This page on how to rent a car in Dallas, Texas will give you information on car rental hidden fees, car rental insurance, car rental coupons and much more.

Never walk up to the car rental counter unprepared. You will be asked many questions regarding your rental. If you are unsure about the answers to provide, you might end up paying more than you bargained for. Even though advertisements for Hertz, Avis, Thrifty and Enterprise have competitive rates, you can end up paying much more than that. There are many hidden fees and pitfalls that can increase your rental car costs substantially. For instance free upgrades to larger vehicles. Many car rental companies offer these upon pickup of the rented vehicle. It may seem like a nice gesture, but the car rental company is really just trying to hold on to the compact cars which are generally in higher demand. The upgrade to a larger vehicle will end up more expensive because larger cars require more gas. Information on pitfalls like these, can be found below.

Whether you are a tourist visiting the Frontiers of Flight Museum, ]]Dallas World Aquarium and Zoo]], or Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, a rental car can conveniently take you from one to the other at your own leisure. Dallas residents can use rental cars to replace their own car that's in the shop. The small business traveler in Dallas can also go to and from his meetings using a rental car. Whatever your purpose is for getting a rental car, the steps towards getting an affordable rental are all the same. Hopefully this page will keep you from spending unnecessary amounts of money. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/dallas.htm

THE INTERNET: Cheap car rental rates, various different vehicles, car rental promotions, discounts and car rental package deals can all be found when searching the Internet. Therefore, before renting a car, it's recommended to go online and do some research. Look at the rates offered by different car rental companies, look at their vehicles and decide which company you want to go with. You can book your rental car either online, on the phone or in person. Again, it's recommended to book your rental car online. You will find deals and discounts online that you will not find if you call or visit the car rental facility. Also car rental companies are bound by opening and closing hours where as the Internet is 'open' 24/7. You also don't have to worry about pushy sales representatives trying to persuade you.

COUPONS: While you are online, you can also look at the various coupons for Enterprise car rentals, Thrifty car rentals and such. Websites like retailmenot.com and rentalcarmomma.com provide printable coupons, coupon codes and direct links that can all give you a discount on the cost of your rental car. To find out about restrictions and exclusions, make sure to read the fine print. Also make sure to double check the expiration date since expired coupons cannot be redeemed. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/dallas.htm http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals

INSURANCE: INSURANCE: When you drive a car, you will need insurance. The same goes for a rental car. When you reserve or pick up your rental car in Dallas, Texas, you will be asked if you would like to include insurance in your rental package. The insurance offered, covers you in case of a collision and it covers the loss of the rental company. The best thing to do to make sure you are not over-insured is to call your own car insurance agent. Check if you are already covered for using a rental car. If you are, you can decline the offered insurance and save some money. You also want to make sure the car rental company]] includes all the information of the people that will drive the rental car on their paperwork so that everyone is covered by the insurance. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2

WHEN TO BOOK: Reserving your car should be done as soon as you find out that you are going to Dallas, TX. The sooner you reserve a rental car, the better the price. It's similar to booking air fare. Car rental rates depend on how many cars are in the lot at the time of your reservation. Not only this, but there is no rescheduling fee. You can basically call them back after a few days and inquire about the current rates. If they are cheaper than yours, you can have them adjust your rental rates. Reserving a car doesn't require an upfront payment, so there is no money lost. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

AIRPORT PICKUPS: Picking up a rental car from an airport car rental facility might seem convenient since after landing, the car rental counter is usually a small walk away. What many don't know, is that airport pickups are more expensive than picking up a rental car from a facility away from the airport. Airport facilities charge taxes and fees.

AGE RESTRICTIONS: The age to rent a car in the United States ranges from 18 - 25. Some Dallas companies won't rent to anyone under 25 years of age. Other companies might rent to people under 25, but will charge an age penalty. If you are under 21 years of age this penalty can be even higher. To avoid any penalty whatsoever, try looking into the smaller independent car rental companies. They make their own in-house rules and are often more flexible. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

GAS: When returning a car to the car rental lot, make sure to fill it up with gas. You get the option to prepay the gas and return the car as is, but this often end up to be more expensive. If you return the car only half empty, you will still have paid for a full tank of gas. Car rental companies charge more per gallon of gas than you would pay at the pump.

CHILD CAR SEATS AND MORE: 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. If you want to save some money, bring your own add-ons.

MILEAGE: Inquire about unlimited mileage before driving off the lot. Some car rental companies charge you if you go over a certain amount of miles per day. You want to make sure this restriction doesn't apply to your rental car. You want that unlimited mileage. If you forgot to ask about this, make sure to read the fine print on the rental agreement, or call the rental company.

DROP OF CHARGES: When renting a car in Dallas, 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

Besides the nationwide well known car rental providers there are also independently owned car rental facilities in Dallas. Sometimes it's easier to deal with an independently smaller company. For instance, if you are under 25 years of age other companies might charge you an age penalty. Independent car rental companies make their own rules and regulations and are more flexible when it comes to negotiating. Aside from this it is also said that they provide better service and have a better vehicle selection. Following you will find information on several independent car rental companies in Dallas. http://www.carrentalexpress.com/tips/car-rental-independent.html

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Platinum Motorcars exotic car rental
• 11430 North Central Expressway
• Dallas, TX 75243-6602
• Phone: (469) 374-9090

This car rental company exclusively rents exotic luxury cars such as Bentley's and Lamborghini's which can be a nice change from the norm during a long weekend away. http://www.platinummotorcars.net/web/1327/inventory?custom_field=6&custom_field_value=26

• Ace Rent A Car
• 6316 Denton Drive
• Dallas, TX 75235-5602
• Phone: (214) 352-4555

This car rental company was founded in 1966. Today there are 200 locations that are each independently and locally owned. http://www.acerentacar.com/aboutace.aspx