Trying to stay on budget when planning a vacation can be hard. The best way to achieve this is by looking for the best prices and discounts you can find on all the aspects of your get-away. Of course, you never want to sacrifice quality but you also don’t want to pay more than you have to so doing your research to find out all possible discounts is always an excellent plan.

In most cases when you travel you will need to rent a vehicle. This can eat a lot of your budget when planning a trip but there is some trick of the trade to make sure you get all the discounts possible and end up paying the lowest rate you can without having to sacrifice the quality of the vehicle you rent.

Shop Around

Find out all the companies that offer rental cars and have offices in the area you are looking to rent and contact every one of them. This will let you know how everyone is pricing. When you are calling to get quotes to make sure you ask about any fees that may be added to the price they quote you when you rent the car. Sometimes they just give you the base price and do not include any taxes and fees. Some companies offer several fees but quote a low base price to look more competitive.

Ask About Promotions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you reach out to the rental companies. We already discussed asking what fees they charge and if they are included in the price they are quoting you. Another question you need to ask if the company is running any current promotions. You would probably assume an employee would offer you the promotion when quoting you but some of these people work on commissions and if you don’t ask about a discount they will not offer it.

Group & Employee Discounts

Speaking of asking about discounts, several companies offer employees of certain business discounts. There are also discounts offered to some specific groups. For example, they may offer a student discount or a senior citizen discount. Some companies even offer a discount if you have a membership to a big-box retailer. Make sure that you get a thorough list from every company about the discounts they offer so you can see if you are eligible for any of them 

Avoid Up-Sales

The last thing to do to make sure you are getting a good value on the car you are renting is to avoid up-sales. Many of the things they will offer you serve absolutely no purpose. Before renting a car contact your personal car insurance company because many of them will cover your rental car at no additional cost to you and that will allow you to skip buying the overpriced insurance the rental company will offer you. Make sure you ask for complete details on everything they try to add on so you can make sure you do not pay for anything that you do not need.

Now you know everything to do to make sure you are getting the best deal on your next rental car. Take your time and shop around to make sure you find the best deal. Make sure and ask about all possible discounts and how you qualify for them. Don’t be scared to sound cheap question every additional dollar they try to charge you and do not forget to ask if they are currently running any promotions. Remember they may not tell you. If you do your research and ask all these questions you will be able to get a reliable rental car at a decent price. This means you will have extra cash to spend on other splurges on your vacation and you will not regret that.