How to Curb Rental Car Costs

With $4 gas, shrinking competition, and airport fees, finding an affordable road-trip rental can be challenging. Travel and Leisure offers these tips to curb costs.

• Avoid airport rentals: Rent your car from downtown and avoid airport fees that add 25% to 45% to your bill.
• Ditch the rental specifics in favor of Hotwire or Priceline’s reservation roulette, in which you pay without knowing which rental agency you're dealing with.

• Take the aggregator route: Try rental-comparison sites such as Kayak or SideStep.
• Check with your insurance company to know what's covered.
• Don't forget to top off the tank upon return.
• Travel globally, rent locally: A better deal and broader selection may await abroad if you give a native rental agency a spin. 

For more tips, click below. (More rental car stories.)