Should You Rent a Car? This is one of the first decisions you need to make if you are flying somewhere within the United States. It is a big factor in staying within your budget. I always weigh TOTAL cost and convenience. It is essential to make this decision before you book any accommodations because if you are renting a car you will need to make sure you have a reasonably priced place to park the car. Likewise, if you don’t rent a car, you will need to make sure you have a reasonably priced way to get to wherever you are staying.
I am much more likely to rent a car if I am traveling in the United States. You don’t have to worry about different driving laws or licenses and the insurance process is a lot simpler. Because the U.S. is so large, unless I am staying in a major city, I almost always have to rent a car since there aren’t many good public transportation options.
Big City Travel
If I am flying to Chicago, NY or DC then I will not even look at car rentals. I know those cities have good public transportation options and parking is very expensive. I also get stressed out when I drive in big cities because there are so many one-way streets and impatient drivers.
If I am flying into a big city but also traveling to another city as well, like our trip to Seattle and Vancouver, then I am going to look up the cost of a rental car. I use Kayak.com as they list a lot of different companies. There are loyalty clubs and ways to save on car rentals, but I always just get the cheapest car that will fit my needs for that trip. An economy car is fine if it is a trip for two people, but if there are 4 or 5 of people with luggage, a mid-sized car or larger is needed. If there is going to be a lot of driving, you should consider a roomier car if it is in your budget. Look at the prices for the size car you will actually need.
Train Travel
A good alternative to renting a car may be to take a train. I don’t just assume that if I am going to be traveling between cities that I will rent a car. I really enjoy train travel. Taking in the scenery and not having to deal with airport security add enjoyment to the trip. You get to move around on the train (a huge plus if you have people in your group needed to make lots of pit stops in a car). The train station is typically located in the heart of the city instead of the outskirts of the city where airports are. That means you get off your train and you can catch a Lyft and be at your accommodation quickly and inexpensively. I do look at flights between cities as well. If there are just one or two of you, and you are just going to a few cities, it may really be cheaper to fly or take a train between those cities.
Bus Travel
A third option, and one that we inadvertently took on our Seattle and Vancouver trip, was a bus. I booked it through Amtrak and thought it was a train. It ended up being by far the best budget option for us on that trip, even with 4 people. A car rental was about $100 a day plus fuel, insurance, tolls, and parking. Since we were getting a 7 day cruise in Vancouver, we would either have had to do a one way car rental (which is always more expensive) or pay for parking for a week. It just didn’t make sense. Our round trip bus tickets where only $360 total. It is worth the time to do some quick comparisons on prices for your trip before you make a decision. How to Plan a Stress-free Trip on a Budget explains how you can quickly and easily do this.
Smaller Communities
Where and when I almost always rent a car:
- I almost always rent a car when I want to explore smaller communities that don’t have public transportation.
- If I am going multiple places that don’t have an affordable option to get from city to city. If I do this though, I typically don’t rent the car for the entire trip.
In my last trip to San Francisco with my kids, we spent three days in the city with no rental car, took public transportation back to the airport (typically the cheapest place to rent a car) and then rented a car for a few days to drive down to Monterey. We then drove back to the San Fran airport, dropped off the car and then got our flight home. Driving and paying for parking in San Francisco was not something I wanted to do. Plus the extra cost per day to have the car would far outweigh the cost to Uber. Renting a car does not have to be an all or nothing proposition for a trip.
Renting a Car in the U.S. May Offer More Experiences
Take the extra time to plan before you go so you can get the most out of your trip. If we hadn’t rented a car in California, we would not have been able to go to Cumbria and experience one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Renting a car in the United States give you the opportunity to see things you couldn’t otherwise.
*Stress Free is a relative term. As we all know there is no such thing as a completely stress free trip. You and your family will have grumpy days. You will encounter unavoidable delays that are 100% outside your control. It may rain on the day you were planning to spend at the beach. But, if you take the time to plan, if you don’t reinvent the wheel but learn from others (me!), then it should make your trip much, much less stressful.