Are you planning a road trip to Hilton Head Island? Then, you’ve come to the right place!
How often do you actually need to use van rentals? When you’re planning a holiday road trip to some exotic location like Hilton Head Island or planning to attend a conference with your colleagues, and lastly when you have to move big stuff from one place to another.
Regardless of your travel reason, using the passenger van rental is always wise to make your trip more comfortable and cost-effective.
This option is often more economical than renting a car and staying in a hotel every night. If you’re looking to save even more money, go on site carngo.com to explore the affordable passenger van options. That said, here are some of our best hacks for saving money on a camper van rental.
1. Finding a Reliable Passenger Van Car Rental Company
Finding a reliable van company is one of the most important steps for renting a car or vehicle.
When searching for a passenger van car rental, it is always best to open a few offers in different tabs and do your research. Make sure to look at each website in detail and try to find the best offer. If you find a service that is a lot cheaper, try to figure out why the price is lower. Sometimes, low prices mean that the quality is not as good. You need to be sure that your goods will be safe.
On the other hand, if you are planning to travel somewhere, you need to be sure that all the conditions and features are safe.
2. Don’t wait; Book in advance
It’s essential to book your van rentals in advance while planning your trip. By booking before the dates, you will get more options for choosing a van for your specific budget and requirements.
In addition to that, advance booking always costs less than using same-day rental services.
3. Book in the off-season
Camper van rates will usually follow the same pattern as airlines, hotels, and a majority of other industries. You’ll pay a lot more when it’s summer than you will in the off-season.
This is because a lot of people are going to be on vacation at the same time. If you really want to save money, you can go in the off-season. National Parks will be much less crowded when you’re there, and you can easily find a campsite.
4. Check Insurance
One of the main reasons that van rentals are so expensive is insurance. Companies want to ensure that their vehicles are protected in case of accidents. It doesn’t matter how experienced the drivers are; mistakes can always happen. By insuring their vehicles, companies can protect themselves from any potential damages.
However, some passenger van car companies offer reasonable prices for the primary coverage. All you need to do is check the insurance on the company’s website and explore other available options. If some car rental company charges a high insurance amount, you should avoid using it.
5. Compare Rates Online
Before you make your final decision, it’s always important to compare your options. Many car rental comparison databases like Kayak and Priceline can give you a good idea of what different companies are charging.
Once you’ve found a few options that work with your budget and schedule, check the van rentals website to see if they are offering the same price before finalizing your passenger van’s booking.
6. Check Discount by partnerships
Many car rental agencies have partnerships with other businesses, including banks, hotels, hotels, etc. This allows members of different loyalty programs to access bonuses and special deals.
For example, suppose you’re a member of their loyalty program. In that case, you may get a 10% discount on renting a vehicle or get a complimentary pickup and dropoff from the airport.
7. Explore the categories
With so many passenger categories out there, it can be tough to decide which one is right for you. Explore the different options on the van rentals site. For instance, there are huge categories of passenger vans, including 4 passenger vans, 7 passenger vans, 12 passenger vans, 15-passenger vans, and minivans near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA.
You can choose the one as per your requirement. Do you need an Economy van for its fuel efficiency? Or a Compact minivan because it’s easy to park? It’s important to pay attention to each van category’s specifics when making your decision. How many people and bags can it comfortably carry? What kind of features does it have (power windows, entertainment system, etc.)? And most importantly, is it an automatic or standard transmission?
8. Use a Credit Card for rental booking
Insurance of rented vehicles is very crucial. No one wants to get into an accident while on vacation. Even more, no one wants to have to deal with the headache and expense of car rental insurance.
But did you know some credit cards offer a variety of benefits to cardholders, one of which is car rental insurance? This type of insurance can cover accidental damage, theft and other damages up to a specific amount limit.
Furthermore, you can also benefit from a primary car rental insurance offer from your credit card provider. This is to save a good amount of money that you would be paying to purchase a high-priced insurance policy from the rental company otherwise.
Sometimes if you have your own home or auto insurance, its benefits might extend to cover car rentals. However, you need to check the policies to see what is and isn’t included. Doing this can save a significant amount of money on van rentals.
9. Avoid Upselling
Some van rentals are always trying to get you to buy their overpriced extras, like navigation systems and child car seats. You can save some money by bringing your own gadgetry.
10. Airport Rentals
If you’re not on a tight budget, one option is to rent a van from or near the airport. Keep in mind that these airport car rentals are almost always expensive, so if you’re looking to save some money, it’s best to look further away from the airport.
You might be surprised to find that you don’t need to go more than 3 miles from the airport to find an affordable option that suits your needs.
Another reason why it’s important to take your time with research is that you might miss out on some great deals if you rush the process. There are some great passenger van car rental sites that are situated at airports and nearest cities as well. You can book a passenger van or car from them in advance to avoid paying more and get free airport pick up and drop off as well.