With the state of the economy today, most people don’t know if they are getting the best deal or not. Many of us don’t want to do the extra work of “comparison shopping”. This is also true when renting a vehicle. Some things in renting a vehicle can be expensive but here are some suggestions on keeping the rental expenses down.

One way to save big dollars on car rentals is to reserve your car using internet sites. You’ll, more easily, be able to compare and use discounts than if going to the counter at a rental place.

You should always try to get a good bargain when you are renting a car. Car rental companies stipulate that you should return the car with a full tank. What you should do is fill the tank with the lowest priced gas when you are on your way to return the car. This will save you the high price the car rental company will charge if you return the car without filling the tank.

Stick to a single car company and continue engaging it for your car hire needs to the extent possible; you will stand to gain a lot as most companies treat their regular customers with supply of coupons, offer them discounts and free mileage, to retain them.

Always try to barter your soon-to-expire flyer’s miles with car rental miles to avoid unnecessary wastage of the former.

If you know now that you will need a rental car in the future, go ahead and make your reservation now. Many car rental companies give discounts to customers who reserve early. So, to save money, make your reservations as early as you possibly can.

To save money on your rental, you should pick your car up early. In the morning, just as the shop is opening, there will be a shortage on the cheap car rentals. Renters at this point may give you a free or marked down upgrade.

It is prudent to purchase packages in case you are looking for multiple deals such as car rentals, hotels, and air tickets since they offer better facilities at a cheaper rate.

When searching for a car rental to fit your travel budget, look for “name your own price” internet sites. These sites look for the best possible deal that exists within the criteria you specify. Proceed cautiously, however. Review the company’s history. Do not accept the first offer you receive. There may exist other, cheaper means. Before you close the deal, remember that once you make your reservation, it may be difficult or nearly impossible to cancel it.

If you plan on having the car for over five days it would be in your best interest to find weekly rates from the car rental, the last two days are almost always at a discount, something to think about for cheaper rates.

Everyone wants to save money these days and here is an easy way to save when flying. Pick up your rental car at the shop instead of the airport. This act will lessen the airport surcharges.

To learn more on Stellenbosch car hire visit car rentals SA

Travelling to Europe is already going to put you out of pocket. So why not do all you can to save your bank balance. Yes, that means hunting for discount car rental, Europe. This is not a mission impossible, not is it even far fetched. It is a very real part of travelling abroad.

Car rental can easily eat away at your budget if you let it. On the other hand, if you go about it wisely you can make use of discount car rental, Europe, in order to lower your overall travel costs. So where do you find it and how do you get your hands on your fair share of money saving car rentals? It’s all right there, on the internet, just waiting for you to find it.

Online Savings

Shopping for your vehicle rentals online can save you time and effort, after all, you can do it any time, anywhere and you don’t have to set a foot out the door to do it. However, did you know that you can save money online with discount car rental, Europe, too? Well now you do and yes you can save yourself money that way. Websites often offer far more specials and deals than over the counter rental companies do. This means that you can find discount car rental, Europe, coupons, special deals and much more with just the click of a mouse and the touch of a button.

It really is as easy as that. When looking for discount car rental, Europe, it is also a good idea to do some comparative shopping. This will give you a good idea of what the different car rental companies in Europe charge. This way you can make the best decision for your budget based on a variety of sources instead of just one or two. You can look for different discount car rental, Europe, packages such as airport discount car rental and much more.

You can shop for a package that will suit your pocket as well as all of your rental needs. If you are not bent on hiring the most expensive luxury cars then you are probably open to many options. Smaller cars as well as cars that are less fancy are much better bets when hunting for discount car rental, Europe. For many of us it doesn’t matter whether you are driving a Prius or a Porsche, as long as the rental is affordable and the car is reliable. Affordable quality is what you are after, not excessively expensive status symbols.

About Author: Reinhard Hueber is an online expert in travel industry. He also offers top quality travel tips like : self drive tours and self drive in New Zealand

Recently a group of colleagues went on a road trip. Needless to say the first bickering was over whose car will be used for the trip. The most bothersome of all the questions was the service, wear and tear of the car to be used. Needless to say, nobody really wanted to use their car for obvious reasons. After much squabbling and debate it was decided that they will hire a car from a so-called reputable agent.

As it was off peak season, there were many offers on cheap car rentals on the market. There were many cheap car rental agents to choose from, and frankly that suited everybody’s pocket. But the drama was not over, as our good friends had not really done much research on the cheap car rentals in terms of where the real cost was.

As much as we are coastally bombarded by the sweet promises of excellent deals and savings on cheap car rentals, promising cheap and affordable hassle free deals; he fine print in the contract will always remain a real mystery to us all.

Is Cheap Really Cheap?

One needs to understand that agents generally advertise cheap car rental deals when they have excess vehicles in their fleet. Off peak season also generally promotes and lure people towards the option of a cheap car rental. Competition may also be a factor towards agents lowering their prices.

Although the real cost saving on the cheap car rental deals in time; in terms of time saved should one decide to fly to you destination and then rent a car to be mobile where you going. In this view I would support the idea of cheap car rental being the way to go. However, in lieu of the fact that there are unscrupulous dealers and agents making cheap car rentals and a money monger of a cheap one way car rental.

So, for all the people who wish to make a vacation a good time to relax without the worry and stress of the hidden cost in cheap car rental deals, here is the word of advice to you:

• Do your homework
• Do your research
• Don’t be afraid to shop around for a quotation
• Do your math
• Check the real cost of the insurance cover – preferably take the maximum insurance cover
• Read the fine print
• Don’t be afraid to ask the questions on the cheap car rental deal being offered.
• Explore alternative options

Don’t be taken for a ride on cheap self drive car rental deals albeit the affordable and easy way to go the responsibility is yours to ensure that you know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Consumers in today’s economy are hard up to find real value for their money. These days it is all about making the little that you have stretch even further than every before. One of the places you really need to find good value and quality for your money is in car rental. Car rental happens all the time, maybe you need to travel to another state, another country or you are going on vacation.

Whatever the reason, car rental plays a large role in travel. That makes finding cheap car rental deals imperative to the health and well-being of your wallet and bank account. There are a few tips and trick to follow that will help you ensure that you land the best cheap car rental deals in town.

Cutting Corners

First and foremost, you need to turn away from over the counter car rentals and welcome online car rentals into your life. It will not only make self drive car rental so much easier, faster and better, it will lower the cost as well. You can find better cheap car rental deals online than you can at local over the counter dealerships. This is because online cheap car rental deals often offer you discounts that help lower your overall rental cost. This is especially handy in tracking down cheap monthly car rental for those extended rental periods that can become all too costly in the end.

Another corner to cut is the gas corner. Most of the time you will be required to refill the tank before you return the car, if you don’t the company will refill it and add it on to your final bill. You can save money by filling up at the cheapest gas point you can find, the company will charge the highest gas refill they can.

Loyalty is often rewarded, if you are a frequent traveler; consider keeping to one rental company only. You may just score on discounts on cheap car rental deals. Travelling will often include airfare, accommodation and your rental. That can all get pretty pricey. However, you can get great cheap car rental deals and deals on accommodation and airfares if you look for and choose all inclusive travel packages.

One more important corner to cut is to pick your car up from the rental company and drop it off there yourself again. Doing this, instead of having it dropped off at and picked up from your airport, can save you lots of money in airport surcharges on your cheap car rental deals.

For some years now a group of the so-called “budget airlines” in Europe have been embroiled in a price war attempting to offer the lowest air fares to a huge number of European cities. It’s quite normal to see that one of the leading budget carriers such as Easyjet or Ryanair has an offer of return flights from the UK to Spain, France or Germany for £1 (approx $1.45). There could be airport landing fees and taxes to be added to the fare, but it remains an absolute bargain if you’re looking to see a variety of European cities. One of the biggest disadvantages of flying with the budget airlines is that they frequently fly to the smaller municipal airports instead of the more well known majorinternational ones. This sometimes means that a flight that is supposed to be flying to a big European city actually lands up to fifty miles away. In fact there are a number of plus-points with this arrangement, the municipal airports will always offer a much quicker service on check-in and luggage since they are catering for far fewer flights. The downside is that transportation serving these airfields can be scrappy at best and a very popular option is to hire a car from the airport. The following are some of the wonderful cities that we’ve visited whilst making use of cheap floghts from the low cost airlines. We’re sure that you’ll enjoy visiting any of these scenic, without doubt they have plenty to offer to visitors to their shores.

Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow, once the butt of so many jokes about the slums of the Gorbals has undergone a Renaissance and has become a wonderful, architecturally diverse city attracting huge numbers of tourists throughout the year. The trendy West part of the city is home to one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom. Perched on a hill amidst the Medieval region of Glasgow, its students add greatly to the fun loving and vibrant atmosphere of that area. The low cost carriers utilise Prestwick Airport which is approximately 35 miles (51 km) north east of the centre of the city and you will find a good road between the airport and the city centre. It’s a popular sightseeing area, so you are advised to hire a car at Glasgow Airport in advance of your trip. A congestion free half hour journey from the airport on the M77 motorway takes you to the centre of the city. Glasgow is a perfect starting point for an adventure in the Trossachs National Park. Just 13 mile (20 km) journey out of Glasgow and you could find yourself enjoying stunning countryside on the back of a pony, whilst a 50 km (30 mile) drive eastwards along another excellent motorway will find you in Edinburgh together with its ever popular festivals, Princes Street shopping, the historic Castle and Holyrood Palace.

Florence, Italy

Without doubt one of Europe’s most impressively beautiful cities, Florence is served by the airport at Pisa, which is 50 miles (84 km) west of the city. Hire a car at Florence airport and you will be perfectly positioned to explore Pisa with its leaning tower, majestic Florence and a selection of Europe’s most picturesque countryside, that of the majestically beautiful Tuscany. It is therefore not surprising that Florence is high in the popularity stakes when looking at European cities. Once you arrive at the city of Florence you will find that most of the city centre is pedestrianized thus preserving its many ancient architectural treasures and statues from the vibrations and pollution associated with hectic traffic. The traffic free status brings a sense of tranquility as you meander from one fragment of history to the next. You do not need to walk too far before being hit by the evil, ear splitting roar of Florence’s legion of scooter riders. Apart from the Ponte Vecchio the remainder of the bridges into the city centre are noisy, polluted places, thus giving us a further reason to stay within the ancient alleyways and peaceful sanctuaries of Florence’s beautiful piazzas.

Tours, France

Tours, the centre of the famed Loire Valley chateaux with not a single chateau to its name! The ideal centre for discovering the Loire Valley famed for its wonderful array of palatial residences, the city boasts a number of charms of its own. Although the little airport is only a couple of miles from town, it’s pretty much essential that you rent a car in the Loire Valley to fully explore some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found throughout France. Along the banks of the River Loire between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, a number of cultural treasures are presented for the visitor to enjoy. The Loire valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers beautiful countryside, historic villages and lots of flamboyant castles. During the renaissance the Loire Valley was known as the “Retreat of Kings and was a big favourite of the French royal family. Built originally as working fortified castles, the buildings were converted into the palatial chaeaux that you will find today. Tourists from around the world are attracted to the historic towns that are situated along the banks of the Loire. Towns such as Blois, Chinon and Tours have lots to see and do whilst the most popular of all the chateaux is probably that on the Chambord Estate. Throughout the area you will discover small, family owned vineyards offering a variety of wonderful wines at budget prices. Look out for the word “degustation”, which means sampling I guess, and provided that ‘Le Patron’ is not in the middle of a long leisurely lunch you will be made very welcome and he will be more than willing to offer you a tasting of his complete selection of wines. Of course, it is strongly advised that you take a non-drinker as your chauffer, some of these tasting sessions can get very serious!.

Renting a car in Scotland and touring the wild and wonderful surroundings is the highlight of most vacations in Scotland. Cheap Scotland car rental is trouble-free and available in all major cities.

Here is a suggestion for a three day castle exploration.

Day 1

From Glasgow or Edinburgh, join the A93 at Perth and stick to it through Glenshee, to Braemar, the eastern access to the Cairngorm Mountains. Pay a visit to Braemar Highland Heritage Centre and 17th century Braemar Castle, which is at this time operated by the local community. Stay on the A93 to Balmoral Castle, Queen Victoria’s ‘dear cloud nine where everywhere you look seems to breathe freedom and calm.

Further east, the old royal station at Ballater consists of a royal carriage and royal waiting room built for Queen Victoria. You can find out extra ancient history at the Kinord Stone, a 9th century Celtic symbol stone in Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve prior to leaving the A93 for the A97 up to Strathdon, where a little deviation will bring you to the ruined 16th century Glenbuchat Castle, now protected by Historic Scotland, who also keep dazzling Corgarff Castle, a 16th century tower house set in wild landscape in Upper Strathdon on the A939 to Tomintoul.

Stop at the bottom of the Lecht pass to visit the Lecht Mine – active during the 18th and 19th centuries.Carry on to the planned 18th century township of Tomintoul with its square, museum, Telford church and manse.

Day 2

Commence the day from Tomintoul and go north on the A939 and take the right hand turning after Bridge of Avon. Just at the side of the road is Fodderletter Lum – placed there by early road menders to provide shelter at night. Keep on Strathavon and turn left onto the B9136 to superb 15th century Drumin Castle, sometime home of the Wolf of Badenoch. Continue to Bridgend of Glenlivet and turn right onto the B9008 to the ancient Livet pack horse bridge after quarter of a mile.

Continue to Auchnarrow and take a left turning signposted Chapeltown and Scalan. Park at the end of the road and walk a mile on level ground to find the spectacular Forbidden College of Scalan where Roman Catholic priests were trained in secret during the 18th century. End the day at Grantown and benefit from an evening of local hospitality.

Day 3

From Grantown, head south and maybe visit splendid Castle Roy by Nethybridge on your way to the ruined 18th century Ruthven Barracks near Kingussie, which were built following the first Jacobite uprising. From here it’s on to Clan MacPherson Museum at Newtonmore, where you will also find part of the multi award winning amazing Highland Folk Museum where a 1700s township has been recreated.

Conclusively head south past Dun da Lamh Pictish Hillfort at Laggan Bridge before taking the A9 south to Blair Atholl and outstanding Blair Castle, home of the Atholl Highlanders - the only remaining private army in the UK.