San Diego Car Rentals

When looking for San Diego car rentals there are some tips you should know to get the best deal for you hard-earned dollar. One of them is that not all agencies and services are alike. Another big tip is don’t believe all the hype you hear on television or the radio about these cheap discount services. Above all, educate yourself as much as you can about policies, coverage, laws governing these rental agencies, so you don’t become a victim of some kind of scam.


Discount services are geared more towards grouping deals together in one package and will often try to steer you in that direction. They don’t do very well with individuals looking for just San Diego car rentals, but can hook you up with complete travel and hotel accommodations if you are interested. If you just want to rent a car, then you may want to avoid these.

With so many San Diego car rentals, you have many choices. While there are many National brands, you may want to take into consideration some cost effective alternatives. Because this is such a large metropolitan area, there are many really cheap local car rentals. Rent A Wreak is a widely used agency, and there are many others. They still have all the rules and regulations that national brands must abide by, and the availability of vehicles offered is quite comparable. What they lack in frills and extras they make up for in prices.

Make sure that you find out if there are any hidden fees that aren’t included, like taxes and surcharges. If you are planning to use an agency with an outlet at an airport, you may have airport charges that you may not find out on your own until later. It might even be cheaper to rent a taxi to the next closest location, and it may be within a mile or two further from the airport, but will save you money.

If you are traveling with children, make sure you bring your own travel safety seats with you. Even the National brands will charge you to rent one if you didn’t bring yours. Pay for your own gas, and don’t forget to top off the tank when returning the vehicle, or they will charge you.

Don’t pay for insurance you don’t need. Most agencies, including San Diego car rentals will try to get you to pay for their ‘added’ insurance. The truth is that much of this insurance is covered either through your own personal insurance company, or even the credit card company you used to rent the vehicle. The only area where your company may not cover is the money lost for the agency to wait until the car is repaired, check to make sure.


Just some smart tips when looking for a San Diego car rental, shop around and compare prices and ‘discounts.’ You may even find a cheaper rate lower at one site then the discounted price is at another. Make sure, that you drop off the vehicle off on time, or you may be charged another full day at the regular single day price, not the rate that was agreed upon in the contract itself.