When vacationing in Boston, Massachusetts you might not want to depend on public transport to get around. Some people prefer to get a rental car. Knowing how to rent a car in Boston can help keep your costs to a minimum.

Enterprise, Budget, Alamo, Hertz, and Avis all have competitive rates and offers. They all want your business. The discounts they have include extra free rental days, free upgrades and various discounts on rates, just to name a few. Besides this, they also over a variety of vehicles for rent. You can find anything from luxury and compact cars to pick-up trucks and minivans.

Whether you are visiting Fenway Park, the Museum of Science, Faneuil Hall Marketplace or the Gillette Stadium, a rental car is sure to take you from one to the other on your own schedule. If you are visiting Boston on business, a rental car can be used to take you to your meetings. Rental cars can also be used by Boston residents. They can use rental cars as replacements of their own car that is being fixed in the shop. Rental cars also come in handy when driving long distances and when transporting a large amount of people. Whatever your needs and whatever your reasons for getting a rental car, with the step by step guidelines on this page, you might be able to find yourself a great deal.

CAR RENTAL WEBSITES: Before reserving a rental car you need to know what kinds of vehicles are available and what the rates are. You can find this out by going online. Search for the websites of the nationwide car rental facilities since they always have many promotions going on. One you've decided on a car, you can either book it in person, on the phone or online. The online rental facility is open 24/7 unlike some of the physical rental companies that have set hours of operation. On weekends some rental companies even close early. Often you can find discounts that are only available when reserving your car online. Another benefit of reserving your rental car online is that you will not have to deal with a pushy sales person trying to get you into that rental car.

WHEN TO BOOK A RENTAL CAR: When planning your Boston visit, try to schedule your rental car for a weekend. Most rental car companies have discounts on their weekend rates. If you are planning on staying five days or longer, make sure to ask about weekly rates, since these are often more favorable than day-to-day rates. Another way to get better rates on a rental car is to reserve the car early. If you know a week or more ahead of time that you will visit Boston, try to reserve the rental car right away. Rental car rates depend on how many cars are in the car rental lot at the time of your reservation. The earlier you reserve your car, the cheaper. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

PICKING UP THE RENTAL CAR: Once you are in Boston, you will have to pick up your rental car. Keep in mind that picking up a rental car from the airport is more expensive than when you pick it up from a local neighborhood facility. Airport facilities charge taxes and fees.

CAR SEATS, GPS AND OTHER ADDITIONS: If you have kids, try to bring your own child safety seats. Car rental facilities charge anywhere from $5 - $25 per day for a car seat. The same goes for GPS navigational devices, roof racks etc. These costs all add up. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=210

AGE REQUIREMENTS: Some car rental companies will charge you a penalty if you are under 25 years old. If you are under 21 years old, you can get penalized even more. Make sure to check the age requirements of the car rental company of your choice. Not all of them have penalties. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

INSURANCE: The insurance offered by car rental companies often costs a lot. Make sure to check with your own insurance company if they cover rental cars. You want to prevent having double insurance. If your own insurance does cover car rentals, you can save some money.

GAS: When returning the rental car, you can either choose to fill up the tank with gas or you can return the car empty. If you opt for the latter, you will have to prepay for gas. Prepaying for gas is often more expensive because car rental companies charge higher gas prices than you would pay at the pump. It's best to fill up the car yourself.

COUPONS: Coupons for Boston car rentals can be found on websites such as rentalcarmomma.com and retailmenot.com. Coupons are either coupon codes, direct links or printable coupons. Coupon codes can be redeemed by entering them online while reserving your vehicle. Direct links will take you to the website offering the discount and upon reserving your vehicle the discount will be applied. Printable coupons can be printed, clipped and redeemed at the participating car rental facility. Some coupons might only be valid when used on a certain kind of rental car of for a certain number of days. Other restrictions and exclusions might apply also, 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.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/boston-new.htm http://www.retailmenot.com/view/zipcar.com

PACKAGE DEALS: If you also need a hotel during your Boston visit, you might be able to get a discounted package deal. Package deals can include a hotel stay with a rental car and/or flight. You can find package deals on travel websites such as expedia.com and orbitz.com. http://www.orbitz.com/App/DisplayCarSearch6 http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/7 http://www.expedia.com/daily/cars/default.asp?rfrr=-361

EMAIL UPDATES: Keep up to date of car rental promotions, discounts and offers by registering your email on the website of the major car rental companies. Once you do, you will start receiving updates by email. http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/intresImage.do?imageId=28443.4&key=996.en.US.......&page=HOM12