While it’s become much easier to travel without having to get a rental car, there are still plenty of people who prefer to drive themselves around once they get to their destination. Because of this, you’ll still be able to find many options when it comes to picking a rental car after you’ve been traveling.
So to help ensure that you’re able to get the best vehicle to suit your need over the duration of your journey, here are three tips for picking the right rental car for your trip.
Think About The Purpose Of Your Trip
When you’re buying a new car to use on a daily basis, you’ll have to really think about the needs of your life as a whole. But when you’re picking a rental car to get you around for just a short trip, the only needs you’ll have to consider are what the purpose of your trip is.
Depending on what you see as the real purpose of your trip, the type of vehicle you’ll want to rent will vary. For example, Bark M. of RoadAndTrack.com shares that you wouldn’t want to rent the same vehicle if you’re planning on going off-roading as you would if you were just touring around a few cities in the area. Also, if you’ll be going to a place that may have questionable weather, you’ll likely want to choose a specific vehicle to rent that will ensure you have the traction and control that you need.
Double-Check The Transmission
Both when you’re booking your car rental and when you’re about to pick up the car from the rental company, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re getting a car that has the type of transmission that you want.
According to Jonathan Strickland, a contributor to HowStuffWorks.com, many cars that get rented outside of the US have manual transmission. But if you don’t know how to drive a car with manual transmission, you’ll want to be sure that you reserve an automatic ahead of time.
Understand Your Size Needs
The final thing that you’ll need to consider when getting a rental car is how much space you’ll need within the vehicle.
While smaller cars are going to generally be less expensive to rent, SmarterTravel.com shares that if you’ll be traveling with multiple people, you’ll likely want to rent a bigger sedan or an SUV. The last thing you want to have happen is being uncomfortably stuffed into a car during your entire trip, so make sure that doesn’t happen by renting the right vehicle to begin with.
If you’re going to be renting a car on your next trip, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you pick the right one for this specific adventure.