One of the most common things I get asked by people is, how do you handle finding cheap rental cars?

It’s a great question - once you’ve secured a cheap flight, a car rental can quickly add hundreds of dollars to your vacation bill.

But what if I told you there was a better way to book cars?

I currently use three tools to ensure that I’m getting the best deal possible on a rental car. Let’s dive in and learn more about each of the tools.

Costco Travel

If you live in the US, you have probably heard about Costco. What most Costco members don’t realize is that their annual membership also gives them access to Costco Travel, an online portal where you can book cruises, select hotels, and most importantly, cheap rental cars.

In fact, you don’t have to have a Costco membership to book a car. At no point in pick-up process do they ask for proof of membership. You just need a valid Costco membership number in order to place the booking.

• Costco Travel has access to cheap rental cars at Enterprise, Budget, Alamo, and Avis.
• No booking fees
• Free cancellation
• No deposit is required when booking

This means that if I’m considering a trip somewhere, I’ll often book a few rental cars to ensure that I have my bases covered.

It also allows me to book a car immediately after booking my flight, then shop around a bit more to be sure I’ve found the cheapest option.

Costco rentals also come with a free secondary driver, which often costs $20-50/day. This is particularly handy if you’re traveling with a friend and you want to split

the driving duties.

Turo

Sometimes you might notice that car rental rates are crazy high in a particular city or airport. This can often be a result of a conference or major event happening in the area. I’ve personally seen this situation drive rental prices north of $125/day, which is wayyyyy more than I’m willing to pay for a rental car.

In cases such as this, I turn to Turo. Turo is a peer-to-peer rental car platform. That’s a fancy way of saying that you can book someone’s personal car.

The pro’s to Turo are that you know exactly what type of car you’re going to get. Looking to test out the new Tesla Model 3? There are hundreds available for rent on Turo.

Turo’s rates vary based on what the car owners want to charge, but there are usually great options in the $40-60/day range. While I have found that the rates are often a bit higher than base rental car rates, they are perfect when a major event in the area drives the rental car rates up.

Keep in mind that with Turo, you’ll be driving someone’s personal car. So you will often need to arrange pick-up and drop-off with the owner. Many owners will even meet you at the airport for a small upcharge. This has never been a problem for me, but it is something to keep in mind.

Autoslash

The last tool that I use regularly for car rentals is Autoslash. Autoslash is the most advanced and is often responsible for saving me a good chunk of change on cars.

When you arrive on the Autoslash site, you will see that their process is a bit different.

To get started, you will need to fill out a quick form with info on where/when you need a car, then answer a few questions about the loyalty programs that you are a member of.

Autoslash then takes all this info and runs tons of queries to see where the best deal can be found online.

Once Autoslash is done, the system sends you a quick automated email that your deals are ready to be looked at.

I love Autoslash because it enables me to quickly scan dozens of sites for deals without having to do any of the manual work searching.

One last bit on Autoslash - once you place your booking, it automatically keeps an eye out to see if prices change. If you end up booking elsewhere, you can still have them track your rental price by entering in your confirmation number. If cars drop in price, they will notify you - giving you the chance to rebook and save some cash.

Wrapping Up

Keeping these three sites in mind next time you’re booking a rental car can save you hundreds of dollars on your next vacation. That means more money in the bank for your next trip :)

The last tip that I’ll offer is that rental car prices tend to change a lot. I’ve seen some prices start low and go up, while others start high and decrease. It’s truly hard to tell what will happen.

It pays to double-check everything a few days before you’re slated to pick up your car. I also like to run one last check on the day that I pick up my car rental.