Speedy Car Rental Tips

How To Speed Up The Car Rental Process

If you do not know what you are doing, renting a car can be a rather intimidating process, as well as a long and drawn out one. Oftentimes I would use slow hotel shuttle services or public transportation options when I was traveling for work, just in order to avoid having to deal with the hassle of the car rental process.

As someone who has since gone through the car rental process in countless countries (across several different continents), I can safely tell you – it is not as bad as it seems. There are even some ways that you can actually speed up the process, a few shortcuts if you will. If you want to speed up the car rental process yourself, these are just some of the ways that you are able to do so. 

Bypass The Rental Car Counter

Most of us do not like standing in line, so what if there is a way to avoid standing in line altogether? You can bypass the rental car counter with a number of rental companies, including with National’s Emerald Club and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Let me tell you, it feels great to be able to skip the paperwork and avoid the waiting after a long day of traveling. Moreover, in some locations, you might be able to choose your car before you get off the lot. This means that you are able to choose the right car for your specific needs for that trip.

Even though it does not actually help in speeding up your trip, you should also not ignore the fact that you are accumulating points with these programs. Even if you only rent a car a few times a year, it is still worth signing up for these programs when you can.

Have A Folder With Your E-mails

You will never know when you need your registration information. By making sure that you have all this information available in a single place, you are able to access this information quickly. This means that you will not be standing around for a long time if you do need these e-mails. There is nothing more frustrating than having to stand around, sort through your phone as your Internet is struggling to adapt to the new surroundings, and end up frustrated as the e-mail that you are looking for fails to load. Have your information printed and readily available.

Make Sure That You Use The Apps

When people say that there is an app for everything, they are not kidding. Apps are going to make renting a car much easier than before. You are able to access a lot of information right from your phone. With a good rental app, you are able to do a number of things with the touch of a button. These are just a handful of things that you can do with the Hertz and National apps:

Now that I have helped you move through the process faster, let me just tell you one way that you can actually slow the process down a bit – make sure that you check your rental car for damage. Even though this is not always fun to do, it is essential. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way, but you can avoid this problem altogether and do some research before you drive off the lot.

Bradley McGowan is a US based freelance writer, extensive traveller and a regular contributor to The Wise Traveller.