Just knowing the city you are traveling to is not enough when renting a car in the USA! There are exact pin locations in cities/towns you will have to choose from. And coming from a foreign land to find the right pick-up and drop-off locations can become hassling. Questions related to expenses, traveling time, safe areas, and availability of car rentals will always cross your mind. Here we have jotted down some advice you can consider while making downtown or airport car rental pick-ups. While comparing airport car rental pick-ups with city/downtown pick-ups, we must see how both have their own perks. Reading the points below will help you to make a well-informed decision:
Convenient Car Rental Pick-up
When choosing an airport car rental pick-up in the USA you don’t have to worry about searching for a taxi to travel unknown roads to reach the rental desk, which also would be a payable ride. Mostly, the car rental suppliers at the airport are inside the airport premises itself, and if not, free shuttles are offered by the supplier to reach the rental desk. There is a Meet & Greet service available as well by an associate of the rental supplier, making it the most convenient way to start your trip.
If you are planning to rent a car at any city location other than the airport, you will have to consider public transportation options to reach the car rental desk. This basically means that there would be extra money involved to pay for the taxi and a lot of inconvenience of carrying the luggage around while searching for a bus or a taxi.
Cheap Car Rental Pick-up in the USA
Airport locations are expensive to rent a car from, as there is a Premium Location Surcharge/ Location Fees involved. But on the other hand, it is the most convenient place for making a car rental pick-up. The charges you are paying are for the convenience of having car rental desks inside the airport or at a very short distance covered in free shuttles. There is a parking fee on a per-hour basis so if you get late you would be charged extra for that, so make sure you reach the pick-up location on time.
Downtown locations are mostly cheaper as compared to airport car rental locations. There are no surcharges such as ‘premium location surcharge’, so you have a chance to save some extra money. You can take a taxi, a bus, or a tram (depending on availability) to reach the pick-up location with the help of a navigation system. Though getting late to reach the pick-up location would attract extra charges for some suppliers even if you rent a car at an off-airport location.
Car Rental Tips
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Airport to Car Rental Desks: are easy to navigate, there are signposts and airport executives you can take help from. With a downtown car rental pick-up, you will have to figure out the location by yourself, though you can contact the supplier at any time to ask for navigation, yet once you are off the airport there are chances of confusion.
There are chances you will save money with a downtown car rental pick-up, but the taxis around the airports are expensive as well. Use public transit if you are particularly on budget travel. -
Choose the Extras carefully: The premium location fee is chargeable on the final price of the car, which means that it will also be included in the extras you choose. If you looking to save money, make sure you choose only the extras which are absolutely needed.
Renting a Car at a Safe Location
Renting the car at the airport location ensures that you don’t have to leave the airport premises to collect your rental car, and even if you are supposed to leave the premises, it is in the supplier’s shuttle. Once you have your rental car you can independently discover and get familiar with the city surroundings.
Specifically, when traveling alone, being an outsider is not easy. It is important to make sure to be safe and take all the precautions required. A downtown car rental pick-up may leave you confused and in uncertain situations.
TIP: Always keep your supplier’s contact info handy so if you are in a situation of emergency you can seek the guidance and help of your car rental supplier immediately.
Car Rental Desk Working Hours
At the airport, working hours for car rental desks are longer than the other locations. Like, Sixt in Los Angeles Airport (LAX) is open 24 hours, so if your arrival at the airport is at an odd hour, you will still get timely assistance and the keys to your USA car rental.
Downtown location center opening hours may not match your arrival time, or in the case of delayed flights, you may not find your supplier at the location. In some cases, there are extra charges involved, if you are late to reach the supplier’s desk.
TIP: At least keep a 45-50 minutes gap between the time of your arrival and your car rental pick-up to ensure you reach your airport rental desk on time in case of flight delays. There is also an option where you can mention your flight details in your rental form, so as to keep the supplier in a loop in case of any delays. When renting a car at the downtown location, it may take you a while to figure out the exact car rental desk location, so keep that time spare in your schedule.
Save Time Airport Car Rental
As mentioned earlier, airport pick-ups save a lot of time as you don’t have to search for taxis and search for the exact address for the car rental pick-up. When you arrive at the airport, if the desk is within walking distance, you can follow the signposts to reach the rental desks or an associate will help you to reach the desk.
Downtown locations consume a lot of time as rental depots may not be at the prime/ central location that’s easy to locate, ‘the saving money’ aspect is there though, but if your priority weighs more towards saving time, airport pick-up is meant for you.
Distance from Your Hotel to Airport
Picking up your car at the airport is ideal when you have a lot of luggage, and/or there is a considerable distance between your hotel and the airport. This way you can save a lot of your effort and time.
You can consider renting a car at the city location if your hotel is near the pick-up point, this way you can schedule collecting your rental car when you need it, which will save you a few days of rental. With the airport car rental pick-up, you will have to take your rental immediately as you arrive. Be calculative of the distance and time before choosing this option.
TIP: You can check out your preferred car rental location right now. USA Cars Rental has the widest fleet of car rental options and several airport and downtown locations you can choose from.
Local vs Foreign Travelers
If you are not familiar with the roads and locations in the USA, collecting a car rental at the airport location is the best option. It is the most convenient and easiest way to start a trip in the USA.
Downtown location car rental pick-ups are meant for travelers more familiar with the lanes of the city, as sometimes you have to cross the streets and narrow lanes to be able to make a pick-up.
Airport car rental pick-up benefits mostly outweigh the extra costs you are paying. Yet, it is recommended to compare the car rental prices thoroughly at USACarsRental, offering the cheapest car rental prices with no hidden charges. Below mentioned are some of the most popular car rental locations chosen by travelers:
