How To Rent A Car In Fort Wayne

So you want to find out how to rent a car in Fort Wayne, Indiana? Look no further. On this page you will find information on car rental insurance, car rental upgrades, car rental pitfalls, car rental rates and much more.

Whether you are a traveling business man, a Fort Wayne resident or a tourist visiting Fort Wayne History Center, Science Central, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and Fort Wayne's Children's Zoo, a rental car can be a good means of transport. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/fortwayne.htm

People use rental cars for many reasons. Some use rental cars to transport large cargo or more people than their own car holds. Others use a rental to replace their own car while it's in the shop. There are even those who use a rental car for a night out on the town. Regardless of the use of your rental car, the steps towards getting a rental car in Fort Wayne are all the same.

A way to save some money while booking your rental car is by looking for package deals. Websites like Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Priceline.com, Hotwire.com and Kayak.com all have deals where you can book your rental car together with your flight and/or hotel stay at the same time. You get a better rate by reserving them simultaneously than if you were to reserve them separately.

Budget, Hertz, Alamo, Avis and Enterprise all have competitive rates and offers out there which can be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully this page will help you decide which company to go with.

PREPARE WELL: Never walk up to a car rental counter unprepared. The car rental sales person will ask so many questions, that you might not be able to answer them all. The best thing to do before renting a car is to do some research. This will almost guarantee that you will get a good deal. Go onto the Internet and search various car rental companies. Look at the different vehicles they have available and the rates they are charging. You want to compare rates, promotional offers and any discounts to see which company will give you the best deal. Another thing you need to watch out for is the hidden fees that come along with car rentals. You will find more information about these fees on this page. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

WHEN TO RENT: If you know a week or more ahead of time that you will be visiting Fort Wayne, Indiana, you should reserve your rental car immediately. You will get a better rate because rates depend on how many cars are in the lot at the time of your reservation. A few days after reserving your car you can call the car rental facility and see if the rates have dropped even more. If they have, you can re-reserve your car for the new rate.

INSURANCE: Another question you will have to answer at the car rental counter is regarding insurance. The car rental company offers insurance that covers you in case of a collision and it also covers the rental company for their loss. The car insurance is charged on a day to day basis and rates are usually high. Before accepting the insurance, check with your own insurance company first. You may already be covered in case of a collision in a rental car. If this is the case, you can decline the offered insurance. Also check with your credit card company since they might also cover you. If you don't have any insurance at all, you can go ahead and accept the car rental company's insurance.

AGE RESTRICTIONS: The minimum age that one can rent a car in the United States ranges from 18 - 25. Some car rental companies won't rent to people under 25 years of age and other companies will charge you a penalty if you are under 25. If you are under 21 this penalty can be even more. Sometimes renting a car from an independent car rental company is easier because they make their own in-house rules and are easier in negotiating. If you are under 25 years of age, make sure to do your research. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2 http://www.carrentalexpress.com/tips/car-rental-independent.html

COUPONS: To save some money on your Fort Wayne car rental, you can always look for car rental coupons. Websites such as retailmenot.com and rentalcarmomma.com have printable coupons for in-store use, coupon codes for online use and clickable links that go directly to the discount web page. The coupons do expire, so make sure to check the validity date. Also, some coupons are only good for rentals of certain vehicles, make sure to read the restrictions and exclusions that you can find in the fine print on the coupons. http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/fortwayne.htm

HIDDEN FEES AND CHARGES: When renting a car, you have to be careful not to get any fees and charges that were avoidable. Following you will find a summary of them.

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS: Some companies charge a fee if you have more people that will be driving the rental car. This can range from $7 - $25 per day. Look for companies that don't charge for additional drivers. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=2

ADD-ONS: Additional items that you may need can be rented from the car rental company. Anything from child safety seats to roof racks and GPS devices can be rented for a daily rate. This can easily add up and you will be better off just bringing the items with you yourself.

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.

AIRPORT PICK UPS: After arriving at the airport in Fort Wayne it seems only convenient and natural to go pick up a rental car. Most people don't realize that picking up a rental car at the airport is more expensive than when you pick a car up from a local neighborhood facility. This is because of airport taxes and fees that are charged.

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.

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:

• Zay Leasing & Rentals
• 4957 North Broadway Street
• Huntington, IN 46750-9610
• Phone: (260) 356-1588

This car rental provider rents various cars, trucks and vans and also has a selection of vehicles for sale. They are 30 minutes from Fort Wayne, Indiana. http://www.zayautos.com/leasingandrentalinfrom/

• Spirit Rent A Car
• 4410 Executive Boulevard
• Fort Wayne, IN 46808-1135
• Phone: (260) 483-6979

This independent car rental company doesn't provide a website but is located right in Fort Wayne, Indiana.