Barton Springs, Zilker Metropolitan Park, Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria are all tourist attractions that can be visited by tourists. In order to see the attractions, you might have to know how to rent a car in Austin. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/austin.htm

The large rental companies like Hertz, Budget, Alamo, Avis and Enterprise are in constant competition with each other and all want to get your business. They have many offers and promotions such as free upgrades to larger vehicles, extra free rental days and discounts on various rental rates. It's up to the customer to decide which car rental company they want to go with. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/

Rental cars are not just used by tourists. Austin residents and people visiting Austin on business can all use rental cars. A rental car can be a good replacement if your own car if it is being fixed in the shop. If you have to travel a long distance you can choose to put the mileage on a rental car instead of your own. Or even if you just want a different car for a night on the town a rental car can help. Whatever the reason is that you need a rental car, the steps towards renting one are all the same.

Following you will find information on rental car insurance, hidden costs, age restrictions and much more. Hopefully the information on this page will answer some of your questions.

THE INTERNET: When looking for a good deal on a rental car, whether it's in Austin or anywhere else in the United States, the best thing to do is surf the internet. Find out what kinds of vehicles are available to rent and what rates they are going for. You can either rent a car online, over the phone or in person at a car rental facility. There are often discounts given when you reserve your car online. Car rental companies all have opening and closing hours and on weekends some of them even close early. This is not an issue when you go online where there are no opening or closing hours. The internet car rental websites are 'open' 24/7. Another benefit of using the internet to rent a car is that you won't have to deal with a salesperson trying to pressure you into renting a vehicle.

FREE UPGRADES: When you go to pick up your Austin rental car, you might get offered a free upgrade to a larger vehicle. Even though it may seem as a nice gesture, the car rental company usually offers upgrades because the compact cars are the ones in high demand. Keep in mind if you decide to accept the free upgrade that larger vehicles require more gas. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

BOOK EARLY: To get a good car rental rate, try making your car reservation as early as possible. Car rental rates generally depend on how many car are in the lot at the time the reservation is made. If you know a week or more ahead of time that you will be visiting Austin, make sure to reserve a rental car right away.

WEEKENDS VS. WEEKLY RATES: If you are traveling to Austin for a long weekend, ask your car rental company about their weekend rates. Most companies offer discounted rates for weekend rentals. If you are staying five or more days in Austin, you want to look into weekly rates since these will end up cheaper than day to day rates.

PEAK TIMES: Rental car companies' rates can differ depending in what city you rent the car. Even rates within one city can vary a great deal. Make sure to do your research to see which company has the best deal for you. Keep in mind that if you are traveling at a 'peak' time there might be a specific surcharge. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

24 HOURS: Make sure to ask the car rental company about the correct time to return the car. Some companies go by a 24 hour clock and allow a 59 minute grace period. If you return the car back in the 27th or 28th hour, you might end up paying for a whole extra day. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

INSURANCE: Over-insurance is one mistake many people make when renting a car. When you drive a rental car, of course you will need insurance. Car rental companies offer to cover you with car insurance that you can purchase from them. They often have high rates. Their insurance covers you in case of a collision and it covers the loss of the rental company. To avoid being charged for car insurance, check your own policy first. You don't want to be charge for insurance that you already have. Contact your insurance agent and see if your current insurance covers rental cars. If it does there is no need to accept the coverage from the car rental facility. It will save you some money. http://www.usatourist.com/english/tips/carrental.html

AGE RESTRICTIONS: To rent a car in most of the United States, you have to be 25 years old or older. If you are younger than 25 there are some car rental companies that will charge you a penalty. If you are under 21 years old, this penalty can be even higher. Some companies don't charge if you are under 25 years of age. Usually these are the smaller independent neighborhood car rental companies that go by their own rules. You might save some money if you research which companies won't charge you a fee. http://www.carrentalexpress.com/tips/age_restrictions.html

FEES: If you have a small child that requires a child safety car seat it is best to bring your own. Car rental companies charge daily rates to rent additional items like car seats, GPS devices, roof racks and such. This daily rate can easily make your rental rate go up. If you want to save some money, bring your own add-ons.

AIRPORT PICK UPS: Picking up a rental car from a rental facility at the airport might seem quite convenient, but it's also much more expensive than if you were to pick up the car from a local neighborhood facility. This is because of airport taxes and fees that you get charged. If you want to save some money, pick up the car at the neighborhood car rental facility.

DROP OF CHARGES: When renting a car make sure to calculate how many days you will need the rental car for. You don't want to end up dropping the car off too late or too early because you might get charged a fee for this. Early drop offs might make it so you didn't rent the car for the entire week which means your weekly rate will have to be adjusted to match the amount of days you actually used the car. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

Austin, Texas doesn’t just have nationwide car rental companies, but also independent car rental companies. When picking up a rental car, you might just want to skip the airport facility and go for a cheaper independent company. Airport facilities charge taxes and fees and you will end up paying more by renting from them. The independent car rental providers are also easier in rate negotiations and negotiations regarding their rules and regulations. Since the major car rental companies are easily found online and at airports and such you will find details on some independent Austin car rental companies below.

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Longhorn Car- Truck Rentals
• 4812 N IH 35
• Austin TX 78751
• Phone (512) 452-1773

This family owned car and truck rental company has been in business since 1975 and has a fleet over 450 vehicles to choose from. http://www.longhorncartruckrentals.com/about.html

• E-Cars of Austin
• 350 Trinity Street
• Austin, TX 78701
• Phone: (512) 445-2900

This brand new company rents electric eco-friendly motor vehicles that can be recharged at various locations in Austin. http://www.ecarsaustin.com/About_Us.html