Do you need an unlimited mileage car rental for your next trip? That all depends! In this guide, we explain what it means to get a car rental with unlimited miles vs. a car with limited mileage. This way, you can select the most budget friendly option for your road trip.
Unlimited mileage car rental – what’s that?
How far can you drive a rental car? The limit to how many miles you can drive a rental car depends on the mileage allowance you select. Typically, you have two options: unlimited mileage or limited mileage, otherwise known as a mileage cap.
Unlimited mileage is increasingly common across providers, especially in the United States, and you’ll be able to see if it’s offered when you browse through deals on KAYAK.
Unlimited mileage
If you select an unlimited mileage rental car, the price you pay to drive 10 miles or 1,000 miles is the same. You won’t have to keep track of your mileage allowance or risk paying more.
Unlimited mileage is available on most cars, and can also be found on one-way car rentals. One exception to watch out for is larger or specialty vehicles, including large cargo vans and exotic cars, which may not be available with unlimited mileage.
Limited mileage
If you select a mileage cap, your car rental has mileage limits that you can drive the car per day or per rental period, so you have to keep track of your mileage allowance. This option makes sense for shorter trips where you’re more certain about the total distance.
When you reach the limit, you’ll be charged for every extra mile or kilometer at a fixed rate, which is usually around $0.10 – $0.25. Limits vary by rental company but can range from 20 miles / 30 kilometers per day to 250 miles / 400 kilometers per day, so check the terms and conditions of your rental contract to be sure.
Note that mileage policies can vary based on several factors, including region, vehicle type, and rental duration.
Is it cheaper to rent cars with unlimited or limited mileage?
At first glance, it seems cheaper to rent a car with limited mileage. Otherwise, everyone would be taking advantage of an unlimited mileage rental car! Depending on where you are renting, the car rental usually includes different amounts of free miles – maybe the amount offered by your rental company will suffice?
Either way, it can be smart to sit down and do the math. How far are you planning to drive? What’s the difference between the car you want to rent with unlimited and limited mileage?
Check how much each additional mile will cost and calculate if you will get enough use out of the unlimited mileage car rental offer. Depending on how far you’ll drive, it will be cheaper to go with unlimited or limited mileage.
How many miles can you put on a rental car in a week?
If you select a vehicle with unlimited mileage you can usually put unlimited miles on your rental car over a week. That said, there might be restrictions in place depending on the type of vehicle you choose and the car rental company.
You should definitely read the fine print before you rack up a crazy amount of miles for fun. Some unlimited mileage options do actually have a cap when you rent a car for a week or longer.
Which companies offer car rentals with unlimited miles?
A lot of big car rental companies like Budget, Enterprise, Avis, and Hertz offer unlimited mileage for some or all of their rental car types. And sometimes very small local suppliers will also have the option of unlimited mileage.
Ultimately it never hurts to ask if you know you have a long road trip ahead of you and will put unlimited mileage to good use.
How to use KAYAK to find a cheap rental cars with unlimited miles
Rental cars with unlimited miles offer you a lot of freedom and flexibility when it comes to your trip. All without the worry about increasing fees if you were to go over your allocated mileage.
When looking for a cheap rental car with unlimited mileage anywhere in the world, KAYAK can help you. Simply select your location and dates for your car rental and set the filter to “unlimited mileage” under “Policies.” This way you will only get the best offers for inexpensive, unlimited mileage car rentals.
Read more about car rentals
Read on if you would like to know more about the best time to book your car rental, when you should get an all-wheel drive rental, and what insurance to get for your car.
