If you’re going on vacation somewhere and plan to stay a while, long-term car rental can be a wallet-friendly way to get around. Whether you rent or lease, having a car on hand gives you flexibility to travel when and where you want. Here’s my guide to finding the best long-term rental car for your trip.
What’s the cheapest way to rent a car for a month or more?
In the US, how much it costs to rent a car for a month will depend on where you are and when you’re renting. As with anything, peak travel periods will see higher prices, as do more popular driving and tourist destinations. Prices are often cheaper if you rent from more remote locations rather than from major airports or city centers.
Start by using KAYAK’s car search to find the best deals based on your criteria. Enter a rental period of at least one month to be sure you qualify for the long-term rental programs of all the major rental companies. The longer you rent for, the cheaper the daily rate will usually get.
The best reasons to book a long-term car rental
Renting a car for a holiday or business trip is common practice nowadays. For a trip lasting a few days or a couple of weeks, a short-term rental is a quick and easy transport solution. In almost every city and airport, you’ll find a huge range of rental cars to suit most budgets and needs.
If your trip isn’t so fleeting, long-term car rental is a convenient and surprisingly cost-effective way to get around. That could be an extended vacation road-tripping the US or a workation somewhere remote without a public transport network.
A long-term rental car can also give you flexibility. They allow you to renew your monthly car rental usually for up to a year. And those longer contracts come with lower day rates than short-term rentals, making it cheaper than you might have originally expected.
How long can you rent a car for?
Every company has a different policy when it comes to the duration and terms of a long-term car hire agreement. Typically, rentals are categorized as long-term if they last from 28 days up to 12 months.
Monthly rental cars
Most long-term car rentals start when you rent for at least a month, or 28 days. Great for longer holidays like extended road trips, the longer rental period brings down the daily cost. You can rent a car for a month just like you would a short-term rental. If you decide to stay longer, most companies will let you extend your car rental as you need to and even swap your car for another if you want a change.
3-month car rental
If you need to rent a car for three months, you start to get into the realm of short-term leasing. This gives you options. Leasing a car for three months may work out cheaper than renting, but it gives you less flexibility. Using a rental company will likely cost a little more, but for that price, you get far less paperwork and the ability to extend the rental and swap your car. You’ll find different deals and discounts to meet your needs, so you can choose which works best for you.
6-month car rental
More and more rental companies are extending their long-term rental periods to six months, especially for business fleets. As with three-month rentals, this gives you the choice of a standard long-term rental or a short-term lease. The same benefits and pitfalls for a three-month rental versus leasing apply to six-month rentals too.
Which companies offer long-term car rental?
All major car rental companies offer long-term car rental. Check the details of every policy to make sure you’re getting the right deal. Pay particular attention to the type of car to make sure it suits your needs and if there are fixed mileage allowances. Companies often offer discounts if you book online rather than over the phone.
Long-term car rental vs. short-term car leasing
Typically, long-term car rental run from one to 12 months. Need one for longer and a short-term car lease could be a better deal for anything up to 24 months. More and more rental car companies are now also offering longer rentals and even car subscriptions to compete with leasing companies. This is a good thing for the consumer, as it gives you more choice.
Long-term rentals are quicker and easier to arrange through a standard rental company, and don’t require a downpayment or for you to have your own car insurance. They also offer more flexibility to extend or change your rental period and car. On the other hand, the big plus for leasing is that it will be cheaper – and the longer you rent it for, the bigger the saving.
Think about all the ways you’ll use your car throughout the entire rental, as it will save you money and hassle. Got family visiting at some point? You may need a bigger car. Just you in the city? A small car will be much cheaper.
Duncan Madden, travel writer.
How much does a long-term car rental cost?
The cost of long-term car rental can vary wildly depending on lots of factors. The location, how long you’re renting for, what mileage is included and what type of car you want. Then there are the rental companies themselves, with some charging far less but without much in the way of customer service.
How much does it cost to rent a car for a month?
Rent for a month or longer and most rental companies drop their daily rate. Prices vary dramatically from place to place and depending on the type of car you rent. At the bottom end of the scale you should be able to find cars for around $25 a day, which equates to around $750 a month. Expect to pay around double this for a high-end SUV or sports car.
Rental companies like SIXT now offer what it calls ‘car subscriptions’ from $789 a month for a midrange car, but these often come with significant enrolment fees.
How do you find cheap long-term car rentals?
There are a few things you can do to bring down the cost of a long-term rental car. The smaller, more basic and less powerful the car, the less it will cost. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, you can also choose the least expensive insurance option. Beware though – this may end up costing you more in the end should the car get damaged and your insurance doesn’t cover the repairs.
To save you searching through the tens of car rental companies out there, a dedicated search site is the easiest way to find the best car rental deals.
Conclusion
Getting a long-term rental car comes with lots of benefits. It makes getting around easy, and removes the hassle of car maintenance and insurance. If you’re going to be somewhere for three, six or 12 months, renting a car offers convenience and mobility without the hassle of leasing or buying.
Before you rent a car, long or short term, there are plenty of things to consider. From the best way to pay to knowing what to do in an accident, KAYAK has guides to help.
