“If the rental car search engine says the cars are all gone, be smart,” said Leigh Rowan, founder of Savanti Travel, a travel management service, which recommends using Google Maps to find locations. rental cars near your hotel or vacation home. rent. “At major tourist sites like Wailea on Maui, there are four different car rental locations within walking distance of the hotels.”

For his own April vacation to the island of Hawaii, Mr Rowan had made a reservation with Alamo through Costco – retail subscriptions often offer discounts on travel services such as car rentals – for a van to accommodate his group of seven people. To make sure he would be there when he arrived, he called the local branch the day before he arrived, explained why he needed the warranty for a large vehicle, and asked for the name of the person who would be working. on arrival.

“These additional measures are boring,” but essential, he said, particularly in Hawaii, where the state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs told a local television station that it was in the process. to investigate the high cost of rentals listed as as much as $ 600 per day.

Instead of chasing yourself, you can use AutoSlash, which uses coupons and discount codes from car rental companies to sort through search results that it claims would take consumers a long time. The free service also uses things like wholesale store and airline loyalty program memberships and affiliations with organizations like the American Automobile Association and AARP to find deals.

The service then tracks the rental to make sure it remains the best value for money, emailing travelers to rebook if the price drops.

Alternatives to traditional rental cars

There are, of course, public transport alternatives to renting a car, including carpooling services, bike sharing systems, and public transportation.

For those seeking the privacy and control of a car, Turo acts as Airbnb for cars, allowing individuals to list their vehicles for rent on the platform, where choices range from older $ 20 subcompacts. per day to luxury cars like a Lamborghini in Miami for over $ 1,000 a day. Vehicle owners set conditions for things like daily mileage limits.