How to Find Cheap Car Rentals in 2025

I like road trip. You get in the car and go wherever you want to go. Road trips offer a freedom that trains just don’t offer (and, don’t get me wrong, I love train travel too). Small towns, beautiful parks, historic buildings…whatever you see, you can stop and stay for as long as you want!

I’ve taken dozens of road trips over the years. Some destinations are just means For them (think New Zealand, Ireland, Iceland, USA, South Africa, etc.).

However, renting one can be a pain when you don’t have your own car. No one likes doing this, and we’re all (rightly) worried that we’re being ripped off. There are always a lot of questions when renting a car.

Where can I find the best prices?

How do I know if this cheap car rental site is legitimate?

What should I pay attention to?

What about insurance? Do I really need that? Or is my credit card insurance good enough?

In this article, I’ll share my tips and advice to help you find a cheap (but reliable) car rental, and how to avoid the pitfalls many travelers make.

Step 1: Join the rental company mailing list and loyalty program

Most car rental companies advertise deals to their subscribers first. As soon as you know you’re going on a road trip, join the mailing lists of the major car rental companies. This way, you can snap up any deals as soon as they are announced.

To find the main car rental companies at your destination, simply visit the website of the airport you are arriving at and see what car rental companies are there.

Additionally, like airlines, many car rental companies have loyalty airlines that offer perks like discounts, reward upgrades, and free rentals. Enterprise, Avis, Alamo, and Hertz are the major players in the market offering free loyalty programs. Sign up for them so you don’t miss out on any perks, offers or upgrades.

Step 2: Search for cars using Discover Cars

While you can certainly view deals from each car rental company individually, the best way to compare prices is to use an aggregator. These sites aggregate information from every car rental site, so you don’t have to spend time manually comparing prices before booking.

Found the car to be Best car search aggregator Use it as it pulls more cars from more websites to ensure you find the best deal (it searches over 500 websites for deals). It covers 165 countries and over 50,000 locations worldwide!

You can check prices and get quotes quickly and easily using the widget below, and compare car rental deals for a cheap rental using the DiscoverCars comparison tool:

Be sure to compare weekly and daily rates. For example, if you need a car for 4 days, you can also compare prices for a 7-day trip. Sometimes it’s cheaper to rent the car for a full week and return it early.

Step 3: Check out discounts and offers

Some car rental sites share discounts directly on their website. Budget and Avis, for example, both have “last minute deals” sections on their websites where you can find incredible discounts as long as you’re flexible with your dates and destinations.

Most major car rental companies also offer discounts and deals for certain groups. For example, Avis offers discounts of up to 35% to members of AARP, an interest group for Americans 50 and older, while Budget offers discounts of up to 35% to veterans. Check before booking to see if you qualify for any discounts or offers, such as corporate discounts, government discounts, premium discounts or discounts from any hotel or airline program you participate in.

Many travel credit cards also offer car rental deals or discounts.

Step Four: Examine the Sharing Economy

Now that you’ve found the best deals, it’s time to do a quick comparison with sharing economy sites like Turo. Turo is like Airbnb, but for cars. Locals list their vehicles and daily prices, and you can browse the options and reserve your vehicle. It’s not available everywhere (currently only in the US, Australia, France, UK, and Canada), but you can find it in most major cities. Depending on your needs and trip duration, you may be able to find cheaper deals.

Renters must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license, and have proof of good car insurance scores. You can pick up the car, drop it off, or meet the owner somewhere to get the keys.

Prices can be as low as $25 per day, making this an affordable option if you book early.

And if you’re looking for an RV, check out RVShare, which is similar to Turo but focuses solely on RVs and campers. They have the largest inventory.

There is also the Imoova.com website where you can help people relocate their vehicles. You’ll be faced with a deadline since the vehicle needs to be delivered by a specific date, however, rates are usually only $1 per day, and many include some gas fees.

Step 5: Book a car (book early!)

Book early. Just like booking a flight, the closer to the date, the more expensive the car will be – assuming there’s any left over to rent! The recent pandemic has caused people to shift from overseas travel to domestic road trips, sending car rental prices soaring. The best time to rent a car is when you know you need one! Don’t wait any longer.

You can click here to get quotes directly from the DiscoverCars aggregator for global lease comparisons.

9 questions to ask yourself before renting a car

Now that you’ve found a cheap car rental, here are some things to keep in mind before booking your rental:

1. Are there any requirements for drivers? – Some countries charge an additional fee if the driver is under 25 years old. Others require some driving experience before renting a car (usually one year). Each country has different requirements, so be sure to read the fine print before booking. You can learn more about obtaining an international driver’s license in this blog post.

2. What are the requirements for your travel insurance? – When you rent a car, car companies always require you to purchase additional insurance. But should you? This depends on whether you have your own travel insurance with collision coverage, your own auto insurance, or coverage through a travel credit card.

Some travel insurance companies and credit cards want you to decline the rental agency’s insurance, while others insist you purchase it first and file a claim with them. Before renting a car, make sure you understand the requirements of your existing travel insurance plan. The credit cards listed here all have good car insurance.

3. What is not included? – Once you find a rental car, the company will often try to sell you a variety of extras. GPS, liability insurance, satellite radio, child car seats – these are just a few of the extras not included in most rental cars. Learn what’s included and what’s not included so there are no surprises when you pick up your car.

4. Do I need to fill up the water tank at the end? – Some car rental companies allow you to return the car in its original condition, but this is really rare. Most insist that you fill up the tank beforehand. If you don’t, they’ll charge you a hefty price for gas when you fill up. I always fill up the gas tank before returning the car.

5. How to avoid being scammed? – Take photos and videos of your car before setting off on your trip. Specifically, bumpers, windshields, and tires are the areas most likely to be damaged. This way, when you return it, they won’t blame you for any pre-existing damage. I always walked with the person who handed me the car and walked with others when I returned it.

6. Do you have unlimited miles? – Unlimited mileage is slowly becoming the standard. However, this isn’t always the default, check if you have unlimited mileage for longer road trips. Otherwise, your mileage will be calculated so you won’t be charged an additional fee.

7. Are there any charges for additional drivers? – If you’re going on a road trip with friends or family, chances are you’ll be driving with others. Unless you’re traveling with a spouse or domestic partner (some companies provide extra drivers for free), this means you’ll need to pay for the extra driver, which is usually $10-20 per day! If this is the case, limit additional drivers or you will be charged a large fee. Also, keep in mind that charging extra drivers is illegal in some places, such as California.

8. Where is the pick-up/drop-off location? – Most travelers pick up their rental cars at the airport. While convenient, airports charge companies operating fees—costs that are passed on to customers. It’s worth checking if there are any price differences at locations outside the airport. If it’s easy to get to, you’re likely to find cheaper prices there.

9. Is the car an automatic or manual transmission? – If you are from the United States or Canada and are used to driving automatic cars, you may be surprised to learn that manual transmissions are standard in most other parts of the world when renting a car abroad. Therefore, it is usually more expensive to rent a car with an automatic transmission. Double-check that the vehicle you’re renting can actually be driven (don’t take your chances by trying to teach yourself to rent a car).

Road trips are one of the best ways to explore new destinations, and the freedom of owning a car is unmatched, allowing you to get off the beaten path and have all kinds of adventures. Knowing a few things before renting a car can save you a lot of time, hassle, and expense.

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