How far in advance should i book a rental car

More likely than not, you will get a worse rate by procrastinating. Yes, taking a chance on walk-up rates might pay off on a slow, off-season weekend when companies are overloaded with cars, but most of the time it's not worth it.

If you don't care about the car you rent or the company, you can also roll the dice with Priceline's "name your price" bidding option. Either way, you're taking a gamble with last-minute booking, and you will rarely benefit. Allow us to parse this out for you, 'cause Lord knows the rental car companies would like to keep it as vague and ominous as possible. The "insurance" that is sold to you is typically one of three different kinds: 1.

Damage waiver This is a waiver of responsibility for the car without paying a deductible. The simplest way to find out if you really need this is by doing a bit of phone dialing.

First, ask your car insurance company if you're covered for rental cars, if you have a deductible for rental cars, if there is there a dollar limit to that coverage, and if there are any exclusions.

Then ask them if they cover "loss of use" from car rental companies. THEN call your credit card company and ask them the same questions. Many Chase cards offer full car rental coverage in excess of anything not covered by your insurance company so long as the card was used to book and pay for the rental and the rental period does not exceed 30 days for longer rental periods, you would need to break up the booking. Then again, sometimes it's just not worth the hassle of going through your insurance provider and credit card company in the event of an accident, and being able to just turn in the wreck with the keys is a nice convenience.

Liability coverage This is coverage for damage you cause to someone else's person or property. It doesn't cover the car at all, but it covers other people you hurt or cause loss to. Again, contact your own insurance company and find out the specifics and limits of your own coverage in a rented vehicle.

If you live in the United States and have auto insurance, it's not worth your time to even worry about this. But if you are visiting from another country, seriously consider this, as insurance coverage in different countries may differ widely. You are not required to purchase any of them, and most credit card-carrying American motorists are already covered for everything these added plans offer.

If you do decide to add insurance, here's some advice from one of our experts: "Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever prepay insurance through a third-party site. Most of those policies are complete trash and will serve as nothing other than peace of mind -- until something happens.

Whomever you rent with will still charge you, directly, for any and all of the damages and YOU will have to track down somebody at Priceline or Joe's Car Insurance or whoever to get things covered. And frankly, no one ever reads the terms and conditions and they are masters at hiding stuff in fine print that makes their contract virtually worthless. Nicole Rupersburg is a freelance writer and a frequent traveler who really wishes she had been told all this several years ago.

Follow her on Instagram: eatsdrinksandleaves. Skip to main content Travel. Shutterstock edited. Free member programs have so many immediate perks it's stupid not to join. Book a minimum of two weeks out and preferably even further in advance. Look at prepaid rates. During high-demand times, our prepaid Slash Deals often yield better results compared to pay-later rates, which will be higher than usual. As the holiday approaches, many rental agencies will sell out. Username or Email Address.

Remember Me. Car Rental Tips. Last Updated on November 2, by Elizabeth Wondering what is the best time to book a rental car? Others, including National, will waive the fee for spouses, partners and immediate family members if you enroll in their membership program. If you have a car, your primary insurance likely covers you when you rent a car. Carless millennials: Have your parents add you as a driver to their insurance. Many credit cards also include basic insurance coverage if you use the card to pay for your rental.

Some cards even offer more comprehensive coverage. Renting overseas? Build this into your budget. Rental agents make more money if they sell you on the benefits of extras like roadside assistance, satellite radio and GPS navigation. Use the navigation system you carry around in your pocket and save your money for gas. Or go old school and pick up a paper map. Rental car companies charge a per-day fee for the transponder, which you pay in addition to any tolls.

While tolls are unavoidable, there are cheaper ways to go about it. This one may be unavoidable. After all, the safety of your child is more important than saving a few dollars. Use a site like GasBuddy to scope out nearby gas stations and current fuel prices so you can compare against the prepaid price offered by the rental car company. Factor in how likely it is you will have a near-empty tank upon your return. On a short day or weekend trip, you may just need to top off your tank before returning the car.

Longer trips may allow you to roll in on fumes and save a few dollars as you do so. While these tips will help you get a cheap rental car, there is one other surefire way to save: Skip the rental altogether. Most major cities have walkable downtowns and extensive public transportation networks, not to mention taxis and ridesharing apps galore.

So save yourself the hassle of traffic and often costly parking rates, if you can, and buy yourself a weekend metro pass.