We do this funny thing when we travel. See, we go to a city we don’t know very well and just jump right into deep waters when trying to navigate it. And we traverse this new environment in a totally different vehicle than we are used to, strapping into a two-ton behemoth usually after a day of flying and hurrying around mad. We wouldn’t advise people we love to do that, would we? But we’re all renegade about it ourselves —and we drive around loved ones, too. Humans are strange.
So let’s take a deep breath here. Renting a car requires more than a set of keys and a license.
Before even stepping out to the lot, the conversation with the desk agent requires some thought. They always ask passengers if they want the insurance coverage, something that outwardly makes complete sense to add. But a person’s own auto insurance often offers some coverage on rentals, as do some credit cards. Those are benefits that people easily forget and opting for the rental company’s plan could end up as an unnecessary cost. Travelers should check their insurance and their card benefits before buying rental plans.
Another detail to iron out before grabbing the keys is what the toll situation is on both the car and the local roads. Many rental cars have some sort of toll transponder or agreement with a plate-reading vendor. But those cost money and the cost of the tolls is a lot more if a driver breezes through those lanes illegally. Trying to figure out a car’s toll capabilities is quite a challenge on the run. So check with the agent on both the company’s policies and the tolling in that destination city. Asking the agent is much easier than calling a hotline later.
Paying the cost of bringing back a gas tank that isn’t full probably doesn’t offset what a driver filling it themselves would pay. Even the expensive gas stations near airports likely cost less per gallon than the rental company’s charge for doing it themselves. The best bet is to plan the trip back to the airport with enough time to stop and top off the car.
Once inside the car, a driver needs to do more than throw in the luggage and fire it up. When people buy their own cars, they usually test drive them and make sure the vehicles have all the features they want. Cars also come with big instruction manuals that rarely see the light of day in rentals. Rental cars may lack some of the backup cams, lane-change sensors, and infotainment capabilities with phones. Most have those, but some vehicles don’t. So drivers need to check which options they have, before reversing out of the parking space.
If cars don’t have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, drivers need to make sure and bring or buy a cell phone-holder to clip in a vent or stick on the windshield. Turn-by-turn navigation is crucial in a new driving environment and either holding a phone (illegal in Georgia) or constantly looking down while driving is dangerous and inconvenient. Most cars have those phone features, but drivers need to be prepared when they don’t.
Rental cars lately have cost an arm and a leg, as more people are traveling again. Those companies sold off large parts of their fleets when travel cratered during the height of the pandemic in 2020. With money in mind, travelers should consider how much they even need a rental car.
If the vacation is in a walkable city or an urban area with good public transit, rentals may not be necessary. When planning a trip, vacationers should weigh the cost of ride-sharing services and the availability of mass transit. Unfortunately, Lyft and Uber trips cost more these days, so those wouldn’t provide the savings that they used to. A little research on old-fashioned taxis wouldn’t hurt either.
Most of these rental car tips may seem obvious, but glossing them over could have consequences. Signing up for unnecessary insurance, overpaying for tolls and fuel, or even renting at exorbitant rates for only a slight convenience are all things that many people want to avoid. And any driver certainly would want to drive with the lowest risk possible and not be surprised in motion by the lack of certain driving aids and features. Traveling is stressful and distracting enough and everyone should take pause before just up-and-driving a rental car off the lot.
Doug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. He also hosts a traffic podcast with Smilin’ Mark McKay on wsbradio.com. Contact him at Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com.
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