How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Car?

If you are wondering how much a rental car costs, then you need to answer a few questions first. You need to determine what kind of car you want. You might be looking for a compact car or a sports utility vehicle. If you are taking a family vacation, then a van might be our best option. Be sure to account for the cost of filling the van with gas during the trip. You also need to know how far you are traveling, and for how long. You can rent some vehicles by the day, or even the hour. You can also choose to rent and pay by the mile. Whether you need the vehicle for a round trip or a one way trip is also important. Car rental rates are determined by all of these factors, and even more.

How Much To Rent A Car For A Day?

Car rental rates for renting a car for one day depend on a few different factors. Most importantly is what kind of a vehicle you need. Renting a sub-compact coupe is generally less expensive than renting a mini-van for the day. Average car rental prices for an average sized car are around $30 a day. Expect to have a mileage limitation, and you will of course need to return the car with a full tank of gas. These rates can change depending on where you are. If you are in a high tourist area during tourism season, expect the cost to rent a car to be higher.

Best Car Rental Rates

The best car rental prices come from the budget driven companies like Advantage, Dollar, and Budget. These are no frills car rental companies whose business model allows them to offer car rentals at lower rates than their competitors. These low price car rentals are generally no frills automobiles for people who just need a ride without regard to how the car looks.

How Much To Rent A Car For A Week?

The cost to rent a car for a week can vary depending on which week you choose. The holiday season is a time of the year when car rental rates usually go up because of high demand. Car rental prices can double in some places during the holidays, especially in cities with high tourism rates. With daily car rental costs ranging from $25 to $50, you can expect the weekly rates to be just a little bit under $175 to $350 for the week for an averaged sized vehicle. A sports utility vehicle for the week can cost $450 or more.

Monthly Car Rental Cost

The same factors apply to car rental rates based on a monthly rental period. You rates will rise and fall depending on the kind of vehicle you need to rent, where you will be renting, and the time of year. For example, renting an economy car in Boston for the month of March can cost between $728 and $860. In Orlando, that same car in March will cost between $495 and $995. In October, the prices in Boston remain the same while the top end price in Orlando drops under $600 because it is not during the peak tourist season.

Rent A Car Under 25

In some states, it has been against the law for someone to rent a car under the age of 25. In areas where this is allowed, the car rental companies add a fee to the cost to rent a car to someone who is under 25 years of age. This is due to the insurance issues of younger drivers. Because of their lack of driving experience and maturity, young drivers present a greater risk to the rental companies. They are more apt to get in an accident or treat the rental car badly while in their possession. Because of this, many companies charge an added fee of $25 or more. Even younger drivers will find more hurdles, as it is almost impossible to find a company who will rent a car to a driver who is under 21. No company will rent to a driver under 18, because legally a person that young cannot enter into a binding contract on their own.

Long Term Car Rental

Your daily car rental cost will be substantially lower it you have a long term rental agreement. Long term car rental rates apply when you rent a car for a time frame of longer than 4 weeks. The exact time frame to qualify for long term car rental prices varies with each car rental company. Alamo and Avis both offer these rates for rental terms from 2 months to 11 months. Most car rental companies have a maximum car rental term of 11 months, although some go as long as 360 or 364 days. Read the rental agreements carefully before signing them, as they will mandate a certain amount of maintenance on the vehicle at regular intervals.

One Way Car Rental

Where long term car rentals can be more economical choices for the people who need them, the opposite applies to one way car rental cost. Due to the logistics of managing vehicle inventories and returning cars to their original sites, one way car rental is one of the most expensive ways to rent a car. The cost to rent a car one way is higher because the companies usually tack on a drop off fee. Companies that do not add a fee generally just charge a higher rate.

Where To Rent A Car

Where you rent your car can affect the price you pay. For many, the most convenient place to rent a car is at the airport. Some companies charge higher rates for airport rentals than for off terminal rentals. Enterprise will deliver your rental car to you, which makes them a favorite among people who are having work done to their cars.

Car Rental Companies

There are more car rental companies than ever before. Competition between these companies helps to maintain car rental costs at reasonable rates in some of the largest cities. It is important to do some research on websites like Orbitz, because car rental rates can vary by as much as 100% or more between the different companies.  A check of car rental prices for one week in December in Boston, MA. shows the cost to rent a car from Thrifty to be $87 for the week, while car rental rates from Avis for the same week are $239.