If you plan on visiting Arlington, Virginia you will need transportation to get around. If your choice of transportation is a rental car, you will need to know how to rent a car in Arlington.

As a tourist visiting the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, or the Arlington Arts Center, a rental car will give you independence because you don't have go by buss or train schedules. If you are visiting Arlington on business, a rental car is sure to get you to and from your business meetings. Even Arlington residents can use a rental car when their own car is in the shop or when they need to transport more people than their own car holds. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/arlington.htm

Hertz, Alamo Avis Budget and Enterprise are some of the large car rental companies that have competitive rates and various promotional offers. They all want your business and because of this, deciding which company to go with can be a little bit tricky. Offers include free upgrades, extra free rental days and discounts on various car rental rates. Hopefully this page will help you make up your mind. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com

GO ONLINE: When looking for a rental car in Arlington, the first place you should turn to is the Internet. You can look at the various vehicles that are available and the different rates that they go for. You can rent a car in person, on the phone or on the Internet. The benefit of reserving a car online is that you can access car rental websites 24/7 right from home. It's also easy to compare rates from various car rental companies because you won't have a pushy sales person pressuring you. Often car rental companies give discounts if you reserve your car online.

BOOK EARLY: If you know a week or more before visiting Arlington that you are going to need a rental car, try reserving the car right away. Car rental rates depend on how many cars are in the car rental lot. You will get a better rate if you reserve your car early. If you need the rental car over a weekend, inquire about weekend rates. Weekend rates are usually discounted. If you keep the car for five or more days, ask about weekly rates since these are more favorable than daily rates. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

COUPONS: When reserving your rental car online for your Arlington visit, there are certain coupons you can use. Websites like rentalcarmomma.com and retailmenot.com have many coupons in the form of coupon codes, printable coupons and direct links. Promo codes can be redeemed by entering them online while reserving your vehicle. Direct links automatically apply the discounts when reserving the vehicle online and printable coupons can be redeemed at the participating car rental facility. Restrictions and exclusions might apply, so check the small print on the coupons. Also, expired coupons are not accepted, so make sure the coupons are valid before redeeming them. http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/arlington.htm

EMAIL UPDATES: The larger car rental companies all have newsletters that you can sign up for. Once you do this you will start receiving emails with promotions, discounts and offers that are going on.http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/intresImage.do?imageId=28443.4&key=996.en.US.......&page=HOM

MEMBERSHIP: Major car rental companies like Hertz, Budget, Avis, Alamo and Enterprise have clubs you can join for free or for a yearly fee. Once you join, you get to enjoy faster service and discounts on various car rental rates. You also get to use the members' line at the airport so you won't have to wait in long lines. https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/emember/join/overview.do?learnMore=all

AIRPORT PICK UPS: It seems convenient to pick up a rental car from an airport car rental facility because they are so readily available. However, what many people don't know is that it is more expensive to pick a rental car up from the airport. This is because taxes and fees are charged. If you can pick up a car from a local neighborhood company.

ADD-ONS: Additional items that you may need can be rented from the car rental company. Anything from child safety seats to roof racks and GPS devices can be rented for a daily rate. This can easily add up and you will be better off just bringing the items with you yourself.

INSURANCE: A big mistake some people make is to accept the offered insurance when renting a car. The best thing to do is to check with your own insurance agent first to see if you are covered. If this is the case, you don't need the offered insurance.

GAS: Fill up the car with gas before returning it to the car rental parking lot. You don't want to accept the pre-paid gas option that you will be given. Car rental companies charge a lot for their gas. If you don't empty the gas in the rental car, you will have still paid for a full tank.

Nationwide car rental companies like Enterprise, Thrifty, Avis, and Hertz have set rates and regulations that they go by. If you are under the age of 25, it might be better to look into renting from an independent company since they have more are more flexible because they make their own in-house rules. It is also said that independent companies provide better service because they really want your business. They know they are up against the big names in the car rental business.

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Advance Car Rental, Inc.
• 850 North Randolph Street
• Arlington, VA 22203-1978
• Phone: (703) 528-8661

This car rental company rents to people over the age of 25 and only accepts payments by credit card. They also restrict vehicles of going further than a 500 mile radius of renting location. http://www.advancecarrental.com/advanceweb_014.htm

• Cars Are Us Rentals
• 6847 Lee Highway, Arlington
• VA 22213-1002
• Phone: (703) 532-2277

This company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been in business for 15 years.