Do's and Don'ts for Saving Money on Rental Cars

Renting a car when you travel can be full of hassles and unexpected expenses, so we have accumulated these Dos and Don'ts to help ease the process and save you money:

DO reserve early.  Rental car fleets are constantly shifting, so you need to make your car rental reservations early to be sure you will have wheels ready where and when you need them. You also usually get a better deal if you reserve early. One easy way to do that is to make your reservations online.

DON'T pay for extra insurance. Many credit card companies include car rental insurance as one of the standard perks of using their credit card. You many also have rental car coverage from your regular auto insurance policy.  But don't assume anything -- before you leave home, confirm you are already covered for for both the liability and collision coverage on rental cars, otherwise you'll have pay for the rental car company's policy.

DO check for damage. Before you take the car off the rental lot, look it over carefully and insist that the rental agent marks down any existing scratches and dents so that you can be sure you won't be held responsible for damage done before you picked up the car.

DON'T return the car with less fuel than it had at pick-up time because the rental company will charge you ridiculous rates per gallon for the missing fuel.  But while you should refuel the car yourself...

DON'T top off the tank.  As long as the fuel gauge needle is at the full mark, you've done your duty -- at today's gas prices, why pay more than you have to?

DO clean your trash out of the car. Why should you do someone else's job? Because it will take less than a minute and it will endear you to the rental staff. Who cares? These people have the ability to hold you accountable for damage done to the car and you don't want them to seek for scratches here and there to make up for the fact that you left junk food wrappers all over the floor.

DO find out if there is a grace period. Some companies will hit you with hefty late charges -- even an extra day -- if you don't return the car promptly, so make sure you know what their policies are and plan accordingly.