To start, write down the names of about three car rental agencies that you have located using the world wide web or the yellow pages. Spend some time carrying out this task because in some respects it the most important if you want to locate the best car rental deal.

It is always a good idea to check out if the car rental agency is running any special deals at the time you phone as you could save yourself quite a few dollars. If you are looking for more reductions in your car rental, ask the office if they have special rates for customers who use certain air carriers for example.

Your pickup point schedule will vary with each rental company, some will drop off at your door, others will have designated collection point and some may even pay for your cab fare to collect your vehicle. Pick a car, depending on your needs, find a car that could fit all the people you’ll have in it, and if you’re alone just use a compact, some rentals charge higher for larger vehicles.

When searching for cheap one way car rentals look for companies with a low or free reservation policy as this is normally an extra if you want them to hold a particular type of vehicle for you.

Car rental doesn’t have to be expensive and if you are looking to keep the cost down here are some more ideas which may help.

Check for vehicle upgrades at no extra charge; alternatively, pick your car up just as the office opens.

If you want a free upgrade, then there is a very good chance that you will get one if you are early because the car rental office will be waiting for most of their economy fleet to be returned.

Often considerable car rental discounts are available online as more companies compete there so it may be worth checking there first. If you are just renting a car on a budget then some companies will source the car and deal which matches the amount you are prepared to spend.

Many people find an additional charge when they return the vehicle without filling it up with gas because the price per gallon is much higher if the rental company has to do this.

Look for packages like fly-drive-stay or fly-drive, these will get you great discounts on rentals, and what’s more you won’t have to worry about other details like a hotel or an airline, everything’s there. Simple visit your travel representative or even try looking online.

Many car rental agencies will give a discount if you exchange your frequent flyer discount with them. This will obviously only really benefit you if your discount has a short life.

Most people expect a discount so don’t be afraid to request one as it doesn’t cost anything and you might be surprised. Remember also to perfom an online search for coupons for car rentals.