Knowing how to rent a car in Orlando, Florida is a good thing when you are trying to visit the many tourist attractions such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/orlando.htm

Tourists often use rental cars because they provide transportation and independence from bus and train schedules. It's convenient when getting off the plane to just pick up a rental car at the airport. Many people don't know that picking up a car at the airport is more expensive than picking one up from a local neighborhood facility. Airport facilities charge taxes and fees.

Besides tourists, Orlando is also visited by people on business. A rental car can easily be used to drive to and from business meetings. Orlando residents use rental cars as replacements for their own cars and to transport large parties. Whatever your reason for getting a rental car, there are plenty of discounts, promotions and special offers you can take advantage of. The Mahalo page 'How to get a cheap car rental is also an informative page on that might answer many of your questions.

Large nationwide car rental companies like Hertz, Budget, Avis, Enterprise and Alamo all want your business. They have competitive rates and many offers available. Offers you might find can include free upgrade, extra free rental days and various discounts on rates. Because there are so many offers out there, it can be hard to decide which company to go with. Hopefully this page will help in your decision making process. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/

SEARCH THE INTERNET: When looking for a good deal on a rental car in Orlando, it's recommended to surf the internet. Look at what rates are being offered and which vehicles are available for rental. You can reserve a rental car by phone, in person or online. The benefit of booking your car online is that you can do it in your own time. You are not bound by the hours of operation of the rental car facility. The internet car rental companies are 'open' 24/7 and some even have special discounts that are only available online. You can take your time to search different car rental company offers without being harassed by a pushy salesperson trying to get you to commit to a certain rental car. Many car rental companies offer different kinds of vehicles. You can find anything from compacts and minivans to luxury cars and pick-up trucks. Some companies only specialize in high end, exotic vehicles. Searching the internet, you should be able to find a wide variety. http://www.exoticcarrental.com/ http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/showVehicles.do

RESERVE EARLY: Car rental rates depend on how many vehicles are present in the car rental company's lot, at the time you reserve your vehicle. Therefore, if you reserve your car early on, you will get a more favorable rate. If you are planning your Orlando visit more than a week ahead of time, make sure to reserve that rental car right away. It will save you money and you will be more likely to get a good rate.

WEEKEND AND WEEKLY RATES: If you plan on visiting Orlando over a weekend, you might be able to get discounted weekend rates for your rental car. If you are staying longer than just a weekend, you might want to look into weekly rates since these are often favorable also.

GETTING INSURANCE: When reserving a rental car you will be asked if you also want rental car insurance. The insurance covers you in case of a collision and it covers the loss of the rental company. Car rental companies often have insurance for high rates. Before agreeing to take their insurance, check your own insurance policy first. You don't want to make the mistake of being covered twice. Contact your insurance agent and see if your current insurance covers rental cars. If it does there is no need to accept the coverage from the car rental facility. It will save you some money.

FREE UPGRADES: When you pick up your rental car, you may be asked if you would like to upgrade to a larger vehicle. Rental companies often offer free upgrades because it's the compact cars that are really in high demand. It sounds like a good deal, but keep in mind that a larger vehicle requires more gas. If you want to save money, you might want to consider declining this offer.

CAR & HOTEL PACKAGE DEAL: Another way to get a good rate on a rental car is by booking the car together with a hotel stay. Package offers like these can be found on travel websites like orbitz.com and expedia.com. Once on their website, you might also want to check if they offer last minute deals on rental cars. http://www.orbitz.com/App/DisplayCarSearch6 http://www.expedia.com/daily/cars/default.asp?rfrr=-1068

AIRPORT PICK UPS: If possible, don't pick up your rental car from the airport. Try going for a pick up at a local neighborhood facility. Not only is it cheaper, but you will also avoid any busy lines at the airport. Airport facilities are more expensive because they charge taxes and fees. http://budgettravel.about.com/od/cheapgroundtransportation/a/tips_carrental.htm

PREPAYING GAS OR NOT: When returning the rental car, you can either choose to fill up the tank with gas or you can return the car empty. If you return the car empty you will have to prepay for gas. Prepaying for gas is often more expensive because car rental companies charge higher gas prices than you would pay at the pump. Also, if you return the car, after only using up half the tank, you still prepaid for a full tank of gas. Conclusion: It's best to fill up the car yourself.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS: If you have kids that require child safety seats, you can save money by bringing your own seat. Car rental companies charge anywhere from $5 - $25 for child safety seats. It is cheaper to bring your own. The same goes for additional items like roof racks, GPS devices etc. The additional costs for these items can add up.

COUPONS: There are many coupons online that give you discounts for car rentals in Orlando, Florida. Some websites where you can find coupons include rentalcarmomma.com and rentalcarchoices.com. The coupons come in the form of coupon codes, direct links and printable coupons. Printable coupons can be printed, clipped, and redeemed at the car rental facility and coupons codes can be entered when reserving your vehicle online. The direct links automatically direct you to the website where the discount is granted upon reserving your rental car. Some coupons are only valid for the rental of certain vehicles and some coupons can only be used when you rent a car for a certain number of days. Restrictions and exclusion like these can be found by reading the small print on the coupons. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/orlando.htm http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/orlando.htm

MEMBERSHIP: Major car rental companies like Hertz, Budget, Avis, Alamo and Enterprise have clubs you can join for free or for a yearly fee. When you join you get many perks and discounts when renting cars. You get to use the members' line at the airport and enjoy faster service. https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/emember/join/overview.do?learnMore=all11

EMAIL UPDATES: You can also stay up to date of the many car rental promotions, discounts and offers that are ongoing by registering your email with the major car rental companies. http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/intresImage.do?imageId=28443.4&key=996.en.US.......&page=HOM12