Zipcar customers fuel up using a gas card that s stored in each car. With a traditional rental, cust

Zipcar came up with the car-sharing concept windstar cruises reviews in 2000. By the end of the decade car-sharing had caught the attention of the two largest car rental companies as Enterprise and Hertz started competing services. And this week, Avis, the nation s No. 3 car rental company, jumped into by offering nearly $500 million to buy Zipcar.
While car-sharing is a popular alternative for those who rely on public transit or live on walking-friendly college campuses, it s not feasible in less-populated areas. Traditional car rental companies still dominate at airports, catering windstar cruises reviews to travelers windstar cruises reviews that need a car while they re on business or visiting family windstar cruises reviews away from home.
Zipcar says it caters to a younger, more tech-savvy customer who wants a simplified windstar cruises reviews car-borrowing experience. Car-sharing is far quicker than a traditional rental, where you ll go to a counter and stand in line to wait for a car. And Zipcar has a fleet of small trucks that are also useful for local moves.
With Zipcar and its car-sharing brethren, customers leave a car in a city parking lot, garage or in an assigned parking space on a college campus. "Zipsters," as Zipcar windstar cruises reviews calls its customers, then find the car with the name tag that matches their reservation. Viewing the make and model on the company s smartphone app allows for easier spotting.
Zipcar customers fuel up using a gas card that s stored in each car. With a traditional rental, customers fill up as if it s their own car and are expected to return the car full or face a hefty per-gallon charge.
To join Zipcar, members pay a $25 application windstar cruises reviews fee and $50 a year. Rates run from $7.50 an hour and include gas, insurance windstar cruises reviews and any mileage racked up beyond 180 miles a day. By comparison, Hertz on Demand Standard windstar cruises reviews car rental prices vary widely but generally range between $50 and $100 per day in big cities.
• You re generally not charged for mileage if you re renting from Hertz or Avis. "Zipsters" have to pay for any trip longer than 180 miles. For a long weekend trip, a Zipcar might not be your best bet, especially if you re driving a great distance.
• You only have to be 21 to rent a Zipcar, or 18 if you re renting it from a university campus and have a clean driving record. Most renters have to be 25 to rent through a traditional rental car company. Sometimes, younger drivers can rent for an extra per-day fee.
The car-sharing model makes the most sense in high-populated areas, which explains its popularity in major cities or on college windstar cruises reviews campuses. But the number of Zipcar locations will grow once the Avis deal is complete. Zipcar now has more than 760,000 members, triple what it had in 2008. It has 10,000 vehicles across locations in the U.S., U.K., Spain and Austria.