Thanksgiving Travel Tips

As Carla, we work hard to find the best available deals in any location worldwide for our valuable customers and we would like to ensure that your hard-earned money does not go waste.

If you plan on renting a car for Thanksgiving, you should consider the tips we have shared below beforehand. By doing that, we believe that you can easily avoid the extra charges and notice what you should expect at the counter.

Avoid the lines during Thanksgiving by following the steps below:

We all know that the airports can be very busy on Thanksgiving. If you have a flight during Thanksgiving, it is possible that you will spend a lot of time at the airport until your pick-up. To decrease the time as much as possible, we would like to remind you some tips. By following these tips, you can minimise the time spent on the line.

- It is likely that you will need to take a shuttle to pick-up your car at the airport. Checking the shuttle information beforehand will save you time. After you land at the airport, you can collect your luggage and directly arrive at the shuttle location. Remember that we mention the shuttle information in Carla app. You can also check the car rental company websites for shuttle information.

- With Carla, you have a chance to buy your insurance beforehand! If you purchase your insurance through Carla app along with your car rental reservation, you do not need to buy at the counter which will save you time and money. You can find detailed information below about our insurance!

- Another important tip to decrease the time spent on the line is to use “Online check-in” feature that most of the companies offer. If your car rental reservation is from one of the companies listed below, you can check-in online to save a great time prior to your trip.

Companies offering online check-in in the US:

National, Alamo, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar

You should also check the other tips we mentioned below. We strongly believe that you should take them into consideration for a smooth car rental experience!

Remember to bring your credit card for pick-up.

It is important to note that most car rental companies require a credit card in the driver’s name to deliver the car. Although there are some expectations (please see link), it is usually not possible to pick-up the car with a Debit Card or with cash. If you would like to use a Debit Card for your car rental, there may be extra charges, security deposits or the car rental companies may ask for additional documents. To avoid any inconvenience, our best advice is to have a credit card before the pick-up of your car rental.

Rent your car in advance to be eligible for the cheapest offers.

Car rental price volatility is very similar to the plane tickets. If you plan your trip in advance, you always find the cheapest car rental offers. Especially at the airports, cars may be sold out very quickly. If you are reading this, we suggest completing your reservation as soon as possible.

Click here now to see the best offers for your dates!

Don’t forget to fill up the fuel tank before dropping off in order to avoid extra charges.

Car rental companies will usually deliver the car to the driver with a full fuel tank. If that’s the case in your car rental, you should remember to return the car within the same condition. If you deliver with an empty fuel tank, there will be extra charges on your credit card statement.

Check the location instructions if you are going to pick-up the car at the airport

In Europcar, most car rental companies have offices inside the arrival terminal. In rare occasions, you may have to take a shuttle to the counter. In the US, it is very likely that you will need to take a shuttle to the counter of the car rental companies. We share the location instructions for your reservation on Carla app and on your voucher. It is important to note the location instructions beforehand so that you will not lose time when you arrive at the airport with your heavy luggage.

What if I’m doing one-way rental?

It is good to know that most of the car rental companies will charge a one-way fee when you drop-off to a different location. We offer many cars in which the one-way fee is included. All you should do is to make a search with your location through Carla app or by clicking here. You can check “Included Free” section of your car rental. If it says “one-way fee” is included, good news! You avoided the extra one way charges at the counter.

Purchase insurance beforehand through Carla app to avoid high prices at the counter.

It is common that car rental companies sell their own insurances at the counter and the rates are usually more than you expect.

As Carla, not only do we offer the great car rental offers, we also have a partnership with great insurance providers allowing you to add insurance directly to your reservation through Carla app or by clicking here. Remember that the rates of Rental Cover are approximately 40% less than the insurance sold at the counter.

Use alternative solutions instead of adding GPS to your rental car

The rental cars generally do not include GPS and prefer to offer it as an additional service at the counter. When you are at the counter, you may be offered to add a GPS for your car rental with a separate charge. Instead of accepting this offer, you can simply use the GPS of your smartphone. Most of the devices have a decent GPS application nowadays. With a quick search, you can find a useful GPS application and make sure that you are not getting lost on the road.

If you are under 25 years old, we’ve got you covered!

You should know that the car rental companies separately charge the drivers who are under 25 years old. Underage (young age) fees are usually not included in the reservations. Before you make a reservation through Carla app, you should check “Included Free” section to see if the offer you selected includes an underage fee. If you cannot find an option including underage fee, you may expect extra charges at the counter.

Please remember that underage fees are usually between $15-$40 per day.

We strongly believe that these are important tips every renter needs to consider before completing the booking. Click the link below and make a great start to your trip!

If you need additional information, feel free to contact us at carla@rentcarla.com