This page titled How to rent a car in Hempstead will provide information on the car rental process. You will find links to car rental coupons and various other ways to save money.

The most important thing when renting a car is to be well prepared. Never walk up to the car rental counter without know what you are looking for. You will be asked many questions and depending on how you answer, you rate might end up sky high. You don't want to pay a lot for a rental car. Whether it's to visit Hempstead, New York tourist attractions, go from one business meeting to the next, or just for a night on the town, a car rental can give you the freedom to come and go as you please.

Many people rent from the large nationwide car rental companies because they think those are reliable companies with the lowest rates. Sure, companies like Hertz, Avis, Thrifty and Enterprise do have competitive rates. They even have many offers out there for free upgrades and pickups. However, sometimes the independent car rental company is best to go with because they make their own rules and are therefore more flexible. If you are under 25 some companies might not rent to you or charge you an age penalty. An independent company is easiest to use in this case.

After reading the information on this page you will be better armed when walking up to the car rental counter.

PREPAYING FOR GAS: Don't prepay for gas if you want to save gas. It's cheaper to fill up the car before returning it to the lot. Car rental companies charge a lot more for gas by the gallon than you would pay at the pump. If you prepay for gas and don't use the whole tank, you will have still paid for a full tank of gas. The only benefit prepaying has is that you don't have the minor hassle of looking for a gas station.

DROP OFF CHARGES: When renting a car 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

ADD-ONS: Avoid having to pay daily rental fees for additional items like child safety car seats, GPS devices and roof racks. Instead, bring your own. It will save you money.

AIRPORT PICKUPS: If possible, don't pick up your rental car from airport car rental facilities. They charge taxes and fees and are more expensive than car rental companies that are away from the airport.

MILEAGE: Before driving your rental car off the lot, make sure to ask about unlimited mileage. Some car rental companies will charge you for mileage 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. If you forgot to ask about this, make sure to read the fine print on the rental agreement, or call the rental company.

ONLINE RESEARCH: 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.

INSURANCE: When you rent a car in Hempstead, NY you will be asked by the car rental agent whether or not you want to include car rental insurance. This insurance will cover you in case of a collision and it also covers the loss of the rental company. Car rental companies charge high rates for their insurance. To save some money you might want to check with your own car insurance first. You might very well already be covered. If this is the case, than you can decline the insurance offered by the car rental facility. The credit card you use to pay for the rental might cover you also. It's worth contacting the credit card company to see if they cover you. http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=29&category=2&page=1

RATES: If you know at least a week before visiting Hempstead that you are going to need a rental car, try reserving the car immediately. Car rental rates depend on how many cars are in the car rental lot at the time of your reservation. Reserving a car early will result in a better rate. Weekend and weekly rates are also cheaper compared to daily rates. Depending on the length of your stay, you might want to inquire about these. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116640/article.html

COUPONS: Car rental coupons and deals can often be found on the Internet on websites such as retailmenot.com and rentalcarmomma.com. Coupons for your Hempstead rental are either coupon codes, direct links or printable coupons. Promo codes can be redeemed by entering them online while reserving your vehicle. Direct links will take you to the web page where the discounts is applied, and 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/newyork.htm http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/carrentals

Nationwide car rental companies like Enterprise, Thrifty, Avis, and Hertz have set rates and regulations that they go by. If you are under the age of 25, it might be better to look into renting from an independent company since they have more are more flexible because they make their own in-house rules. It is also said that independent companies provide better service because they really want your business. They know they are up against the big names in the car rental business.

INDEPENDENT CAR RENTAL COMPANIES:

• Image Rent A Car
• 14402 135th Avenue
• New York, NY 11436
• Phone: (718) 739-6300

This car rental company rents luxury sports cars, SUV's, Conversion Luxury High Top Vans, Dodge Sprinter vans, Range Rovers, Escalades, Bentley's and BMW's. http://www.imagerentacar.com/about.html

• Action Car Rental
• 261 Uniondale Avenue
• Uniondale, NY 11553
• Phone: (516) 414-2889

• This car rental facility offers compact, mid-sized and full sized cars; cargo, mini and passenger vans; exotic car rentals and convertibles. http://www.nycexoticcarrentals.com/action-car-rentals.php