Germany when our Berta was arriving in Bremerhaven, by ship from Colombia. We only paid €147 for a 1 week rental of a Ford Fiesta, with a different drop-off location!

2. Assess Your Needs

Yes, you can rent a Ferrari or a Porsche in places like Germany – but do you need one? No, that would purely be for the fun factor. You’ll save money by taking the smallest, most economical vehicle you can live with.

Do you really need to register a second driver? This small detail can increase the rent considerably. When we needed a second driver in the above rental, we paid around €12 extra per day.

3. Avoid “Extras” from the Rental Car Company

This is where car hire companies make their money! They offer very competitive rates to lure you in, and then try to convince you that you need added extras on top.

a. GPS for Navigation

These usually cost €10-15 per day. These days, almost everybody has a smart phone that you can navigate with. You don’t really need to hire an expensive GPS. And don’t even think about how much it will cost if you lose or damage it!

Are you confused about Google Maps and data connection; do you think you’ll get lost if you lose your data connection? Don’t worry, that’s not the best way to use your phone for navigation! There are plenty of free apps around, which navigate completely off-line , including turn-by-turn spoken instructions. All you have to do is download the app and the maps for the region you’ll be travelling in. You can do this at home or at your hotel over WiFi, and be fully prepared to say, “No, thank you.” when you go to pick up your car.

We have been navigating with an Android tablet since 2014 – with hardly any problems!

b. Child Seat Rental

Yes, these are mandatory in most countries. But often you’ll save money if you buy one locally or online from Amazon (and have it delivered to your hotel). Car rental companies usually charge €15-25 per day for a child seat, capped at 5-7 days maximum. For €40-90, you can buy a brand new, completely clean seat. Booster seats for older children are even cheaper. Just donate the seat to a charity shop, after returning your rental car (or leave it at your hotel – somebody will take it).

c. The Excess Waiver for your Rental Car

When you rent a vehicle, cover called Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) protection is generally incorporated into the cost of the rental. As a renter, you will be required to pay a sum that is called ‘deductible’ or ‘excess’ if there was any damage to the vehicle. This excess can range from €600 to €3500.

Enter the Excess Waiver – a policy to reduce or waive the excess. Here’s a product that every car rental company trains their sales people to talk you into. Not because it’s the best deal for you, but because it’s an excellent money earner for the car rental company. It will normally double your daily rate, just to reduce your excess. If you choose to refuse, you must sign an extra field on the rental form.

But there are options to save big and get coverage elsewhere:

• Your travel insurance might cover the excess. It’s a good idea to check this out in your policy’s terms and conditions before you need it.
• It may also be available in the travel insurance provided by your credit card, when you use it to pay for your trip. Once again, check before you travel.
• There is also the option to buy Excess Waiver Insurance online for your rental car from companies, who specialise in it, and can offer you much better deals than the car rental companies. Buying excess waiver from the rental company typically costs €15–25 a day and may double the price of the rental. Car hire excess waiver insurance coverage is available from third-party agencies at a far lower cost than the amounts car rental companies charge.

Important Bonus:

While car rental companies typically exclude any damage to the windows, lights, tyres, and undercarriage of the car, independent car hire excess insurance available from third-party agencies such as CarInsuRent.com (which offer its policies to non-EU and non-UK residents), usually cover this kind of damage, so an independent policy with this included is better value.

Our readers can enjoy 10% discount when using a “10off-dare2go” coupon code prior to checkout at CarInsuRent.com .

As long as there have been cars (actually, as long as there have been horse drawn carts) accidents do happen…

One of our goals at dare2go is to encourage our readers to visit relatively unknown sites that are “off the beaten track” so to speak. Don’t worry, these are seldom on unsealed roads, which most car rental companies don’t want you driving. Often these road trips can be followed using public transport, but driving yourself is the ultimate way to get the full experience. And sometimes, it’s the interesting things you see on the way that give the most pleasure, when you can pull over and take a photograph. Or perhaps take the opportunity for a short walk or a picnic lunch in a beautiful location. It’s the unplanned surprises like that that make it an interesting way to travel.

Often we are lucky and can camp at such an idyllic spot over night.

Don’t forget our discount of 10% when using the “10off-dare2go” coupon code prior to checkout at CarInsuRent.com .

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