Car Rental/Car Hire

Wherever you are and whatever your ride, here's a place to share car rental tips and strategies to help you save and be safe.

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7 of the biggest issues in car rental in 2026

Hire2U Renting a car has become far more strategic than many travelers realize, especially on international trips where local rules, taxes, and driving conditions vary widely. Across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, here´s a quick look at eight of the main practical issues dominating the conversation at the moment. Travelers who understand them often save significant money—and avoid the most common frustrations.read post

Started by Paul Varmuza

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The ins and outs of renting an EV in 2026

Downlight Electrical Renting an electric vehicle used to feel like a novelty, but these days it’s increasingly normal—though still not quite standard issue. EVs now make up roughly five to ten percent of many large rental fleets globally, with higher concentrations in parts of Europe (especially Scandinavia), China, California, and selected airport hubs. Some operators have pushed harder: Hertz once reached around 10 percent EV penetration before trimming back parts of its fleet. But in the…

Started by Max Pesling

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Cool Road Trips: 5 Scenic Sights to Visit by Car in North Carolina

One of the original 13 British colonies which first formed the United States, North Carolina is home to plenty of historic and cultural sites but also some breathtaking natural beauty, including national and state parks, and dozens of beaches along some 300 miles of coastline. Gorgeous barrier islands; gospel music; Piedmont blues music; two types of tasty barbecue; Cherokee Indian culture; roadside attractions (like the world's largest working frying pan) - there's plenty of cool stuff to…

Started by Tripatini

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Does travel insurance cover car breakdown?

kovaciclea Hi everyone! It sounds great that the world is normalizing again, and I am planning a trip with my family. I am thinking to visit Belfast, Northern Ireland and a few camping sites in Scotland. Instead of public transport, I am thinking to use my own vehicle. Probably, my family can use 2 vehicles. In this regard, I am thinking to get a travel insurance plan for the entire family, but I am not sure either it would include a car breakdown or not. When I did an online search, then I…

Started by Tripatini

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Paul Varmuza April 26, 2026 at 4:49pm

As often is the case, Chris Elliott to the rescue! This time with insider strategies on how to snag the cheapest car rentals: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/ground-transportation/...
Wendy Capra April 24, 2026 at 10:48am

You´ve heard of road rage but how about "car-rental rage"? It´s not physically violent but it is a thing, as abusive rental car company practices stack up - and I´ve experience two or three of these myself https://usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/2026/03/31/car-rental-c...
Ed Wetschler December 9, 2025 at 1:51pm

An interesting look at the ins and outs of renting an electric car https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/renting-electric-car...
Maria de los Angeles December 8, 2025 at 4:08pm

I doubt any of us has ever not had to face this nonsense when renting a car, so guidance like this really comes in handy https://www.elliott.org/advocacy/hail-no-how-to-fight-an-unfair-car...

This is how to fight an unfair car rental damage charge -- and win
José Balido May 8, 2025 at 9:35am

I learned a few things here - and will be sure to use them on my next rental, coming up later this month! https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-rent-a-car-and-avoid-extra-...

Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car

How to rent a car, save time and money, and use newer car rental services like Turo and Kyte.
Wendy Capra December 27, 2024 at 8:49pm

You can always count on consumer travel guru Chris Elliott to come up with some great money-saving strategies, and here he does it for car rentals in Travel+Leisure: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/ground-transportation/...
David Paul Appell July 8, 2024 at 11:54am

Several of these I knew, but a couple hadn´t necessarily occurred to me: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mistakes-rental-car_l_62228c26e4b04a...

12 Mistakes People Make When Renting A Car

Experts break down the most common rental car errors and the best ways to avoid them.
María José July 31, 2023 at 12:53pm

The U.S. website Slate analyzes the sorry current state of affairs facing the car renter in this country, and highlights a possible workaround: https://slate.com/business/2023/07/airport-car-rental-industry-auto...

The Utter Agony of Renting a Car Might Finally Be Over

Your Kia Sorento beckons. But first, you'll have to try a controversial new innovation.
Barbara Necker April 12, 2023 at 10:58pm

Ever wonder what would happen if you lost your rental car keys? After all, especially these days, losing or misplacing keys is not an uncommon occurance, tight? It actually happened to me once, although thankfully they turned up before I got too frantic. Consumer advocated Christopher Elliot recently addressed the question here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/rental-car-key-lost/
Max Pesling March 7, 2023 at 3:01pm

The other day I reserved a rental in Florida, and was pleased to see that rates have gone down And lo and behold, the next day I came across this piece from travel consumer specialist Christopher Elliott about other changes in the industry to look forward to in 2023: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2023/03/04/what-to-...

What To Expect When You Rent A Car Now (You’ll Be Surprised)

Everything is new in the car rental industry. There are new ways to rent cars, there's new technology — and, of course, prices have returned to earth…