When you plan to travel this summer using a rented car, you don’t have to use up your entire budget on car rental. You can make use of the following tips to find discount car rental services:

Don’t rent a car at the airport.

When you are flying into a new city, it’s quite convenient to rent a car at the airport. However, it can be quite expensive because of the airport surcharges. Usually, these surcharges can be in fixed dollar figures and called the Customer Facility Charge. At times, this is added as a percentage of the rental fee. It’s typically several dollars daily but when you’re staying longer in the place, it can result in a three-figure charge.

You can look for car rentals online.

You may check several sites online where you may find discounted car rental services. You may also find sites that let you compare your options and find the best deal. Go straight to the car rental company site. Be wary of Pay Now options. Most of the time they come with a steeper rate for their cars for rent. Also, keep in mind that rental fees paid in advance are completely nonrefundable.

Take advantage of your memberships.

If you have a Costco membership, you can make use of this membership the next time you rent a car. It may even be possible for you to find a driver for free. AAA memberships also let you enjoy a discount when you rent a Hertz. Frequent-flyer programs also offer discounted rates on rental cars.

Choose economy cars instead of luxury ones.

Economy cars are known to be the cheapest. They are mostly the first to be booked too. When you book a discount car rental, choose the smallest and most affordable car you can find. There’s a big change that this is not anymore on the lot and you’ll get an upgrade. Just don’t choose a vehicle that is too small for your party.

Take advantage of your insurance coverage.

When you own a car, your primary insurance likely includes car rentals in the coverage. Most credit cards also include basic insurance coverage when the card is used for car rental payments. You can skip the rental fee and save as much as $30 per day on the car rental service. You may even find cards that offer comprehensive car coverage.

Stay with one driver for the entire trip.

Rental companies often charge you an extra amount for every extra driver you add. The fee can vary depending on the car rental company and location. You may dodge this fee when you let a spouse or domestic partner drive, given that you have the same address in your driving licenses. Others will allow you to dodge the fee when you subscribe to a membership program.