Rental Cars in 2026: How to Skip the Counter, Cut Costs, and Avoid Insurance Mistakes

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Episode: Rental Cars in 2026: How to Skip the Counter, Cut Costs, and Avoid Insurance Mistakes
Hosts: Sally French & Meghan Coyle (NerdWallet)
Date: March 25, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to demystifying the ever-evolving process of renting cars for travel in 2026. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle share actionable strategies on how to skip rental car counters, avoid unnecessary fees, leverage travel tools and credit card perks, and sidestep common (and costly) insurance mistakes. Whether traveling solo or with family, they emphasize maximizing value and reducing headaches for your next getaway.

---

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. State of Travel & Summer 2026 Trends

[08:30] - [13:00]

• NerdWallet’s Summer Travel Report:
  • 45% of Americans plan summer vacations requiring flights/lodging, spending an average of $3,940 (up $260 from 2025).
  • Travelers value flexibility, with 67% prioritizing refundable flights and 62% spending on travel insurance, demonstrating continued travel uncertainty.
  • Travel attitudes by age: 50% of Gen Zers would skip vacation rather than book budget options, vs. 36% of Baby Boomers.
    • Sally: “Youngest and the bougiest.” [10:00]
  • 48% of Americans find points/miles programs too complicated.
• Destinations & Platforms:
  • Hilton partners with Yotel, allowing travelers to earn/redeem Hilton points at Yotel (later in 2026).
  • Citi ends points sharing on May 17, 2026.
  • Chase adds price match guarantee for hotel bookings via its portal.

---

2. Rental Car Prices & Booking Strategies

[17:46] - [23:13]

• Rental Car Pricing Post-Pandemic:
  • Rental car prices are down 1.2% YoY, notable given broader travel inflation.
  • Still up 11% from 2019, but less than overall inflation (26%).
  • “I am an optimist—that’s good news.” — Sally [18:08]
• Booking Hacks & Price Comparison:
  • Book early—and with a reservation you can cancel for free if prices drop. Always monitor and rebook if prices improve.
  • Compare prices across platforms: Expedia, Kayak, Costco Travel, credit card travel portals (e.g., Capital One).
  • AutoSlash recommended by colleague Craig.
  • Location matters:
    • Airport rentals are often more expensive due to surcharges but have better vehicle choice and longer hours.
    • City locations may be cheaper but can be less convenient (off hours, tricky drop-offs).
    • Weigh costs of getting to/from city pick-up points.

Memorable exchange:
Sally: “Sometimes you have to put in the work and just compare prices in all those different spots... you have to just go price, compare everything.” [21:53]

---

3. How to Skip the Rental Car Counter & Use Apps

[24:51] - [26:35]

• Enroll in the rental company’s loyalty program (use a “junk email” to avoid spam).
• Use the rental company’s app to add license/payment info, activate accelerated check-in, and often bypass the counter even without elite status.
  • E.g., Alamo’s Accelerated Check-In lets you walk directly to your car; a gate agent checks ID.
• Some agencies let you choose any car in your category (“Pick any midsize car, so anything in this row, you get to choose.” — Sally [26:02])
• Electric cars: Often cheaper; select wisely based on comfort with charging, trip length, and infrastructure.
  • Meghan: "It can honestly save you a ton of money if you’re willing to charge the car." [26:17]
  • Sally: “I did not realize how long it takes to charge these things.” [27:11]

---

4. Best Credit Card Perks & Elite Status for Rentals

[31:09] - [38:00]

• Many premium credit cards (Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, Chase Sapphire Reserve) offer elite status at rental agencies, which includes:
  • Line-skipping privileges.
  • Potential upgrades.
  • Free additional driver.
• Notable Elite Tiers:
  • Hertz President’s Circle (top tier, available via Amex Platinum & Venture X).
  • National Emerald Executive (via Amex Platinum).
  • Avis Preferred Plus (via Amex Platinum).
  • Visa Infinite cards come with Hertz Five Star, National Emerald Executive, Avis Preferred Plus, and Sixt Platinum.
• Tip: You must enroll—benefits aren’t automatic just for having the credit card.
  • Sally: "Don’t just assume because you got an Amex Platinum that you have Hertz elite status." [33:04]

---

5. Rental Car Insurance—What Credit Cards Cover (and Don’t)

[38:00] - [44:16]

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)/Loss Damage Waiver (LDW):
  • Credit card coverage can allow you to decline these upcharges at the counter IF you meet requirements (use right card, primary renter, decline rental company’s waiver).
  • Primary vs. Secondary Coverage:
    • Primary: Credit card coverage kicks in first—no claim needed with personal auto insurance.
    • Secondary: Credit card coverage applies only after your personal insurance is exhausted.
    • Sally: "If you have personal car insurance already... secondary insurance is not as clean." [40:00]
  • Cards with best primary coverage: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred (lower limit), Capital One Venture X.
    • “You gotta read your benefits guide.” — Sally [43:41]
• Coverage gaps:
  • Usually doesn’t cover liability, medical, or some fees.
  • Off-road, luxury, or peer-to-peer rentals (like Turo) often not covered.
  • Always check your actual card’s policy.

---

6. Alternative Car Rental Companies (Turo, Uber Rent, Zipcar)

[44:16] - [51:52]

• Turo: “The Airbnb for cars”—rent from private individuals, often more convenient for city pick-up, flexible for one-day rentals.
  • Pros: Proximity, one-day city rentals, airport drop-off.
  • Cons: Car quality varies, insurance is a separate purchase (credit card insurance often doesn’t apply), risk of host cancellation, variable check-in/out procedures.
    • Meghan: “My stepdad scraped a Turo rental in Hawaii… We did not take the Turo rental insurance and our car insurance also did not cover as much as we thought.” [47:15]
    • Sally: “When I do a Turo, I do purchase the highest end insurance because I don’t want that to happen to me.” [47:34]
  • Tip: Always take and upload car photos before/after on the app.
• Uber Rent: Car delivered to you; especially convenient in big cities.
• Zipcar: Great for short or hourly rentals; simple, repeatable check-in via card.

---

7. Should You Even Rent a Car? Alternatives & Regional Considerations

[51:52] - [54:43]

• Don’t assume you need a rental car—especially in big cities or if you’ll mostly be on property at a resort.
  • “My hot take: A lot of people assume they need a rental car on vacation because they use a car in their everyday life…you might not need a rental car, especially if you are in a big city.” — Sally [52:11]
• Embrace public transit—contactless/tap-to-pay is nearly universal in big cities now.
• Uber/Lyft to fill gaps—often comparable or cheaper than renting/car parking.
• Do the math: For families/groups or remote trips, cars may still be cheaper.
  • Meghan: “You really do have to do the math when you’re thinking about should I get a rental car.” [54:23]
• Regional tip: Don’t bring a car to San Francisco; consider it for LA, mountain/ski trips, or group travel.

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Gen Z travel:
  • Sally: “Youngest and the bougiest.” [10:00]
• On skipping rental car insurance:
  • Sally: “You can walk up to a rental counter and confidently go, ‘Nope, I don’t need to pay these extra fees!’ It’s beautiful.” [32:19]
• On pandemic price spikes:
  • Sally: “If you have PTSD because the last rental car you booked was back then, prices are not that high anymore.” [18:08]
• On Turo quirks:
  • Meghan: “Maybe you got catfished by a car.”
  • Sally (on Uber Rent): “Every time I’ve done this, they’ll whip out a scooter from the trunk and just scooter away.” [50:25]
• On travel flexibility:
  • Sally: “You still have to be smart about how you book rental cars.” [19:39]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• TSA Tips & New Tech: [03:30] – [08:04]
• Summer Travel Data & Yotel News: [08:30] – [13:00]
• Rental Car Pricing Post-Pandemic: [17:46] – [19:16]
• Booking Early, Tools to Compare: [20:03] – [21:53]
• Airport vs. City Rentals: [21:53] – [24:22]
• Skipping the Counter/App Strategies: [24:51] – [26:35]
• Choosing Electric Cars & Challenges: [26:17] – [28:19]
• Elite Status with Credit Cards: [31:09] – [38:00]
• Rental Insurance Explained: [38:00] – [44:16]
• Turo, Uber Rent, & Zipcar Pros/Cons: [44:16] – [51:52]
• Do You Actually Need a Rental Car?: [51:52] – [54:43]
• Travel Hot Take (Airplane Deplaning): [54:48] – [56:26]

---

Final Takeaways

• Compare everywhere and book early. Cancel/rebook if prices drop.
• Sign up for loyalty programs—even with a junk email—to skip lines.
• Understand and enroll in your credit card’s rental car elite status and insurance benefits—they’re not automatic!
• Weigh alternatives (Turo, Zipcar, Uber Rent)—but know the insurance and reliability trade-offs.
• Consider ditching the car altogether in many cities in favor of transit, rideshare, or walking.
• Double-check insurance coverage ahead of time to avoid costly surprises at the counter.
• Always read user reviews (especially for Turo), take car photos, and plan for check-in/out logistics.

---

For more tips, check the episode notes and find Sally @savewithsally and Meghan @mileswithmeganco on social media. Email episode suggestions and hot takes to [e-mail].

“Let’s drive!” — The Smart Travel team

Transcript

[A]

This episode is sponsored by Fora. You already know how to find which neighborhoods to stay in, which hotels are worth the splurge, and how to piece together an itinerary. You've been thinking like a travel advisor for years, so why not get paid for it? Fora is a modern travel agency built for people who love to plan travel. Their platform, training and community give you everything you need to turn that passion into a flexible, meaningful stream of income. As a Fora advisor, you'll get access to best in class training path, powerful booking tech and a vibrant global community of experts and fellow advisors sharing real insider knowledge to help you launch and grow your own travel business. And with access to more than 7,000 preferred travel partners, from iconic brands to boutique gems, you'll unlock VIP perks like upgrades, resort credits and late checkout that regular travelers simply don't get. Every hotel, cruise or activity you book earns you a commission. Getting started can be as easy as booking trips for people you already know. Now's the time to finally turn your passion for travel into a fulfilling business with Fora. Become a Fora advisor [e-mail] smart travel that's F O R A travel.com smart travel and make sure you tell them we sent you for a travel.com smart travel the following is a paid sponsorship, not an endorsement by NerdWallet's editorial team. Today's episode is sponsored by Bilt. You've heard me talk about Bilt as the loyalty program that lets you earn points on rent wherever you live, and they've just leveled up even more. You can as of 2026, renters and homeowners can earn up to 1.25x points on their housing payments. This is thanks to Bilt's three new credit cards, the Palladium Card, Obsidian Card and Blue Card. All three can turn your housing payments, rent or mortgage into flexible rewards, so you can choose the card that fits your lifestyle without missing out on points and exclusive benefits. Bill points can be redeemed at top airlines and hotels, Amazon.com purchases, future rent payments and more. Built points have also been ranked by top publications as the industry's most valuable point currency. Your housing payment is most likely your biggest expense. Make it your most rewarding. Find the card that fits your lifestyle and apply today at joinbuilt.com smarttravel that's J-O-I-N-B-I-L-T.com smarttravel make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you terms and limitations apply. Subject to approval and eligibility. Bill cards are issued by column NA member FDIC pursuant to license from MasterCard International Incorporated. When you land after a long flight, you're tired, you're hungry, you're ready to roll into your hotel room bed. And then reality hits. You got to stand in line at the rental car counter.

[B]

Yo Megan. For some reason it always seems like the rental car line is the longest the same day that your flight is super delayed.

[A]

That's got to be some weird correlation or causation relationship. I'm not sure which one, but it needs to be studied.

[B]

And today we are breaking down how to rent a car in 2026 without getting wrecked.

[A]

Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive. The tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Megan Coyle.

[B]

And I'm Sally French, and we're the

[A]

travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[B]

And today, that trip could involve renting a car either the traditional way or possibly using alternatives like Turo or Uber Rent.

[A]

We'll also dig into how you can get rental car Elite status and the other credit card perks that actually matter when it comes to rental cars.

[B]

But first, our disclaimer, and that is that we will talk about a few credit card companies on this show that are Nerd Wallet partners, but that does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of this posting, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening. For the latest details, follow the links

[A]

in the episode Description Beware of long lines at tsa. Still, the federal government has been in a partial shutdown since February 14, and the longer this drags on, the longer TSA agents are not getting paid, which

[B]

means a lot of them are just not showing up.

[A]

So call out rates have spiked massively. The New York Times reported last week that over 30% of TSA officers have been absent from work at several airports, and over 360 TSA officers have just quit entirely since the shutdown began.

[B]

This all happens right as spring break travel is ramping up, according to Airlines for America, which is an airline lobbying group. Airlines are expecting 171 million passengers this spring, which is slightly up from last year.

[A]

If you have flights to catch this week or anytime during this government shutdown, here's what we would recommend.

[B]

Okay, I got the practical advice. First and most obvious, get to the airport earlier than you would think. We are talking three hours for domestic flights at busy airports. Even people, if you Have TSA PreCheck

[A]

Sally 3 hours for domestic feels insane. It goes against everything I want to do, but this is not the moment to test your personal best airport Sprint time.

[B]

I'm working on getting that seven minute mile. I think I'm going to test it at jfk.

[A]

Oh good. Oh good. With the luggage in tow for sure. Your backpack. It's also a bit airport dependent. I think still showing up early is the best way to guarantee that you'll make your flight. But I also recommend checking your airport's website. The more information the better. The my TSA app does not have updated wait time information right now because of the shutdown. But you can actually look at the airport's individual website. Like the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey does have accurate information on their website. I also want to give a shout out to TSA PreCheck Touchless ID Sally. Have you heard of this?

[B]

I keep seeing this and I'm embarrassed to say I have not set mine up.

[A]

I know I've only done it with one airline. Often you have to set it up with the airline you're flying with and then once you do it once, then you can do it everywhere with that airline. But this is a special line. It's different from TSA Precheck and basically you can opt in online with the airline you booked with and then you get access to this line. It might go slightly faster than TSA Precheck because people don't know about it or did not sign up for it. We have an article about it on the NerdWallet website that we'll put in the show notes.

[B]

Reading that article is on my to do list. And the next thing that you might want to put on your to do list is considering clear.

[A]

Clear is very relevant right now. So just to explain the difference, TSA pre check lets you basically speed through the physical screening part of the security checkpoint so you don't have to take off your belt, you're not pulling out your laptop. But clear is different. It actually replaces the ID check part of that line. You know when the TSA agent takes your ID and like runs it through a scanner, this one you actually use your fingerprints or it uses like an eye SC scan so that it verifies that you're the person that you are and you can go to the physical part of the security checkpoint.

[B]

So typically I think the line portion of security really begins at the part where they check your id. From there it's typically only a few more people to wait before you go to that physical part, like the bag checks part. So with Clear plus, you are essentially skipping to the very front. That will really speed along your security process.

[A]

Now, Clear plus normally runs 209 a year, but NerdWallet is a partner with Clear and we have a two month free trial available through our link.

[B]

Hey, hey.

[A]

We will post that in the episode description where you can get that free trial. That might be a really good option if you have any travels coming up.

[B]

Okay, check it out. Thank you. Nerd Wallet.

[A]

And we should mention that you might already have a credit card that covers the cost of it because we have so many smart travel listeners. If you have an Amex Platinum AMEX Business Platinum Amex Green Card or the Hilton Honors Amex Aspire card, Clear plus is covered. You'll get a statement credit back when you apply for it. So you pay it and then it gets reimbursed.

[B]

You know, I never had to use that Nerd Wallet free trial offer because I also just got it covered through multiple credit cards. In fact, you might also be able to get Clear plus for free or discounted if you have airline elite status. For example, if you're a Delta Diamond Medallion member, you get a completely free three year elite status. There are also various discounts for members of lower elite status tiers. And other airlines besides Delta also have various discounts. NerdWallet's also got info about which airline elite status programs offer it either for free or at a discounted rate.

[A]

So just a recap of everything we went through. Get to the airport early, even if you're flying just domestic, even if you already have TSA PreCheck and maybe consider getting clear. There are ways to get it for free or discounted.

[B]

One more thing. I think we should say this. This is not travel advice. This is just human advice. Be kind to those TSA agents. Right now they are showing up to jobs they are not being paid for. Some airports are literally running food drives for their workers.

[A]

Some of them might be missing their rent payments. They might be overdrawing their bank accounts. I've read that some can't go on the vacations that they had planned. So if an agent seems stressed, extend a little grace. They've definitely earned it.

[B]

That is the most important advice I think we could ever give on this show. They are humans too. All right, moving along to NerdWallet's 2026 Summer Travel Report. NerdWallet runs this report. Every single year we survey thousands of people to get information about how people intend to travel. So we conducted this survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet. It was done in early February 2026. Keep that in mind. About 2,000 U.S. adults were surveyed, and

[A]

that study found that 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation that requires flights or lodging. And they expect to spend $3,940 on those summer vacations. On average, that's about $260 more than last year.

[B]

And while most American they are trying to save, a majority of Americans overall say it is worth paying extra for a few things. One of them, refundable flights. 67% of people say that's important. And then 62% of people say it's important to spend money on travel insurance.

[A]

All of that shows how much uncertainty there is about summer travel right now. Those travelers are paying to get that extra protection or flexibility. So, Sally, how about this? Next 42% of Americans say they'd rather skip vacation than then book, budget airfare and lodging.

[B]

Oh my gosh, this is not the same with Sally ethos. People budget airfare and lodging is not that bad.

[A]

Surprise. It's even higher among Gen Z people that were participating in this survey.

[B]

Youngest and the bougiest.

[A]

So 36% of baby boomers said they would rather skip than go on a budget, while 50% of Gen Zers said they were unwilling to travel if it meant having to book, budget, airfare and lodging.

[B]

I'm a grumpy old millenn, but these young people sound like luxury divas.

[A]

That's honestly the best time to travel budget is when you're young and you can do the hostel, you can do

[B]

the weird flight, do the hostile, do the weird flight.

[A]

Yeah, totally normal.

[B]

And summer travel survey also found that 48% of Americans say travel points and miles programs are too complicated. I think they heard us talk about built.

[A]

I mean, I think we are contributing to the world being a better place by explaining all of the built math for you. So listen to that build episode from January 21st. So you know what I'm talking about.

[B]

Alrighty. Speaking of budget lodging, we have some news coming out of Yotel, which is a very intriguing hotel brand where they have these super compact rooms which helps them keep the cost down for travelers who are really just looking for a bed and pretty much nothing else.

[A]

I thought about staying at one of these during a really long layover at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Because they have one right in the airport.

[B]

Yes, I've been to that one.

[A]

So are you a Yotel fan?

[B]

Well, the. The one in Charles De Gaulle is pretty lolzy because it's on priority pass. But I've actually seen a one in New York that I thought was a very enjoyable experience. Because, you know, when Save with Sally is in New York, I am not spending my time in the hotel room. I am out and about. I'm in Central Park. I'm going to the Shake Shack. I'm on Times Square seeing all the shows. I don't spend a ton of time in my room. I really just need a shower, a bed. I want it to be a nice bed, not a bedbug bed. So I thought Yotel really checked all those boxes. They are interesting because they keep prices really low. And the way they do that is because they rely a lot on automation, like kiosks instead of a human desk staff. They do have humans on site, but not a huge robust arsenal of people. And that's what keeps costs down.

[A]

I will say I hate making my own hotel room key with a little kiosk. It never works. Anyways, Sally, what is the news with Yotel?

[B]

So Hilton just announced a partnership with Yotel. With it, Hilton is making Yotel the first brand in a new program called C Select by Hilton. This is basically a way for independent hotel brands to plug into Hilton's network without giving up their identity. And Yotel has a strong identity. What that means for us as travelers is that later this year you will be able to earn slash redeem Hilton points at Yotels.

[A]

Just remember that Hilton points aren't the strongest points currency out there. We've talked about this before. NerdWallet values them at just 0.4 cents each. It's less than half of 1 cent. But for earning points on a budget stay that you are already going to book. I mean, that's just free upside.

[B]

Right now, this integration is not fully live yet. They are saying it'll come live later in 2026. So check Hilton's app before you assume your local Yotel is bookable via Hilton. But definitely worth putting on your radar, especially if you're a city traveler who's been sleeping on Yotel.

[A]

All right, more points news. Citi is ending its points sharing option on May 17, 2026. That gives eligible cardholders the ability to transfer Citi thank you points you earned to people with a city thank you card.

[B]

Why are they doing this? This is so savage. It means you won't be able to get points from your player too if you're collecting points with a partner.

[A]

Yeah, well, it wasn't that great of an option to begin with. Any points that were shared with you had to be used within 90 days. Oh, and you couldn't transfer or receive more than a hundred thousand points per calendar year. So there were definitely some limitations.

[B]

It went from bad to worse. Yeah, most other programs don't have these kinds of restrictions, so if you are going this route, make a plan before you transfer. The only thing worse than not having enough points is losing those points entirely.

[A]

So you still have a bit of time. You can make transfers through May 16th. And I also wanted to shout out that they're changing some of the transfer ratios for some of their partners so we will link to the City thank you guide. So you kind of know what changes

[B]

are coming and I'm guessing changing for the worst.

[A]

Yeah, as usual. In other credit card news, Chase is rolling out Price Match guarantee for prepaid hotel bookings in Chase's Travel portal. So right now it's still in beta stage and it's only available to some Chase Sapphire Reserve for business cardholders, but Chase confirmed to us it's coming for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders soon too.

[B]

A price match guarantee basically lets you submit a claim to get reimbursed if you can find a lower price for the same hotel room on a different website. So in this case you'll need to submit a claim within 24 hours of booking that includes a screenshot of the cheaper room rate elsewhere. I don't think doing any sort of edit and adjusting that screenshot will work either. There's also the catch that the price match guarantee only applies to publicly available non promotional rates. So if you get some sort of discounted rate for being a Hilton member and it's $30 cheaper, you would not be eligible for the price match based on that Hilton Honors rate.

[A]

Good note. And if the prices in Chase's Travel portal have ever seemed a little bit high to you, this is some reassurance though that you won't have to overpay for your hotel.

[B]

I hope the listeners remember that episode I did with Craig earlier this year about pricing in Chase Travel Portal and also Amex Travel Portal. But we said that in their luxury hotel collections often the price was so much higher. So this could be compelling, especially for you edit property people. Listen to that episode if you want to dive deeper into some of the discrepancies because I thought our data was really good, if I can say so myself.

[A]

I thought so too.

[B]

Thank you Megan. We will put a link to that in the episode notes as well.

[A]

Next up, we're talking about rental cars, which our editor says is her most dreaded part of a trip.

[B]

Shadow Claire she's booking the wrong rental cars, but hopefully we will make it a little less dreadful for our editor, Claire and you. So stay with us.

[A]

Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. When we started recording the Smart Travel podcast, there was a lot of figuring it out as we went. The scripts, recording, setup, workflow, all of it. It's exciting, of course, but it can also be overwhelming and lonely if you're launching a business or product on your own. That's why having the right tools makes such a difference for millions of businesses. That tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world, handling about 10% of all E commerce in the US from huge brands to new small businesses. If you're building something new, Shopify makes it easier to get up and running. You can create a beautiful online store with hundreds of ready to use templates, no design experience needed, and they've got built in AI tools that can help write product descriptions, headlines and even improve your product photos. Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify, and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com smarttravel go to shopify.com smarttravel that's shopify.com smarttravel this episode is sponsored by Rakuten. Rakuten opens up a world of rewards. You can earn cash back on fashion, beauty, electronics, pet supplies, kid stuff, groceries. But what I'm here to tell you is with Rakuten, you can get cash back on travel too. Join and save on your next trip. You'll get cash back on the flight, the hotel and the car rental book on your favorite travel sites like Expedia, Booking.com, viator, Vrbo, Hotels.com, iHG and more. Save on cruises, vacation packages and experiences as well. And don't worry, cash back can be earned on top of your credit card points and with many loyalty programs because we know you're saving every way you can. So go ahead, take a trip. Find that perfect hotel. Book an artisan cheese experience inside a cave in Spain. Wherever you want to go, go with Rakuten. Join today for free. Go to rakuten.com or get the app that's R a K u T E

[B]

N Megan it is rare that we ever discuss prices in travel actually dropping. But I have good news for you. Year over year, rental car prices are down 1.2%.

[A]

Honestly, that doesn't sound Like a lot. But it is a lot when you think about how far prices have fallen since the rental car apocalypse of the pandemic.

[B]

And you also have to consider that year over year, we typically see inflation. So nerd bullet tracks prices across the board for all sorts of things. General travel prices are up 1%. So actually, to see rental car prices down 1.2% is really good news. I also want to circle back to something that a lot of people might remember was during the COVID pandemic, when nobody wanted to fly, everybody still did want to travel to some capacity, so everybody rented a car. That, coupled with things like a semiconductor shortage, meant that rental car prices really spiked, especially in 2020 and 2021. The good news, though, if you have PTSD, because the last rental car you booked was back then, prices are not that high anymore. In fact, if you look back comparing prices to 2019 pre Covid, rental car prices are actually only up 11%. And I know you say, oh my gosh, they're still up, they're up 11%. But compare that to the general rate of inflation. All items are up on average, 26%. So to only see rental car prices up 11%. Megan, I am an optimist. That's good news.

[A]

And we should maybe talk about how even though these data points are telling us that rental car prices are only up, a certain amount of it can really vary depending on the trip you're actually trying to book. So you know, if you're going to a very popular destination, if you're trying to rent a car during peak summer season, if you didn't book early enough, rental car prices could still be a lot higher than you were expecting.

[B]

And that's something that we hear all the time, is we'll say something like, airfares are cheaper. And then someone's like, well, why did I pay $500 for my flight between San Francisco and LAX? And of course, there are so many variables when you actually fly. Did you book super last minute? So, so don't just assume that all rental car prices are going to be necessarily a good deal. You still have to be smart about how you book rental cars.

[A]

So, Sally, what are your tricks for booking rental cars? What do you do?

[B]

I always say with rental cars, book early, but caveat, with a reservation, you can cancel. This is a practice that we often recommend with airfares. But with rental cars, it is very common that you make the reservation and you don't actually put down any money until you get to the rental car counter. Of course, Check the terms of whatever you booked. But typically you can lock in a price and assuming it's something you're comfortable with, make that reservation. But keep checking prices. If rental car prices go down, which they very well could, go ahead, cancel, rebook, and then what you pay at the counter is that last reservation you made at that lowest price.

[A]

I do this all the time for flights, and then the other thing I do is I compare prices across a lot of online travel agencies like Expedia, Kayak, Costco Travel, Travel portals through your credit card. There are so many different places that you can rent a car from. So compare prices to make sure that you're getting the best one. Our colleague Craig recommends this service called Auto Slash.

[B]

I have never used that. I'm always either using Costco Travel or Capital One Travel because I have that credit on my Venture X card, which I always seem to use on a rental car.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

Yeah. And Megan, I don't know if people ask you this, but a lot of people ask me, what is the cheapest place to book a rental car? And the reality is I always compare prices because for me, sometimes Costco Travel is cheaper, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes Capital One Travel is way cheaper. Unfortunately, you have to put in the work and just compare prices in all those different spots. I even find sometimes there are those corporate booking portals that you might have perks at work. Check those. Sometimes that's a better deal, sometimes it's a worse deal. You have to just go price, compare everything.

[A]

One of the other things you can do is look at different locations for the same car rental company. So I know we did a lot of research on this a couple of years ago. City locations of rental car agencies are generally cheaper, but then you have to think about the cost to possibly get into the city or even vice versa. Maybe you're already in a city and you want to rent a car just for a day, you have to get all the way back out to the airport. So those are things you should think about when you are trying to book the cheapest rental car yet.

[B]

Generally, the airport locations are more expensive. I think there's some level of convenience for a lot of people renting at the airport. Also, often airports will charge an extra surcharge to the outpost at the airport because they're providing cleaning or security services. But I actually think that it is often cheaper not just to go downtown to pick up your rental car because the price is lower, but I think about a lot of factors like parking for many trips. I do. I'M actually only using the rental car for one day. So I don't want to pay for parking over four nights if I'm only using the car one day. Especially if you're in a place like downtown L. A, you don't want to mess around with parking. So I always encourage people to look at the price downtown versus the airport. Consider how often you're using the car and maybe don't pick it up at the airport.

[A]

Some pros for the airport though, is that the airport locations generally have a lot more choice, especially if you have rental car elite status that lets you get a free upgrade or something like that. If you're at that city location, there might be no upgrades available. It is literally just the five cars that they have in that tiny little city parking lot. So if you do want more choice, I would look at airport locations to get exactly what you want, whether it's all wheel drive or a seven seater or something like that. And then the other thing is, I've had some real issues finding a city location that is open kind of in off hours, like on Sundays, like at 10pm or something like that. And dropping off a car at a location that is not open can be really scary and honestly time consuming. My fiance and I just did this in Italy. We rented from a city location and then to drop it off, we had to find this mysterious parking garage. I think we spent an hour and a half looking for a parking garage on the same block. There were no clear instructions and there was no one to call because it wasn't open.

[B]

That is an interesting tidbit which does kind of make me think about the places that allow you to skip the rental car counter entirely. Sometimes you can check out your car. You can return it without a human. I know it was annoying for you to find the lot, but sometimes not using the human is very convenient. So let's talk about how you can actually skip the rental car counter. Whether that's because the hours are funky or because worse for me, sometimes you land after that really late flight and the line is so long.

[A]

So first step, anytime you want to skip the car rental counter is make sure you have the car rental company's app they can do. Honestly, I'm always wondering what the rental car people are doing on their computer when I put so much information into the reservation and into the app. So the good thing is you can do a lot of that before you even get to your destination.

[B]

I would also say to have the app, you typically have to enroll in the rental cars Loyalty program. As I've said before, I always make a junk email to sign up for these because I don't want to be getting a bunch of spam from the rental car company. But do this in advance. Once you do that, you'll typically be able to add your driver's license or payment method. And then you can often skip the rental car counter, even if you don't have Elite status, and that is key. For example, Alamo lets you activate what they call accelerated check in. So you just submit your payment, you accept the rental car agreement, you skip the counter, you just walk up directly to your vehicle. When you get there, you do end up seeing a gate agent who will just confirm that you are who you say you are, and then you can leave the lot.

[A]

That sounds so easy and simple. Wait, what if you can't find the car, though? Like, is it always very clear which one it is?

[B]

Well, sometimes they let you pick. Well, they'll say you can pick. Pick any midsize car, so anything in this row, you get to choose. And I like that. I don't know if this is true, but often they say that red cars are more likely to get speeding tickets. So I'm like, I am not picking the red car.

[A]

You know, what I like to do is I like to pick the electric vehicles because I feel like no one wants them if they're not familiar with an electric vehicle. But I have a plug in hybrid myself in Los Angeles, so I understand how charging works and I'm not afraid of it. It can honestly save you a ton of money if you're willing to charge the car. So that's what I pay.

[B]

Megan, are we talking fully electric or hybrid?

[A]

I will honestly pick the fully electric if it's available, yeah. Really so much cheaper. Depending on where you're going. If you're not going too far, you probably won't even really need to charge it again.

[B]

Whoa, Megan, this is a hot take. So I was renting a car and they told me, they're like, we got a deal for you, Sally. If you rent the fully electric car, it's going to be $30 cheaper. And I was like, save us. Sally loves a deal, so, sure, let's do it. I'd never driven an electric car, and I was going decently far. I did not realize how long it takes to charge these things. I also didn't realize that it can be hard to find chargers because a Tesla car charger doesn't necessarily work on any other electric chargers. And so I had to find one. It was very stressful. I ended up just putzing around a grocery store while it was charging and that was my precious vacation time. I don't know if I would do that again.

[A]

Oh, well, that is tough. It's hard because you didn't have like a lot of the infrastructure already. Like, I already have that apps that tell you where the chargers are. Okay. And my fiance has a Tesla, so I know that system versus other electric car systems. If you are staying in a city, electric cars can be super efficient and especially if you can find an outlet near where you're staying. Like, if you're staying at an Airbnb that has an outlet outside, it is really great.

[B]

I was just doing it for a day trip and I was primarily driving the whole time, so that was my mistake. You know, I don't have a car, so maybe I'm just the noob, but I will never again do an electric car for that sort of situation. I think it would make sense if you were staying at a hotel that has a car charger. And I do see so many hotels offer this now and then. The best is ones that offer it for free.

[A]

It's a huge perk of hotel if they have a free charger. At least for me. I literally will try to choose hotels that have chargers. So that way maybe we can take the Tesla on that trip. That'll be fun.

[B]

Well, when we get back, we are talking about the credit card perks that can actually save you money on rental cars. If you don't have that hotel giving you the free charger, you got to find another way to save. So we will talk about that as well as how to get rental car elite status.

[A]

The following is a paid sponsorship, not an endorsement by NerdWallet's editorial team. Today's episode is sponsored by Bilt. You've heard me talk about BILT as the loyalty program that lets you earn points on rent wherever you live. And they've just leveled up even more. As of 2026, renters and homeowners can earn up to 1.25x points on their housing payments. This is thanks to Bilt's three new credit cards, the Palladium card, Obsidian card, and Blue card. All three can turn your housing payments, rent or mortgage, into flexible rewards. So you can choose the card that fits your lifestyle without missing out on points and exclusive benefits. Built points can be redeemed at top airlines and hotels, Amazon.com purchases, future rent payments and more. Built points have also been ranked by top publications as the industry's most valuable point currency. Your housing payment is most likely your biggest expense. Make it your most rewarding. Find the card that fits your lifestyle and apply today at joinbuilt.com smarttravel that's J-O-I-N-B-I-L-T.com smarttravel make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you. Terms and limitations apply subject to approval and eligibility. Bill cards are issued by column NA member FDIC pursuant to license from MasterCard International, Inc. Today's episode is sponsored by Quint. Lately I've been trying to be a little more intentional about what clothes I'm buying. I want pieces that are comfortable, high quality and look good on camera. It just makes getting dressed for work or travel or let's be real often, both so much easier and honestly, Quince has been my go to they make it really simple to refresh your everyday wardrobe for spring with pieces that feel as good as they look. Everything is made with premium materials like 100% European linen, organic cotton and ultra soft denim, but without the markup. I've been especially loving their 100% organic cotton cropped cardigan. It has these statement buttons and comes in really fun limited edition spring colors. The fit is super flattering. It's one of those pieces I take with me everywhere in case I need an extra layer. They also have lightweight linen pants, dresses and tops that are all so breathable, easy and perfect for warmer weather. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com smarttravel for free shipping on your order and 365 day return. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com Smart Travel for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com/Smart Travel we are back talking about credit cards and rental cars. Oh my gosh. That's kind of like a tongue twister. That's like a lot of ours.

[B]

Credit cards and rental cars Credit card credit cards Credit cards and rental cars.

[A]

Let's talk about Elite Status for Sally. I think you use the Elite status on your credit cards, right?

[B]

Yes. I love that these premium credit cards often offer elite status at many rental car companies. This is an underrated perk because when you are looking at something like the Amex Platinum benefits they are hawking the things like the Equinox credit and the Walmart credit, I don't know why they don't actually hawk elite status. Elite status comes with so much power and it is beyond the upgrade in fact, Megan, I don't care about the upgrade. One, they upgraded me to Mustang. I'm just outing myself as a horrible, infrequent driver. But the Mustang was so big, I did not want to drive it. I'm like, just give me the Honda Civic. So I don't actually care about the upgrade. But what I like about having elite status is one skipping the line. Time savings. I always want that. But beyond elite status, there is another benefit that comes from many of the same premium credit cards that offer elite status. And that is my number one underrated credit card benefit. Rental car insurance coverage.

[A]

Oh, yeah, this is the one that you can walk up to a rental counter and confidently go, nope, I don't need to pay these extra fees.

[B]

It's beautiful. All right, let's start, though, by circling back to what rental car elite status actually offers. We mentioned faster pickup. We mentioned sometimes upgrades. Sometimes these are guaranteed. Sometimes these are kind of that space available. Another benefit. Sometimes you can add a spouse, a partner, a friend as an additional driver. Many rental care companies charge charge extra just for the privilege of someone else driving. But often with elite status, this is included as a benefit. Now, the key, many of these credit cards that offer rental car elite status don't do it automatically. You have to separately enroll. So you have to go to typically that rental cars website. And then you have to register your card. You might have to select activate on your card site, so make sure you enroll. Don't just assume because you got an Amex Platinum that you have Hertz Elite status.

[A]

I don't know about you, Sally, but my elite status benefits have been so kind of hit or miss. Some airports, I'm like, oh, this is great. There was a great selection of upgrades. I didn't have to check in. And then other times I go to some counters and I'm like, okay, there is nothing here that is upgraded about this experience. Like, it almost feels like I don't have a lead status. Does that ever happen to you?

[B]

I would disagree. I was just at the airport the other day, and the regular line was so long, and I was like, I can't do this. I'm. I'm too bougie for this. And they were like, oh, you have president circle status. Go downstairs directly to the lot, and there's a separate little booth that you go in. They're like, we got water for you. Talk to the person there. It was nice.

[A]

Oh, my gosh, incredible. Okay, I need to go to sfo.

[B]

Maybe you're not flexing the right elite Status. So let's talk about the best credit cards for rental cars and what their Elite status actually is.

[A]

Okay, so we'll start with the card that we both have, the Amazon Next Platinum. This one comes with Hertz President Circle National Emerald Club membership with executive tier status and Avis Preferred plus status. Okay, I'll be honest, Allie, I have this card and I've only activated the Hertz one.

[B]

All right, Hertz is pretty good. This is the top tier loyalty status that you get. You get hurts President Circle. With it, you get a guaranteed one car class upgrade. You get a 50% bonus on any points earnings. They say you get access to the best vehicle selection. So they have something called the ultimate choice aisle. And apparently the best cars are in the aisle. So you get to choose whatever car you want from there. And typically to earn President Circle status with Hertz, you have to rent 20 times. But this, you never have to have even rented from Hertz before. You just get it. Assuming you have that Amex Platinum and you've done the whole enrolling song and dance.

[A]

If you rent more frequently from national, you'll also get Emerald executive status. So that one also lets you earn more rewards towards free rental days. And then you can choose any car in the executive executive area. And then you only pay for that reserved mid size car. So that's a free upgrade. And again, this one would take 12 paid rentals or 40 paid rental days in a calendar year to earn this executive status. But you'll get it with the Amex Platinum. You just have to activate it.

[B]

And that is not all. There's actually a third rental car company that Amex Platinum cardholders get elite status with. That is Avis. So on top of Avis Preferred plus Elite status, you also get a discount. You gotta use a discount code. We're not gonna say it because it's super long, but you can see it on NerdWallet's review. With it you get up to 25% off your rental. You also get a free two day weekend rental coupon after you complete two qualifying rentals. And there's some terms it's gotta be at least two days, but that could be a good way to save money on top of that.

[A]

Okay, moving on to the next card. The Capital One Venture X card comes with Hertz President Circle status. This again, all those benefits we just mentioned and you have to activate it.

[B]

And then there is something interesting that a lot of people I think overlook. So you can have your credit cards benefits offered through the bank, but these banks Then interface with what's called an issuer. So your issuer would be something like Visa or MasterCard. Some of the issuers offer the top tier cards some additional benefits. So I'm talking about the Visa Infinite. So any card that is a Visa Infinite card has extra rental car benefits. Visa Infinite cards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the United Club Card, the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit card. You can actually just check your card in the bottom corner. It'll say if it's a Visa Infinite or not. But if you have one of these cards you get what's called Hertz five star status. This is actually a lower tier of loyalty status than the aforementioned President Circle, which is what the Venture X people and the Amex Platinum people get. But it is still better than a poke in the eye. Of course it still has some benefits like bonus points, space available upgrades and then most importantly that free additional driver.

[A]

And a lot of these Visa Infinite cards also come with other rental car company elite statuses that we've already talked about, including National's Emerald Executive status, Avis's preferred plus and then another 1/6. This is a rental car company that offers Platinum status. If you have one of these Visa Infinite cards and, and it's like a mid tier Elite status for them. So you get bonus points, you can skip the counter, you can get free upgrades. And then this is a fun one, you can get a 10% discount on certain add ons that 6 offers including ride chauffeur services and airport transfers. I mean I could use a little discount on my ride to the airport.

[B]

The other thing I want to talk about is insurance and in particular the benefits that come with your credit card versus do you need to actually pay for insurance at the counter? I know there are some situations where people just panic and they say yes, I'll take, I'll take your offer, I'll buy your insurance because I don't want to not be covered. Sometimes you end up accidentally paying for the same coverage three times if you do that. And then sometimes you can actually invalidate other coverage you have if you accept, let's say the rental car company's insurance. So let's dig into what people need to know.

[A]

So when you're at the rental car counter, they're going to try to sell you collision damage waivers or loss damage waivers. These are types of coverage that will pay for the car if you get an accident or if your car is stolen. So the rental car company will help cover those costs and those are big, big losses. If your Car is completely stolen. So that is like a scary thing at the counter when they're trying to sell you this and you're thinking, oh, no, I might have to pay for a $20,000 car.

[B]

Another weird nuance here is it's not exactly insurance. It's actually a waiver. So you're basically telling the rental car company that they have waived their right to come after you if the car gets stolen and you have paid for this waiver. The other thing that is important that a lot of people don't realize is the difference between primary versus secondary coverage. It's important to know what you're paying for, what you're getting. So especially on cards that offer rental car insurance as a benefit, you will see some that offer primary and some that offer secondary.

[A]

Right? So primary coverage means that your credit card coverage kicks in first. That means you don't have to file a claim through your personal auto insurance first. Your card will cover as much as the limit allows. And then secondary coverage means your credit card coverage kicks in after your own car insurance. And that's generally once you've hit the limit on your own car insurance, Then you would file another claim to cover the rest of it.

[B]

If you have personal car insurance already. That's not to say secondary insurance is. Is useless, but it is not as clean as if you were to just pay with a credit card that has primary rental car insurance, because you have to still deal with your own insurance company first. I don't know about you, but I don't want to talk to my insurance company. And you got to mess around with their paperwork first. So it just kind of adds a double headache when you have a card that has secondary rental car insurance.

[A]

So if someone has a card with primary rental coverage, can they decline the insurance at the rental car counter?

[B]

I will say, Megan, generally, yes, there do have to be a few conditions that are true. I put together a little checklist that you can go through to know if you can confidently decline the rental car counter's offer to sell you insurance. So one, you gotta make sure you are paying for the rental with a credit card that provides aforementioned coverage. You have to be listed as the primary renter. So again, I can't have a credit card. But then you, Megan, were the primary renter. You do, and this is key. You have to decline the rentals company's damage waiver, because typically your card coverage often does actually expire. Explicitly say that you have to decline it. Then you have to make sure the rental type is actually eligible. So this can be tied to the company that you rented from. Typically, a normal rental car company like Alamo or Avis or Hertz will be covered. But there are some alternative rental car companies, shall we say? I'm talking about companies like Turo, which is kind of an Airbnb for cars. We'll talk about it later. But typically they are not covered. We also see sometimes exotic cars are not covered. So if you're, you know, get in the DeLorean might not be covered. And then there are some situations where you're renting in a location that's not covered. Some countries are not covered. Typically in the US Though, you would be. And then you just have to be okay with what's covered and what isn't. There are limits of is it $10,000, is it $20,000? So just make sure that the actual limits are something that you are comfortable with.

[A]

That's a huge limit and that's a lot to check in the 20 minutes between you getting to the airport and getting to the rental car counter. So. So I would really recommend looking at all of those things before you even depart for your trip. Now let's talk about what credit card rental coverage doesn't usually cover. Often it doesn't cover liability, which means like when you injure someone or damage someone else's property and you have to pay for that. It doesn't cover medical coverage for you or passengers if you're injured. And sometimes it doesn't cover those loss of use or admin fees or items stolen from the car. And then off road driving certain types of vehicles, like you said, sometimes those luxury vehicles or anything you do to violate the rental agreement that might make this coverage not work for you.

[B]

And that would be something like drunk driving, which you would never do anyway, of course.

[A]

Yeah. Yikes.

[B]

The primary thing is that often your rental car insurance on your credit card will cover the car itself if the car gets dangerous. But if you ding is something else or God forbid, someone else, typically that's where your coverage would not kick in. Again, this varies by policy, but this tends to be generally the case.

[A]

So if you're wondering which cards do have the primary coverage, we would recommend the Chase Sapphire cards. Both offer primary coverage. So that's the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a lower annual fee and the coverage limit is lower. And then the Capital One Venture X also comes with rental car insurance as primary coverage. But if you have any of the other Capital One cards, though, the coverage is usually secondary.

[B]

TLDR here, especially if you have another credit card that we did not mention. Beyond those three, unfortunately, you gotta read your benefits guide. Typically you can just Google Amex Platinum benefits guide and actually read what the coverage terms are. Check if it's primary or secondary. If you have your own car insurance because you own a car, confirm whether that covers rentals, confirm whether it covers the deductible, and then you can decide ahead of time whether you will decline or accept at the counter. You do not want to be in a situation where your flight landed at midnight. You're stressed, you're confused, you're over it, and now you're panicking because you don't know the answer.

[A]

All right, let's talk about some of the other companies that you can rent from. Let's say maybe all the prices are too high at traditional rental car companies or you just can't find availability. Where should people go?

[B]

I have become a huge fan of alternative car rental companies. I am not a hater of Hertz or Alamo or one of those, but recently I have found benefits of these kind of Airbnb for cars type companies. So the biggest of these is Turo. This is a company where regular people just like you, Megan, can list your private vehicle for rent and then just another rando like me can pay through Turo to rent your car. Turo gets a cut, you get a cut.

[A]

And one of the things I like about Turo is that we were talking about those city car rental locations and they can be hit or miss. But with Turo, I feel like you can just look at the app and find a car that is in a convenient location for you. It literally might be a couple of blocks away from you because that person might live a couple of blocks away from you. So that can be a huge convenience instead of trekking all the way back to the airport to go get a car.

[B]

Car. I used to row in my everyday life. As I mentioned, I don't own a car and sometimes I just need a car for a day trip because I'm going to weightlifting competition that's not accessible via public transit. Like I said, regular people just post their cars. So my neighbor might be posting their car and I can rent it from them. I've also found it really helpful when, for example, I'm doing an Oahu trip and I'm staying. Typically when I go to Oahu in Waikiki where Parking is like $60 a night no matter where you go. And for the most part you don't really need a car if you're in Waik. Everything is so walkable. But I might want to do just a one day road trip. So with Turo, I can find a car for rent in Waikiki. I'll just walk there from my hotel, have it just for the day and then return it. And then I have never paid that $60 for overnight parking.

[A]

And if you are someone who does want a car for your entire trip and you're coming in at the airport, Turo also does have some options where the host can actually drop the car off for you at the airport. Usually they park it in one of the parking lots and give you the instructions to get there and you can just pick up your car at the airport.

[B]

So there are a couple drawbacks with Tarot. Number one is I find the car quality is always a mixed bag. As you said, you're renting from a rando. Much like many of us have experienced with Airbnbs. Some are just the best of all time and then some you're like, oh no, they didn't stock toilet paper. And I find that often to be the case with Turo's as well. So keep that in mind. Hit and miss. Always read the reviews. The other thing we mentioned earlier is insurance. Many credit cards do not treat TURO like a standard rental agency. So don't assume that your credit card's rental coverage will apply to something like turo. Many actually explicitly say car sharing platforms are not covered.

[A]

I actually had this happen in my family. My stepdad scraped a Turo rental. Actually in Hawaii. Those parking lots can be so small and I believe we did end up having to pay quite a bit for repairs because we did not take the Turo rental insurance and our car insurance also did not cover as much of it as we thought.

[B]

I'm such a panicker that when I do a Turo, I do purchase the highest end insurance because I don't want that to happen to me. Oh no.

[A]

Okay. Some other things that could go wrong though with the Turos, like you said, you might risk getting maybe a car that doesn't meet the standards or doesn't look like the picture. Maybe you got catfish by a car. You could also risk your host canceling because these are private individuals, you know, maybe they have something to do next weekend and they actually need their car after all. And so they could cancel on you and then you might be stuck getting a last minute car rental which could be really, really expensive. And then also the check in and checkout process can be complicated. It is similar to what I was talking about with those city car rental locations where. Where sometimes you have to find it on a street where there's hundreds of cars parked, or sometimes you have to get the key from a lockbox and then go up the stairs, around the corner, down, like into the shadiest part of the parking garage to find the car and then returning it. The same thing. It can be really stressful because there's not a consistent process. So if that's something that you don't want to figure out on vacation, then I would suggest maybe sticking with a traditional car rental company.

[B]

Turo actually has you take pictures of the car when you check it in and check it back out. And they make you upload the pictures to the app, which is generally a good practice because you want to make sure that your word is true of what the car actually looked like. And this is also good practice that I would recommend anyone do when they rent a car is just side note, take photos of it before and after. But I was in this situation where the Turo forced you to upload the photos to their app before you could even rent out the car. And I was renting in this basement and the cell service wasn't going through. Finally it worked. But again, and that's kind of stressful about these Turos. Is is now I'm beholden to is my signal is at and t going to function down in this basement parking garage.

[A]

Oh, no, I don't want to have to worry about that. We should mention that you can also rent Turos not just from the Turo app, but also from the Uber app. So if you already have the Uber app, you can just flip on over there and see what cars are available to rent.

[B]

This is something relatively new, but just makes it nice. So you're dealing with one interface that you probably already have, which is Uber. Now there's also something that I have done is called U Uber Rent. Now with Uber Rent, I don't have to mess around with going to some parking garage and worrying about whether the cell service will be there. With Uber Rent, someone actually delivers a car to you. So you say, I want someone to bring me a car at 11am on Friday. And someone who I feel like maybe is also side hustling as an Uber driver, they roll up with your car that you have checked out, you sign something, and then every time I've done this, I do this fairly often, they'll whip out a scooter from the truck trunk and then just scooter away.

[A]

Oh my gosh, that's incredible. I thought they'd Uber because they're Uber drivers. Sort of.

[B]

Maybe sometimes they do. I live downtown, so everything is scooterable. But I do think this model only works in big cities where someone is not delivering your car to Warrenton, Missouri because it is so far away from everything else. But Uber rent. If you are in big cities, look for it. You can find it in the actual Uber app.

[A]

Another car rental alternative company is Zipcar. This is another one that I think is great in cities. I used to use this in college when I didn't have a car. So this is a membership subscription service, I guess, where you can rent a car for a couple of hours once you have a membership or even a full day. And the best part is that Zipcars are often all over certain big cities. They're usually just parked in a random parking lot close by. And again then takes the hassle out of having to go to rent a

[B]

car at the airport.

[A]

They also give you like a little card, so the check in and check out is much simpler. Like you just walk up, it's the same every time. You hit the card and it unlocks. It's amazing. And then you return it right there. Like you know exactly where you're going.

[B]

And because these are managed by Zipcar itself, I tend to see that the quality is a little more consistent and higher than always. Always, Dare I say, the crap shoe that you get from using something like a Turo.

[A]

Oh, man.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, Sally, I know you have a lot of opinions on just skipping rental cars entirely because you love steps.

[B]

I love steps. I really dislike cars. You know, if I was President of the United States, I would say, let's get rid of all these parking lots and all these cars and, and just build more fun stuff. So my hot take. Are you ready for my hot takeoff?

[A]

Let's hear it.

[B]

A lot of people, people assume they need a rental car on vacation because they use a car in their everyday life. And if you live in a suburb, you probably do get in a car every single day. But I want to remind listeners you might not need a rental car, especially if you are in a big city. Even if you're going to a remote resort, you might find that you're spending all the time on property that now you're just paying their enormous parking fee for your car to be parked all day because you're just at the pool and the beach. So my hot take one. Embrace public transit. Google Maps makes it so easy. I also find the most irritating thing about Public transit is that I gotta buy a little card, I gotta buy a clipper card, I gotta buy a Metro card, all these things. But it is 20, 26 and so many public transit agencies just have tap to pay, where you just tap your either Apple wallet or your Google pay and you don't even need to buy tickets through the machine. You just tap on right there, there no leftover cards. I have a million little flipper cards that have like $2 on them. And then the other thing is most cities these days have Uber and Lyft. So if you just need to get to places to fill in some gaps, I often find Uber and Lyft is going to be net cheaper or at least the same than having your own rental car. But you don't need to mess around with again waiting at the counter.

[A]

And you didn't mention parking fees. Yes, those can really add up, especially if you're staying in a city or a place that has really limited parking. And I will say though, I think that if you're traveling with a lot of people, you should do a little bit of math with public transit and getting a car if the car is convenient. Obviously there are cities like New York where having a car would just be a total pain, but there are a lot of cities that are more drivable. Cities like Los Angeles where I live. And honestly, taking the public transport would take too much time that if you're traveling with a family, it is going to be cheaper to have four people go around in a car than it would be to take public transportation. And I think about that too for other types of trips. Like I just went on a ski trip and the airport is three hours away from the mountain. And so sure, you could take a shuttle for 75 per person or you could rent a car for like three days. And now everyone pays like $40 for the rental and the gas. So you really do have to do the math when you're thinking about should I get a rental car or should I just go around on public transportation?

[B]

It definitely varies by location, but I'm saying if you're coming to San Francisco, do not bring a rental car.

[A]

Do you have any other hot takes, Sally? We already got here, but I'll take another one.

[B]

Okay, well, this whole episode was all about rental cars. But we do got to talk about something that we talk about on most shows, which is airplanes. So this hot takeoff is airplane related.

[A]

Ready, let's hear it.

[B]

Rather than airlines unload row by row, they should unload by columns. So when the flight Lands the doors open. The flight attendants say, everybody who is in the right side aisle seat, stand up, pick up your bags, shuffle out. Okay, everybody in the left side aisle seat, pick up your bags, shuffle out. So if you're the window seat, you're the last person to leave, even if you're in in row one, basically. But if you are in the aisle seat, everyone leaves first. I swear it would be so much faster.

[A]

Okay, I like the idea, but you're gonna separate all these different families and people traveling together. I'm just gonna send my like 4 year old kid down the airport jet bridge without me.

[B]

You know, I am open to exceptions. Obviously, kids should stick with their parents. Totally on board with that. But the general concept is when everybody in row one is just trying to squish and get their bags out of the overhead bin and then everybo behind is just standing there and waiting. And it's like the person with the window seat does not have their bag yet. Why am I waiting for you? When the person in the back row aisle seat is standing up and has her bag, they could shuffle out way faster.

[A]

Oh, that's so funny. You know, my least favorite thing as someone who usually flies in the aisle seat is when the window seat person stands up and I'm like, dude, you have like an hour until you're gonna get up, chill out to get your bag. You are stuck in there. I'm in the aisle, so I'm going first.

[B]

Okay, let's make this change. It sounds like you agree with me.

[A]

I'm willing to give it a shot.

[B]

Smart Travel listeners, lobby for it. Make it happen.

[A]

Email us@travel nerdwallet.com if you have any other hot takes or your rental car experiences. And if you've made it this far into the episode, please give us a rating and review. That helps the show grow and find new listeners like you.

[B]

And also maybe share the show with a friend. Friend.

[A]

You can also follow our travels on social media. I'm miles with Megan Co. On TikTok and Instagram.

[B]

I'm save with Sally on the same

[A]

social networks and we also have a new account just for the show. It's called Smart Travel Pod. Sally and I were just together filming some really fun videos for that one.

[B]

So with that, make sure to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app that includes Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio so you can automatically download new episodes. If you are listening on Spotify, drop us a comment on the app.

[A]

Thanks to all of the people who make this show. Possible. This episode was produced and edited by Nick Kimi Claire Socie and Hilary Georgie helped with fact checking and that disclaimer

[B]

we are not financial nor investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes. It may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[A]

We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. Let's drive. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities so do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full [e-mail].