New York Car Rental

New York City, commonly referred to as the Big Apple, is the most populated city in all of the United States. In only 205 square miles there are more than eight million people. As of 2007, New York City was fifth in size in the world, after Tokyo, Japan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; and Seoul, South Korea. New York City has long been a central hub for trade, research, finance, art, fashion, food and culture. Everyone around the world recognizes the popular skyline. Because there is so much to see in New York City’s five major boroughs – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, it is beneficial to get a cheap car rental in New York.

No one can deny how efficient having a car rental can be when going on a vacation, especially in New York. Whether the trip is business or pleasure, for a few days or even weeks at a time, renting a car is always a viable solution. It provides you with mobility. It saves on taxi fares and you are not at the mercy of public transportation. You are given the convenience to travel when you want and where you want to go. You can stop at different attractions and travel at your leisure without being a slave to public transportation. Although New York has a good public transportation sector, many individuals recommend driving because you are not limited on when or where you can travel. A rental car also allows you to travel outside the boroughs if you would like and see sites and attractions on the outskirts of New York.

When renting car in New York - never limit your search

To find the best rate on a rental, it is necessary to scour the internet. There is no one website providing information on the best deals. Start with some of the biggest names in search engine aggregator websites, including Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity. When looking for a rental car, always think about the type of car you are going to need. If you are not going to be traveling around with a lot of items, a small sedan could work perfectly. For larger families and additional travel, look into larger sedans, SUVs and even mini-vans. Even after booking a deal, continue to check the website periodically to see if lower prices are offered.

When renting car in New York - do not forget to include taxes

What you may not know is that there are a number of government-required charges when renting a car that can make up around 20 to 40 percent of the total rental bill. Even numerous airports today, including John F. Kennedy Airport now have taxes known as “airport concession.” Some of the fees used go toward subsidizing municipal projects.

To cope with additional charges and ensure your car rental is still cheap, there are a number of things you can do. First and foremost, get full disclosure with the car rental company. Make sure that the car rental agency, whether online or on the phone, provides a list of all the additional fees and taxes before committing to the rental car. A number of travel search engine websites show the price of the rental car that includes these additional charges so you are not surprised by the price.

Some individuals state that renting a car from an off-site car rental agency results in fewer taxes paid. While there are still taxes to be paid at suburban and downtown car rental agency locations, it will be less than at the airport-based car rental agency. However, individuals will have to look at the cost of going to an alternate location rather than picking up their cheap rental car in New York at the airport.

Lastly, individuals should consider how much they are actually going to be using the car. New York is known for two things when it comes to driving – congestion and traffic. It also has a decent public transportation system. Sometimes parking can also be quite a hassle unless staying somewhere that offers parking. If you only need a rental car for a day or two to get to somewhere far or if they are staying outside the city, then look into getting a rental car.

Do Not Let all Add-On Fees Break the Bank

Unfortunately, numerous car rental companies have learned great techniques to nickel-and-dime customers in order to make even larger profits. There are a number of major fees that individuals need to watch out for. If they know and understand these fees, they can still make out with a cheap rental car in New York.

One of the biggest add-ons is the late fee. A majority of car rental agencies utilize a 24-hour clock that begins when the rental car is picked up. If you pick up your car rental at 2:00 PM one day, for example, you are most likely responsible for bringing it back by 2:00 PM the day your contract ends. If someone is late with the car rental drop off, it often results in large fines. While many car rental agencies provide a 30 to 60 minute grace period, after that, they can charge hefty hourly rates. If someone is really late, they could be charged an extra day. To prevent this, find out the current traffic conditions and allow plenty of time necessary to get to the drop off location.

Fuel charges are another large fee car rental agencies can get someone with. If you do not fill up the tank to the required level (either full tank or to where the tank was when you received the rental car), the car rental agency can charge anywhere between $1.00 and $5.00 for every gallon that is not filled. Rather than prepaying for a full tank of gas (which is really a donation to the bottom line of the car rental company), find a gas station nearby and fill up the gas tank before bringing the car back.

While some car rental agencies do not charge for additional drivers, others do. Also, there may be an additional surcharge if the driver is under the age of 25. Sometimes this fee is not made public knowledge before booking, so it is important to ask.

If you are not dropping off your rental car in the original location of pickup, there is a possibility of having to pay additional fees. This fee often depends on a number of factors, including the type of rental car, the rental agency, and the cities the person will be driving through with the rental car. Because this varies between car rental agencies, it is best to search numerous agencies and check out the prices before booking. No one wants to get slapped with an extra charge of a few hundred dollars because they picked up their rental car in New York and drove it back to Florida.

Smaller car rental agencies still have mileage fees. That is, individuals are given a set number of miles they are allowed to drive. If they go over that mileage, they will have to pay anything from 15 cents to 50 cents per mile over the limit designated in the contract. Always try to stay within mileage limits. If you know in advance that you will probably go over the mileage limit, inquire about increasing the mileage at a fee that is still less than paying overage fees.

One last additional charge car rental agencies sometimes get away with is extra cleaning charges. Rental car agencies do reserve the ability to charge money for deep cleaning of a car after used by a customer. If there is a mess in the car, it is often cheaper to pay a car cleaning service than having the car rental agency clean the mess up after.

Do not Pay for Dings, Dents, or Scratches that are not your Fault

Today, a number of car rental agencies charge for damage that was caused by what is known as “acts of nature,” including hurricanes and hail storms. No one can predict the weather but car renters are still placed at fault. Even minor damage, including scrapes and dings, can cost a driver a lot of money. Make sure that prior to driving the car rental off the lot; you do a thorough walk around the car with an agent. Make sure the agent writes down all existing damage so as to not be charged with it later.

Do not Check off on Automobile Insurance

Most people have already heard this advice; do not take the insurance coverage provided by the car rental agency. If you have a personal vehicle already, your private automobile insurance coverage will cover a rental car as well. However, if the personal automobile insurance coverage does not include collision and comprehensive, you will not be covered for anything that happens to the rental car and will, therefore be held liable for damage and theft. There are no shortcuts when it comes to insurance, review your personal automobile insurance policy and, if reserving on a credit card, the benefit guide.