Booking the right car at the right price is a crucial part when it comes to organizing a trip, whether you need a car for a road trip or to attend your needs around the place you’re visiting. Once you’re set on your dates and destination, it’s all about finding the best deal. The question is: how to book a cheap car rental? Here is your ultimate guide to finding a cheap car rental! Use the following tips on Liligo and rent a car at the best price.
Anticipate your booking 🗓
Just like you would do with a hotel or a flight, your number one rule to book a cheap car rental should be anticipation. If you haven’t taken this habit, start now! Start planning even earlier if your trip is set during school holidays and/or to a distant location. Book as early as you can and avoid making your reservation during the week of your departure: doing this can cost you up to 30% more.
If your departure and return dates are flexible, there’s another tip that can help you: be strategic about when to pick up your car and avoid days where attendance is high in car rental agencies. Some days like Sunday, for instance, are moments where you’ll be more likely to find good deals, as opposed to Friday and Saturday. Booking a car rental on a Friday or Sunday can be as much as 30% more expensive.
Compare offers before booking ⚖
You’re probably aware of that, but there are many websites to book all parts of your trip. Knowing where to find the best prices can be tricky. What if you could save time and energy on your researches? That’s exactly what price comparison websites are for! Liligo is way more than a platform to find the best hotel and flight offers. Within a few clicks, you can also compare dozens of car rentals, depending on your traveling dates. The filters will also be quite helpful to find just the car rental you need.
Choose an economic (and ecologic!) car 🚙
Unless you’re planning to explore the great outdoors, you really don’t need a high-end car or an SUV. Opt for a compact car with economic gas consumption. The rental costs will be way cheaper and the vehicle itself will be just as useful. Also, you’ll be thankful for that choice when it’ll be time to park or to pay for gas!
Know and anticipate the additional costs 💰
Booking a cheap car rental implies asking yourself the right questions beforehand: «Which services are included in my car rental?», «How much will I have to pay if the drop-off location is different from the pick-up location?», «As a young driver, do I have to pay extra fees?». Answering these questions is crucial to avoid last-minute surprises and pay the right price for your car rental. Liligo’s price comparison website is great at helping you sort things out. Once your research is set, the result page shows filtered offers thanks to clever criteria. The goal is to provide you with a quick look at all the fees which can, in some cases, be added to each offer. Additional fees for young drivers, to drop-off your car in a different location, airport taxes, cancellation fees, gas fees. All the information you need will appear on the result page.
Other elements to consider 🤔
Before booking the cheap car rental you’re looking for, we advise you to take these pieces of information into account to avoid additional fees:
- Crossing borders: some car rental agencies allow you to drive anywhere you want, including in the countries nearby. In that situation, most agencies require extra fees including personalized insurance. Make sure to check if the agency you chose applies this type of fee.
- Opening hours: though this can seem obvious, check thoroughly the opening hours of the agency where you booked your car rental. Picking-up or dropping-off your car outside opening hours might cost you extra money.
- Inventory of fixtures: bodywork, tires, mirrors, seats, lights, mileage (which has to be the same as the mileage noted on your car rental contract)…do a thorough check of your rental car when you pick it up. Think about taking pictures and make sure you signal any suspect element to the car rental agency.
Liligo is a travel search engine for flight tickets, hotels and car hires, which enables travelers to organize their trip from A to Z in just a few clicks.