Shop for quirky deals and special offers.
A recent search on Hertz.com showed a three-day rental of a mid-sized car from Denver International would cost $236 USD, nearly $79/day. If four more days are added, the total cost goes up, but only to $361. That's less than $52/day.
How is that possible?
On day five, Hertz's weekly rate took effect. Many times, reserving a car for a week (even if it sits in a driveway or parking lot) is cheaper than trying to get a daily rate on a shorter rental.
For that reason, it pays to try a number of time combinations when you consider your rental period. It might be smarter to pick up the car on Thursday, even if you don't really need it until Friday. The Friday rental might come with a weekend rate that is more expensive.
There are times when a car rental bid on Priceline will save you money, but unlike hotels, there are frequent instances where the bid prices are very similar (or even higher) than the standard rates listed on company Web sites. It's worth checking Priceline, but don't expect it to save you significant money on every rental.
Speaking of company Web sites, some of the best rental rates originate in special offers pages. Here are some "deal" pages worth checking:
Alamo
Look for the red "hot deals" tab at the top of the home page. There is a variety of discounts linked here.
Auto Europe
Here you'll find rental deals and other incentives that could cut your travel costs.
Avis
Avis offers deals within the U.S. and at other locations around the world.
Budget
Links to rental deals for five to seven consecutive days in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and Japan.
Dollar
Those seeking a deal in the U.S. will find a big map here. Simply click on your destination state and get discounts by location.
Hertz
This page shows "deals by the day" and some discounts that apply for longer periods.
Orbitz
Scroll down on this page to find the heading "cars." You can subscribe to this on an RSS feed.
Sixt
Click on the deal link of your choice off the home page. There are some attractive weekly rates in Europe, quoted in Euros.
Travelocity
This is a link to 10 vendor "deal" pages. The page gives you a headline, and you click for the details at the vendor site.
