So you want to know how to rent a car in Detroit, Michigan? Detroit is home of the Motown Historical Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Greenfield Village, and the Detroit Historical Museum. All of these make for great tourist attractions. To visit these attractions, you will need transportation. Many people opt for a rental car because it is convenient and gives you the freedom to come and go as you please. There are no bus or train schedules to take into account. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/detroit.htm

If you are a tourist visiting Detroit, you might be better off booking a package deal where you book a hotel stay or air fare together with your car rental. The cost of this is often less than if you were to book each one separately. You can generally find these travel packages on websites like Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Priceline.com, Hotwire.com and Kayak.com.

Before renting a car it is good to do some research so you know what you can expect. There are a lot off pitfalls and hidden fees that you want to avoid. On this page you will find information on Detroit car rental coupons, car rental fees, rental car insurance, car rental upgrades and more. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered.

WHERE: The Internet is a good place to start when looking for a Detroit rental car. You can go online and look at the various vehicles available for rent and the different rental rates offered by car rental companies. Unlike the car rental companies, the Internet is not bound by opening and closing hours. You can access it 24/7 often right from your home without the added pressure of a sales representative.

WHEN: The best time to reserve a car is far ahead of time. If you know a week or more ahead of time that you will be visiting Detroit, Michigan, try reserving your rental car right away. Rental car rates depend on how many cars are in the lot at the time of your reservations. The early you reserve, the better your rate will be.

HOW: Reserving a rental car can be done in person at the car rental facility of your choice, over the phone or online. There are many car rental promo codes to be found online that give you discounts on online reservations. However, websites like rentalcarmomma.com and retailmenot.com also have printable coupons that can be redeemed when visiting the car rental company. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/detroit.htm http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals

RENTAL CAR UPGRADES: If you pick up your rental car early, you might get offered a free car rental upgrade to a larger vehicle. These upgrades are given because compact cars are usually in higher demand. Keep in mind that larger vehicles require more gas which translates to more costs to you. If you cannot afford to upgrade to a larger vehicle, you can always ask to be upgraded to a more economical vehicle. If you want a larger vehicle, sometimes it might pay off if you reserve a compact car. Once you get to the car rental counter, they might just offer you a free upgrade.

INSURANCE: One mistake many people make is to accept the insurance offered by the car rental company. The insurance covers you in case of a collision and covers the car rental facility's loss. Car rental insurance is charged by the day at high rates. Before accepting the insurance, check with your own home car insurance company to see if you are covered in case of a collision in a rental car. If they cover you, there is no need to be double covered and you can decline the offered insurance. If you have a credit card, check with the credit card company since they often cover you as well. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=1

The following summary of fees and charges can be avoided when renting a car.

AIRPORT PICKUPS: It is more expensive to pick up your rental car from airport car rental companies. Even though companies like Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, Alamo, and Budget are readily available to serve you, they will charge you airport taxes and fees. If you can, pick up your rental car from a car rental facility away from the airport. It will save you some money.

AGE PENALTIES: The age to rent a car in the United States ranges from 18 - 25. In some states, if you are younger than 25 years old, you may get charged a penalty by some companies. If you are under 21 years of age, this penalty might be even higher. Independent car rental companies, that make their own in-house rules, are less likely to charge you. They are also easier in their rate negotiations.

ADD-ONS: If you don't mind spending between $5 - $25 a day on additional items such as child safety seats, roof racks, GPS devices and ski racks, you can just ignore this paragraph. Most likely you want to save money and the way to do this is by bringing your own additional necessities instead of renting them from the car rental company. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

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.

DROP OFFS: To avoid another fee, drop off your car on time. Before driving off the lot, ask for the exact time and date when your car has to be back. If you drop the car off too late or too early it might result in a fee. Dropping a car off too early can even result in rate recalculations. For instance, if you have a weekly rate but didn't complete the full week, you may get switched to a daily rate.

Besides the nationwide well known car rental providers there are also independently owned car rental facilities in Detroit . 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 Detroit. http://www.carrentalexpress.com/tips/car-rental-independent.html

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Rent A Jalopy
• 17245 Telegraph Road
• Detroit, MI 48219-3131
• Phone: (313) 535-5147

This rental car provider has been in business since 1980 and provides American made vehicles ranging from cars to passenger minivans. http://www.rentajalopydetroit.com/

• Lakeside Car Rental
• 22768 Hoover Road
• Warren, MI 48089-2569
• Phone: (586) 754-4495

This car rental company was established in 1983 and offers daily, weekly and monthly rental rates and corporate discounts. They are about 20 minutes outside of Detroit. http://www.lakesidecarrental.com/