How do you book your car rentals?
 

Do you compare rates? Do you check every car rental company website?
What is the best way to do it? We need a car for 5 days in Las Vegas and we feel overwhelmed by checking every website and entering data ech time.

I go to the Orbitz, Expedia or Travelocity web sites, which compare rates, and book whatever is cheapest.

I usually just book Enterprise but if I am comparing rates then I look at travelzoo.com to see who is having a sale.

I check Travelocity and/or Orbitz to see what the range is and -- important -- who is actually in the terminal.

Then I go to the website of the 2 or 3 least expensive and see if they have an internet or seasonal or regional special, or any other discounts (e.g., AAA) applicable to me. I often end up getting a lower quote on the website than on T'city, but it's still worth using T'city as a filter to rule out the ones that are too far away (from good price or airport).

I do the same as abram. I usually check rates on Expedia so that I can see all the companies at a glance. Once I choose what I want, I go directly that vendors website and book direct. Sometimes I find the prices is a bit cheaper this way.

Regardless, with hotels, cars and airfare, I check Expedia first and then the vendor's direct site. One or the other usually ends up being a better bargain for booking.

I use Avis Preferred in Canada & National Emerald in Florida. I never compare rates. I have never rented in Vegas so can't help you there but if I did, I wld start w/ National Emerald.

It's a real crapshoot, that's for sure. I too try Avis Preferred, but just found them nearly double the price from National Emerald for an upcoming rental of four days. The oddest thing is I often do one day car rentals from Naples, Fl. to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale and then another when I return. I've discovered that National is always about $ 20 less for the rental going over, but Dollar is always about $20 less for the rental coming back. But after checking on various websites, I always call as well and more often than not get an even better discount on the phone. My usual problem with some of the "multi sites" is that they can't price with a different drop off location.

Patrick, I believe that Expedia lets you price for a different pick up/drop off location.

You are right, Statia, but I find Expedia to be one of the worst. For example I just booked the one day rental Sept. 18 from Naples to Ft. Lauderdale with National for a total (taxes, etc. included) for $34.27. The lowest price on Expedia is for $47.99, more than 40% higher!!!

I use savings codes or coupons such as those found at www.rentalcodes.com For most codes this site lists what rate you should come up with if you use the code. This helps cut down on the searching time.

Pick up the phone and call them. I usually call Hertz b/c I like the Mustangs and Jaguars :) I always check AAA, and FF programs and any number of organizations that offer discounts. I dont THINK Expedia and the like allow for those, including AAA? If they do I might start using them. American Express Platinum usually comes through with some type of coupon, but I haven't seen any lately.

I dont know, I guess I'm a creature of habit, but I do call the other car rental agencies too, but 9 times out of 10 I go with Hertz. Now for one way rentals I always call National first.

As do others, if on my own dime and thus not entitled to negotiated corporate rates I check Travelocity or Expedia then the web site of the lowest conveniently located (in the terminal) vendor. If all rates seem high I call the vendor and ask for their best rate - sometimes but not always they do have something even lower than on the web. I've found that the rates offered through FF programs tend to be higher than otherwise available (file that under "no free lunch") and that Hertz is usually the highest of all. If prices are all very close together, National (Emerald Club) is usually my choice based good service. I traditionally avoided Alamo but since they merged with National they seem to have improved.

Since posting my other replies, regular poster Paul emailed me a site which I just tried: www.pcpages.com/rentalcodes
It lists special code numbers for coupons and contracts. I used it and have just changed a four day rental in Ohio with National for a total of $104 for a compact to a new rate of $72.68 for an intermediate, thanks to both a special rate and a one-day coupon which I downloaded. I called National and confirmed that both were good and that was my final rate!

I see this is nothing simple for anyone. But you gave me some interesting ideas. Thank you Patrick and Paul for this unknown to me website. I will try it right now!

When I went back to Paul's email to thank him for sending me that site, I noticed he said he got it from Fodor's. Guess I missed the thread it was originally on -- but this site is a "keeper".

Duh. Now that I look I see it was in this thread from "travel" just above one of my other posts. His address is easier than the one I listed, just: www.rentalcodes.com but it gets you to the same place.

Good luck with it, Incognito. I found a variety of rates for the Christmas/FL rental I just booked with the help of the fore mentioned site. The same car company would book me the same exact car with a price variance of near $800 down to $325.10. Take your time and plug in the different codes and select your best bet.

Patrick, glad you were able to save a few dollars. Enjoy the larger car and take the $80 saved and go have a great dinner in town at Pazzo's! {TERRIFIC restaurant, BTW}

~~~Happy Trails~~~

I check Orbitz to see what the going rate is, and then I check my frequent flyer sites to see if there are any rental car specials for extra miles, and compare which way is the best way to go.

I just rented a car for 5 days at BWI through Hotwire and saved nearly $100 from the lowest price I could find through Travelocity and then by following up with the car rental agency websites directly. I didn't know the name of the agency until I completed the transaction and it was nonrefundable, but I waited until a week before my departure, feeling fairly certain my plans would not change. I was able to choose the size car I wanted and was given the price (including taxes and fees) before completing the transaction. It didn't matter to me the agency - saving $100 was the overriding factor.

Nobody has mentioned Priceline. I just booked a week on Kauai, compact with National, for $18/day, and three days on the Big Island for $23/day, standard car. The compact came in nearly $50 less than National's website, and the standard about $40 less. Go to betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com, get what bids have been won and go from there. Good luck.