Archive for the ‘Rental Car’ Category

Travel Tips To Consider When Visiting Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the largest and most exciting cities in the country. There is always something going on in the city and the surrounding area on a daily basis. But like every other area, it has it’s own unique qualities and intricacies that you should know about before traveling to the City of Angels. Here are a few tips to consider before you make your trip to Los Angeles.

  1. The weather is generally mild. We see palm trees, the beach, and sun, and we automatically assume that it’s always 85 degrees in Los Angeles. This is definitely not true. Most of the year, the weather stays in the 70’s, and it can even feel chilly at night and when the sun is behind the clouds. During the middle of the summer, it definitely warms up. The valley can get VERY hot, but it’s usually dry heat. Also, many people don’t realize that the Pacific Ocean stays fairly cold throughout the year, so if you’re used to the Atlantic Ocean, be prepared for colder water.
  2. Consider alternatives to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Flying into LAX can be a nightmare. It’s one of the busiest airports in the world, and it’s also very confusing. If you can get a good rate, we recommend flying into the Burbank International Airport. It’s much more quiet, and you can still rent a discount car from us! Of course, most of the best rates will be flying into LAX, but don’t worry, we have a great staff that can help you get into a great rental car for less.
  3. Los Angeles Is a Driving Town. We’re not just saying this, because we’re in the rental car business! The Greater Los Angeles area sprawls hundreds of miles, and even though they have a decent bus and metro train system, it cannot accommodate all of the areas of Los Angeles. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that renting a car is essential when visiting the area.
  4. Venture outside of L.A. County. Santa Barbara and the surrounding area are about 2 hours away, and it is an area that you must visit. In the south, Orange County has a lot to offer as well, and San Diego is only about a 2 and a 1/2 hour drive away.
  5. Wake Up Early. If you want to visit one of the popular shows taped in Los Angeles and you don’t already have tickets, you’ll need to be up VERY early to get in line for standby tickets. Also, the tours for Universal Studios and NBC fill up quickly too, so don’t assume that you’ll be able to walk right up to the popular attractions no matter what time of year you’re there. Also, popular game shows like “The Price Is Right” don’t tape every week, so check their taping schedule first before you roll up there at 5am!

Los Angeles is a great place to visit, but make sure you’re prepared for it!

Tags: , , ,

How to Make Your Thanksgiving Travel Less Stressful

traffic

Millions of Americans travel around the country during the Thanksgiving holiday time period. It seems like a tradition to watch the news with all of the airport delays, bad weather, and traffic jams that go along with Thanksgiving travel. Most travelers think of it as an inevitable chore for their Thanksgiving travel to be long and stressful. However, there are some strategic moves you can make to allow your Thanksgiving travel to be less stressful. Here are a few tips to follow:

Travel on off-peak days

If possible, try to travel on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, or Thursday morning. The period between 3pm and 9pm on Wednesday evening is always the worst traffic and the worst time to be in an airport. When traveling back, try to leave on Saturday or Sunday morning. Sunday night and Monday morning are typically the busiest travel times to be coming back from your Thanksgiving travels.

Avoid Flying

If you aren’t traveling very far, driving might be a better solution than flying. The nightmares that we all hear about during the Thanksgiving holidays are the snow storms or the overcrowded airports that caused massive delays. If you don’t trust your car or you don’t own a car, consider renting a discount rental car from E-Z Rent-A-Car.

Service Your Car This Weekend

The last thing you want while driving to your Thanksgiving destination is to have your car break down. Get the oil changed, get a maintenance inspection, rotate the tires, fill them to the proper pressure levels, and make sure your fluids are full.

Take a train.

The train is often overlooked as a viable means of transportation, and while it might be impractical to take Amtrak from Florida to New York, it’s not impractical to take the train out of New York City to Boston or Connecticut. There are many other commuter type trains around the country that are cheap and easy to use and they will be less crowded than the roads and airports.

Tags: , ,

Kid Friendly Attractions In Miami, Florida

Are you planning a trip to the beautiful beaches of Miami, Florida and taking the kids with you? Miami is known for its night life, great beach scene and cultural atmosphere, and many people refer to it as the Los Angeles of the East Coast. But, if you are traveling with children to Miami, you will be pleased to learn that there are many activities to pursue that are geared towards kids.

First, as always, it is important to properly prepare for your trip, and one of the first things to accomplish is to secure your car rental in Miami so that you are able to visit these wonderful attractions. Here are some kid-friendly attractions:

  • Biscayne National Park
  • Crandon Park Beach
  • Gold Coast Railroad Museum
  • Jungle Island
  • Miami Childrens Museum

With all these great attractions to visit, grab the best deal you can on your Miami car rental through E-Z Rent-A-Car. One of the best ways to ensure you get the lowest pricing is to sign up for our rental car magic, E-Z Money Club.

Tags: , , , , ,

7 Tips For Renting A Car With A Debit Card

Debit
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ciaran McGuiggan
Financial institutions have begun to tighten up their guidelines for approving credit card applications, because they are losing money from defaulted mortgage loans and the inability of existing customers to pay credit card payments. In addition to it being harder for people to be accepte for new credit cards, credit card issuers are also raising interest rates, removing rewards programs, and reinstating dreaded annual fees. This is causing some consumers to get rid of their credit cards or just stop using them for now. Debit card transactions are becoming increasingly more popular for flight, hotel, and now rental car purchases.

Rental car companies were one of the last in the travel industry to start accepting debit cards for rental car purchases, because of their interest in the rental cars they are handing out. But, now many companies are accepting debit cards with a few restrictions. Here are a few tips to help you make your rental car purchase with a debit card as smooth as possible:

  1. Do Your Research. Every rental car company has their own debit card policy, and some policies differ based on different franchises within a particular brand. Call different companies or search their websites for their debit card policies. Find a discount car rental company that suits your needs.
  2. Keep plenty of money in your checking account. Most rental car companies that accept debit cards will charge the full amount of the rental car booking plus an additional deposit between $100 to $500 at the time you pick up the car. When you return the car, they refund the deposit, but it could take up to 10 business days for that deposit to credit back to your account.
  3. Use Visa or Mastercard. Almost all debit cards either have a Visa or Mastercard logo on them, but make sure you use a debit card from a major banking institution or credit union.
  4. Be prepared for a credit check. Some rental car companies will run a quick credit check to make sure you aren’t a complete delinquent when it comes to handling money.
  5. Be over 25 years old.
  6. Don’t try to rent a luxury car or SUV with a debit card.
  7. Keep full collision and liability coverage on your car insurance. Many companies will require that you prove sufficient car insurance coverage in case of an accident. They may also have you verify that car rentals are covered under your auto insurance policy.

E-Z Rent-A-Car is dedicated to great customer service and making your rental car experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. We allow debit card purchases for our rental cars. Our debit card policies differ depending on the location. As an example, here is the link to our debit card policy for renting a car at the Orlando International Airport.

Tags: , , ,

How To Save Money On Your Car Rental

wallet
Creative Commons License photo credit: mangpages
For most of our customers, price is a huge factor when determining what company to use when renting a car. The economy isn’t great right now, which leads to even more price-sensitive consumers. Here at E-Z Rent-A-Car, we understand that you are looking for the best price, so here are a few ways that you can ensure getting the best car rental rate from us or any other car rental company you choose.

Book In Advance

In economics, supply and demand drive the price of any good or service that we consume. This is no different in the car rental industry. The more advance notice that you book a car rental, the better your chances are of getting a great deal. As the time gets closer to your expected date of rental, the supply for a car rental goes down and the demand goes up. This is why airlines and rental car companies charge higher rates when booking a car or flight with less time in advance.

If you know that you’ll be renting a car over a busy holiday, make sure you book further in advance to lock in the best rates possible.

Take advantage of our online coupons.

If you are a veteran, senior citizen, teacher, student, airline employee, or policeman, we have a discount code waiting for you! These coupons are offered frequently on our website, so make sure you use them when you book a reservation with E-Z Rent-A-Car.

Here is the page for E-Z Rent-A-Car Discounts and Promotions

Join Our E-Z Money Rewards Program

When you join E-Z Money you’ll receive instant discounts and have access to exclusive member only coupons. Every member automatically receives 10% of their future car rentals. Plus you’ll start earning points that can be redeemed for credits on future rentals with no black out periods.*

Once you sign up, we’ll also give you a complimentary, personalized page where you can log in and easily find your future reservations, past rentals, access receipts, and keep track of all your E-Z Money points.


Click here to learn more about our three E-Z Money programs and which one suits you best.

The most important tip is to be an informed and educated consumer. Don’t just settle for the first car rental rate that you find. Search for different rates, read customer reviews, and search for the company with the best customer service and fleet vehicles. We are confident that E-Z Rent-A-Car will fulfill all of your car rental needs.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,