Have you ever wondered can you rent a car for a road trip? Well, the answer is: yes. Yes, you can rent a vehicle for your road trip, whether it’s a business trip or a family get-together event. In fact, a lot of people prefer to rent a vehicle for long distance trip to using their own car.
There are many positive reasons for it. And although you may think that you spend money for the activity, you actually save quite a lot for future spending. Not to mention that you make sure that your car is in its pristine condition for many years to come.
Why Rent for a Road Trip?
Let’s say that you are planning a family road trip to a camping ground. Or what if you want to spend quality times in a cabin in the woody area, where the terrains are still rough and bumpy? You only have a sedan and if you decide to drive it, can you imagine what those rough terrains will do to your sedan?
Renting a car for a road trip will give you an opportunity for an upgrade when you have to go through long distance trip – well, at least for a temporary moment. You probably drive a regular sedan with minimum features in your daily life. But for the road trip, you can upgrade your pick of a vehicle so you can only enjoy comfortable driving experience.
For instance, you can go with a family SUV with modern features where everyone can be comfortable and happy spending long time on the road. Or you probably prefer the offroad SUV that can tackle rough terrain. It’s also possible for you to pick the premium pickup truck that can accommodate your camping gear quite effortlessly.
If you ever ask yourself, “Can you rent a car for a road trip?” you have known the answer, for sure. If you want to enjoy increased comfort and enjoyment that can affect family’s mood and happiness, then you should rent a vehicle for the elevated traveling experience.
Various Elements to Consider
Now that you already know the answer to the question can you rent a car for a road trip, it’s time to consider some important things. These are basically road trip essentials that can make everyone happy and comfortable even during long trip periods.
- Is it a round trip or a one way travel? A one way trip means that you pick up the car from one company and then drop it off in another branch. It’s usually done when you plan on not driving entirely for the trip. Let’s say that you want to drive from Los Angeles to New York. Once you get to New York, you won’t be driving back to Los Angeles. You will take the plane, instead. The round trip means that you will drive all the way through during your trip, back and forth.
- The appropriate vehicle type. A compact ride may not be suitable for long drive, so you may want to go with other options. It depends on your destinations, really.
- General requirements, including payment methods. Is your option of a car rental company okay with young drivers between 21 and 25? Is it willing to accept debit card or without a deposit?
- Protection features. Does your company provide other protection features, like insurance, roadside assistance, or such thing alike?
- Additional driver. Is the company okay with additional driver? Do you have to pay extra or can you manage it without extra cost?
The Entire Processing
So, how to rent a car for a road trip? Basically, the process is just the same as renting it for your transportation needs. You will have to provide the necessary documents and meet the standard rules. The rental company doesn’t really care whether you are going to use the car for a road trip, for a daily commute, or others, as long as you return it in a good condition and there’s no scratch on it. You can return it well without being involved in a crash? Kudos to you! And see you on your next rent.
Can you rent a car for a road trip? In general, the renting processing and requirements are:
- You need to meet the age requirements of the company. Keep in mind that different companies may have different policies concerning the age requirements. In some cases, even the same company but with different branches and locations may have a rather different regulations, so it’s better if you check the company’s policy first, including the branch office that you want to use.
- You must provide a driver license that is still valid and legit.
- You can provide the acceptable means (and also ways) of payment.
For the latter, you should be able to meet the company’s requirements when it comes to payment. For instance, some companies don’t accept debit cards as they ONLY cater to credit cards. If you don’t have credit cards, it means that they won’t be able to serve you.
It’s true that credit card isn’t the only viable option when renting a car. However, many car rental companies are still using credit card payment as the standard of their service. For some of them, having to provide alternative option with the debit card is too complicated and too fussy.
The only possible way is to try negotiate it with them. But if they are adamant of not accepting the debit card, there’s nothing you can do about it. After all, it’s their right to implement their policies and regulations.
So, can you rent a car for a road trip? If you are able to provide these requirements, then you are good to go. It would be better if you can check each company’s requirements before making a reservation, so you can prepare the required stuff during the pickup.
Final Conclusion
It would be a good idea to rent a vehicle meeting your comfort requirements for long distance and road trip. Not only it is more comfortable, but you won’t have to deal with extra concern during the trip. Can you rent a car for a road trip? You know the answer, right?
