Booking two weeks ahead of time typically yields the best results. Try checking a month in advance and then again periodically as the date gets closer.
There’s no single best day to book your hire car, so you should book on whichever day offers you a price you agree with. Average car hire in Australia is around A$51, but you may be able to find cheaper deals depending on the location.
This one may sound counterintuitive because it goes against getting the absolute lowest price. However, you may find that the difference in price between an economy, mini or compact car and a larger SUV or Full-sized car is worth the investment.
Picking up and dropping off at the same location will always be cheaper than picking up and dropping off at different locations. Moreover, pick up and drop off at the same airport location tends to be cheaper than at stations located inside the city.
One of the easiest ways to save on your car hire is to fill up the tank before you drop it off. The price you pay to fill the tank yourself is generally going to be cheaper than the price the hire company will charge you for the same amount of fuel.
Most of the tips above for getting a good deal on a hire car apply when you’re overseas. You should always check the terms and conditions for regional differences, but many of the same principles will apply.
This only applies if you’re already proficient at driving a manual transmission with ample experience doing so. In Europe, manual transmissions are the norm, and it will typically cost extra to rent an automatic because they’re less common, and may only be available in larger or more premium cars.
If you’re planning on driving across national borders, you need to make sure that the car is eligible to cross at all, and see how much it would cost. Cross-border fees depend on the countries involved, so check the terms and conditions of your hire.
The child seat is a requirement that you can’t overlook if you plan on hiring a car overseas. Bringing your own child seat may sound like a huge hassle, but most airlines let you bring one for free with a pushchair – it won’t count against your baggage allowance. It’s a way to save some money if you don’t want to book one from the hire car company.
It’s more comfortable to split driving duty between multiple drivers on a long road trip, but additional drivers means additional costs to your hire car. Check to see if your hire company offers a free second driver or if you can add a second driver for individual days where you know there will be lots of time spent behind the wheel.
This depends on the hire, but it generally pays to drop off your car at the same time that you picked it up. This way you can avoid getting charged for an entire additional day in case you return the hire after the 24 hour cutoff time.
Learn how far in advance you should book a rental car, and when car hire prices drop throughout the year.