Renting a Car? Go to Town

If you’re a typical airline traveler, one of the first things you’re likely to do when you arrive at your destination airport is to step up to the car-rental counter to rent a set of wheels. If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to be prepared, you probably reserved your car in advance. It’s convenient to do it this way, but you could pay a lot less if you went into town and rented a car there.

Airport car-rental sites usually charge more because of higher demand and the need for more staff. They also cater to a clientele that’s willing to pay more for the convenience an airport site offers. Checking out in-town car-rental rates, however, can save you a bundle. Rates at storefront or hotel-based car-rental agencies can be lower than the cost at the airport sites by more than 50%.

Throw in discounts that big rental car companies like Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise often make available to customers and your savings can be even bigger. You can get more information on car-rental rates and discounts at an individual company’s web site or by visiting a site like www.rentalcarmomma.com.

Caveat: Research the cost of getting from the airport into town to make sure it doesn’t wipe out your savings.