Hello Fodorites,

I will be traveling to Montana in the fall and have been looking at rental car rates. All of the rates I have been finding have been close to $400 for a week. Do you experienced travelers out there have any tips to bring this rate down. I know there are tricks for airfares (Sat.stay-overs, 14-day advance purchases etc.) I am hoping you will give me great ideas.

P.S. these rates were for a compact car, unlimited mileage for 6 to 7 days.

If you are a member of a warehouse club, check to see which rental agencies they have agreements with. You should be able to do much better. In my experience, I have gotten the best rates through Costco. I'm sure Sam's Club gets the same or better rates.

Sheryl, if you work, check to see if your company has any special rates with one of the rental car companies. I work for a very large corporation and we get fantastic rates with Hertz that are available for business and personal use. Also, do you belong to AAA or AARP or any other organization that might have specially negotiated rates?
Still, check with Hotwire and Priceline. I haven't used them but lots of people have had good results.

Just checked Thrifty at www.bnm.com . Missoula, used a mid-July 7-day time frame, offers a compact with 875 mi. for $266. I didn't notice ANY of the companies offering unlimited mileage.

You might check out www.biddingfortravel.com for information on bidding through Priceline.

there are so many discounts out there. The Entertainment book gives a good discount with some agencies, some days, some locations...it varies tremendously. I would ask the agencies that you call - make sure you call a few - ask them if there are any discounts you could use. Sometimes being an AA Frequent Flier has gotten me a discount.
Check the websites for deals.

Different types of cars cost more in certain locations too. I rented an SUV in Toronto for the price of a full size in Miami because they weren't in demand. A Cadillac in Jacksonville was the same as a mid-size one weekend because no business travelers needed them.

Check around - different agencies, different types of cars and if you don't have discount coupons ask the agencies. Many times they've told me how I can get it lower.

Good luck!

try orbitz.com or all rental websites(company ones)....

No need for you to join any club. Just head to biddingfortravel.com and look in the car rental forum. They list current discount codes from all the major companies. At this point, it's all up to you to input those code numbers to find the best rates; a specific rate code for one city may not be the lowest in another. May take you several hours with repeated attemps every week or so (rates do change over time). Once you find a great rate, book it! There is never a deposit for car rentals and you can cancel anytime in case you find something even a few dollars cheaper.