How to Book
Many of our trips require a rental car. If our destination has fantastic public transportation, that’s often preferred, but it’s not always the case. While we have young kids still in car seats, it can be difficult to rely on Uber and Lyft to get around, so that leaves car rentals as our best option.
If you find it makes sense for you to rent a car, we like to use our Costco membership to get good deals through Costco travel. We usually just pick whatever’s cheapest and meets our needs. Costco bookings are always refundable and come with an extra driver. I like to check in on upcoming bookings every few weeks to see if there’s a cheaper option, and I’ll cancel and rebook. If you don’t have access to Costco benefits, Kayak and Hotwire are also good options. Be sure to read the cancel policy and the fine print regarding additional drivers! You don’t want to take any chances if you need more than one person to be able to drive. There’s still a car shortage, but it appears to be getting better.
Car Trip Essentials
Car Charger
Car Seat Travel Bag
Phone Mount
Saving Money on Insurance
One way to save money on your car rental is to use a credit card that offers insurance and allows you to skip the upsell at the desk. You might even already have one of these cards. Most car rental companies will qualify, so pick whatever the cheapest or best rental is. There are a few small rules to keep in mind: Large passenger vans, RVs, luxury cars, and moving trucks may not be covered. Rentals need to be for less than a month. Some countries may not be included. This doesn’t cover peer rentals like Avail and Turo.
What's Covered? Does It Really Cover Everything?
Many credit cards offer primary insurance which means, in the event of an accident, they will reimburse for the full cost to replace or repair. Instead of using your personal insurance or the rental car agency’s, you will file a claim through the credit card company instead.
Which Cards?
There are several across Chase, Citi, and American Express that offer coverage. These are some of my favorites:
Extending Benefits to Authorized Users
Many rental car companies require a Credit Card with your name on it for a rental. The Chase United does not cost additional money to add an authorized user. We have used this benefit previously so that my sister-in-law could rent a car for a group trip. Another great benefit to keep in mind!
