Things You'll Need:
- list of comparison sites
- information on car needed
- discount codes
- dates when the car is needed
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Step 1
Make sure the primary driver is 25 years old or older. The minimum age to rent a car is 25 years old, but some companies may allow younger drivers to rent a car with a surcharge. This surcharge can add $25 to $50 a day to your car rental fee.
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Step 2
Look at comparison sites. Comparison sites offer car rental deals for vacationers booking a vacation package. These deals can be searched for on websites such as Expedia.com or Hotwire.com, or they can also be acquired through a membership newsletter email. Comparison sites allow you to check the price range of car companies so you can pick the one that best matches your needs.
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Step 3
Rent a basic car. Although Los Angeles is a city filled with nice, expensive cars, try to avoid the lure of renting a luxury car and resort to renting a basic one that will help you more financially. Determine what your needs are and check what kind of car would cost you less. Since you will be driving a lot in Los Angeles, try to rent a hybrid car to help you save on gas.
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Step 4
Use discount codes. Even if you have a low price for car rental, the price can go down even more if you use discount codes. Codes are available through car rental company discount programs or websites such as Retailmenot.com. Find out if you have membership with organizations that rent cars out for free. Some places in LA let you rent cars if you are affiliated with them, which includes universities such as UCLA and businesses such as CarSharing.com.
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Step 5
Book a car on the weekend. Car rentals are cheaper on the weekends, and cars rented can be stretched for five days at a weekend price if you book it just before the weekend. This is one of the ways that car renters can save money because they utilize timing strategies. Another way is to book a month or more in advance to get a low price.
