California Car Rental

With some of the best rates in the country, and the most scenic areas in the west, booking a car rental is the smart thing to do when you're making your California travel plans. There are a number of places and lovely byways that tour bus companies don't go to. This type of transportation does not give you the mobility, privacy and value a cheap rental car can provide. Whether you're enjoying views of the Pacific on your California Coast travel or just want to do away with guided tours, a car rental is one of the best ways to get around the state.

You can enjoy the many Scenic Drives in California to the fullest and save time on your trip when you choose to get around in a car. Highway 1 takes you along the California Coast, all the way from Mendocino to San Juan Capistrano, in Southern California.

There are two different types of California car rental companies. There are small agencies that have rental cars for particular regions, and national companies with hundreds of locations across the country. If you're going with a larger chain, you have the option of picking the vehicle up in one state and dropping it off in another. There are often high fees for this, so plan ahead to avoid this additional expense. You could spend weeks alone just trying to cover all the places you learned about while planning your California vacation. You might want to save your tour of the other states in the Southwest for a time when you have a private vehicle that you can take anywhere in the country.

Fees for a California car rental can vary from company to company, but on average you can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $45 to rent a vehicle for a day. You can find the best deal in a couple different ways. The first, and most important, is to plan well in advance when you'd like the car. As soon as you know, you should make your reservation. Car rental companies are used to booking cars far ahead of time, so you shouldn't feel silly when you're making reservations, since it is common knowledge you need advance reservations to get a cheap rental car.

Another way to secure a discount car rental is by calling around. When you call a California car rental company, they often speak as if you're going to choose them, and ask you when you would like to pick up the vehicle. Don't be pressured at all, you should give them your information and they will quote you a rate, after which they will ask you if you'd like to reserve the car.

Simply by calling around, you can find the cheapest deal on a California car rental. If you can find an economy car for around $20 a day or a full-size vehicle for $30, you've gotten a good deal. If you book the car for 7 days, this will often reduce the price so that it is on par with a discount car rental.

As a reference, you will want to know that the major car rental companies that have offices in California:

* National Car Rental
* Alamo Car Rental
* Enterprise Car Rental
* Budget Car Rental
* Thrifty Car Rental
* Alamo Car Rental
* Dollar Car Rental

If you want to save even more, Rent a Wreck has some of the best rates on cheap rental cars, which are far from new. The vehicles are frequently serviced, so you don' t have to worry when you book a discount car rental with this company.

Be sure to make sure you have insurance before you commence your California travel. Insurance is required for all drivers in California, so you can purchase this when you pick up your cheap rental car. Read the fine print, however, since there are some activities that may not be covered in your insurance plan, like driving down an unpaved road in a conventional car.

California coast travel is one of the main reasons people get a rental car. They can visit Carmel, Pebble Beach, and Monterey as it should be enjoyed; from a car. With scenic drives of all kinds in the area like the 17-Mile Drive and Highway 1, California Coast travel is best enjoyed in a cheap rental car