Car Rental Tips and Tricks Ahead of Holiday Travel Season

As the Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel seasons approach, AAA Travel is providing car rental tips and tricks for Americans as they prepare to visit friends and family.

To ensure a reasonable rate and save the sanity of tourists, AAA recommends booking rental cars well in advance, as prices are often more expensive the closer travelers get to the desired rental date. Some companies also offer a pre-pay option that includes a discount when booking early.

AAA also provided the most popular destinations to rent a car during the Thanksgiving holiday season, with Orlando and Anaheim ranking first and second, respectively, followed by Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Maui, Las Vegas, New York City and Tampa.

For people flying into the city where they are renting a car, AAA suggests including the flight number, airline and estimated time of arrival (ETA) to protect the reservation in the case of a flight delay.

Airport car rental locations are typically busy, and the situation will only become more chaotic as the holidays approach. Travelers should consider renting from a neighborhood branch and check with the car rental company to see if they offer a free pickup service.

Avoiding distractions is also important, so tourists should familiarize themselves with their rental vehicle by plugging in their chargers, connecting to Bluetooth and activating the GPS before they leave the lot.

AAA travel agents can also help travelers book their rental vehicles and find discounts and bundled options. AAA members can also receive up to 20 percent off base rates at Hertz car rental locations.

Planning ahead is critical to a trip’s success, from mapping out gas stations or electric vehicle charging stations to planning attractions and activities, AAA has several free travel tools to keep people organized and prepared.