This page will provide information about how to rent a car in Charlotte, North Carolina.

If you plan on visiting Charlotte, NC, you might prefer a rental car as your choice of transportation. A rental car can take you to and from attractions such as Carowinds Park, U.S. National Whitewater Center, and Discovery Place. Many people prefer a car rental over public transport because they get to travel on their own schedule and don't have to keep track of bus or train schedules. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/charlotte.htm

Cheap car rental, car rental coupons, car rental discounts and car rental deals are all things that can benefit you when looking for a rental car. Companies like Hertz, Budget, Alamo, Avis and Enterprise all provide competitive rates and special offers. Some of these offers include discount on various rates, free rental car upgrades and extra free rental days. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/

If you are visiting Charlotte and also need a hotel stay, you might want to look into travel package deals from companies like expedia.com,travelocity.com, priceline.com, hotwire.com and kayak.com. Booking a package deal that includes a rental car, hotel stay and/or air fare will save you some money.

On this page you will find information regarding rental car insurance, hidden car rental costs, car rental rates and more. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered.

THE INTERNET: Before approaching the car rental counter or reserving a rental car online you want to do some research and take a look at the different promotional offers, car rental discounts and deals that are out there. It's recommended that you go onto the Internet to do this. Here you can easily maneuver between the various car rental websites and see which vehicles are offered and the various car rental rates they go for. You can research several companies without being pressured by a sales representative as you would if you were to enter a car rental facility. Another benefit of the Internet is that it's 'open' 24/7 and you can do your research at your own leisure. While on the Internet, you can also search for car rental discount coupons that can be used to get a better rate on your Charlotte rental car. Websites like rentalcarmomma.com and retailmenot.com offer numerous printable coupons, coupon codes and direct links. When using these discount coupons, make sure to check their validity date and any small print with restrictions and exclusions. Printable coupons can be printed, clipped and redeemed at the car rental facility. Promo codes can be used while reserving you car online and direct links are clickable links that will instantly take you to the website with the discount. Once you have done your research, you can reserve your car either in person, on the phone or online. Online reservations often have exclusive car rental discount promotions that are not available when reserving your car in person or on the phone. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/charlotte.htm http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals

EARLY RESERVATIONS: If you know a week or more ahead of time that you will be visiting Charlotte, North Carolina], try reserving your rental car immediately. The earlier you book your rental, the better rate you will get. This is because car rental rates depend on how many cars are in the lot at the time your reservation is made. Try booking your car at least one week ahead of time.

WEEKLY & WEEKEND RATES: If you are staying in Charlotte over a weekend you want to ask your car rental company about weekend rates. Most car rental companies have discounted rates over the weekend. Weekly rates are also cheaper than paying a daily rate. So if you are staying five or more days, you want to look into these rates also.

FREE UPGRADES: When you go to pick up your Charlotte rental car you might get offered a free upgrade to a larger car. If you are on a budget, you might want to decline the upgrade because larger cars need more gas which only means more expenses for you. You can always ask to get an upgrade to a more economical car. The gesture of the free upgrade might seem nice, but the car rental company usually does this because the compact cars are usually the ones in high demand. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

INSURANCE: When picking up your Charlotte rental car, you will be asked if you would like to include insurance. Insurance gets charged on a day to day basis and is normally quite expensive. This insurance covers you in case of a collision and it covers the loss of the rental company. Before accepting the insurance you want to check with your own car insurance company to see if your policy also covers rental cars. If it does you can decline the offered insurance. You can also check with your credit card company because they might also cover you in case of a collision in a rental car. Also make sure to register all drivers of the rental car with the car rental company. This way they will all be covered by the insurance. http://www.usatourist.com/english/tips/carrental.html

CAR SEATS & MORE: If you have kids, don't forget to bring your own child safety car seats. Other additional items like roof racks, GPS devices and ski racks can also be rented from the car rental company. However, it is cheaper if you bring your own because car rental companies charge anywhere from $5 - $25 a day for each of these items. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

AGE RESTRICTIONS: If you are under the age of 25 years old, you might want to look into renting from a smaller independent car rental facility. They have more flexible regulations and rates and might not charge a penalty based on your age as the larger companies would. For those under 21 years of age the penalty can be even higher.

DROP OFF FEES: Dropping off your rental car too late or too early can result in rate recalculations and fees. Make sure to return the car on time. If you return the car too early you might not have completed the full week in order to get the weekly rate. You might end up paying more than you would have if you delivered the car on time.

AIRPORT PICK UPS: If possible try picking up your rental car from a car rental facility away from the airport. Airport car rental companies charge airport taxes and fees and you will end up paying more for the rental than you would if you picked the car up at a local neighborhood facility.

MORE FEES: Other hidden fees and expenses you want to watch out for include prepaid gas charges. It is cheaper to fill up the car before returning it since car rental companies charge a lot per gallon of gas. Another fee you might get charged is for mileage. Make sure you have unlimited mileage. If you don't, and you go over the daily allotted miles, you will get charged. Have the car rental company calculate the entire cost of your rental before signing the car rental agreement. This way you know what to expect upon returning the car and will not be unpleasantly surprised.

Some people prefer using independent car rental companies over the major car rental giants. Some reasons why they prefer independent car rental provides are:

• ■ Flexible rates and regulations
• ■ Better customer service
• ■ Better selection of rental vehicles
• ■ Cash deposits

The large nationwide car rental companies are dependent on set rules and regulations where as the independent companies make their own in-house regulations. Because of this the independent car rental companies can negotiate more easily with customers. If you are under the age of 25 it’s better to go with an independent company since many of the larger companies might not rent to you or charge you a fee. http://www.carrentalexpress.com/tips/car-rental-independent.html

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Triangle Rent A Car
• 4226 South Boulevard
• Charlotte, NC 28209-2621
• Phone: (704) 369-2450

This company was founded in 19779 and has a large fleet of vehicles to choose from. They have a business rental program where businesses can sign up and employees get discounts. http://www.trianglerentacar.com/

• American Adventure Vans
• 4765 South Boulevard
• Charlotte, NC 28217-2117
• Phone: (704) 527-5454

This car rental facility mainly rents vans for family vacations and such. http://www.adventurevans.com/