After all, the size of the nation’s car rental fleet grew to 1.85 million vehicles during 2012, acco

It's an annual Thanksgiving ritual. Nearly 960,000 cruise packages Washington area residents, nine out of ten, are planning to drive to their Thanksgiving holiday cruise packages destinations this year. However, if they are renting a car for the excursion, they will experience sticker shock at the local car rental counter and pick-up locations around the area. Car rental rates are up a staggering 40 percent at airports and neighborhood locations in the Washington metro area this Thanksgiving. That means travelers renting vehicles large, mid-size and small for their Thanksgiving holiday getaways will pay an average of $71 in weekend daily car rental rates in comparison to $49 for the same time period last year.
Automobile rental rates are a far cheaper from coast to coast this Thanksgiving for our counterparts across the country, according to the annual AAA Thanksgiving Leisure Travel Index. In comparison to the Washington area, such rates are up only six percent this Thanksgiving in the United States. cruise packages Nationwide, weekend daily car rental rates will average $50 for Thanksgiving travelers. In contrast, it averaged $47 nationally for the same five-day-long time holiday travel period a year ago, stretching from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday afterward.
"It is not too late to find discount car rental rates at low-priced independent operators, and that's a measure of good news those local holiday travelers searching for a car to rent for Thanksgiving," said Carrie Norman, a travel adviser with AAA Travel. cruise packages "Rates are all over the map, and bargain hunters can slice their costs in half. As a rule of thumb, it is normally cheaper to book your rental car reservation at an off-airport location. So do your homework before you rent a car during this upcoming holiday cruise packages travel period. cruise packages "
After all, the size of the nation's car rental fleet grew to 1.85 million vehicles during 2012, according to market research by auto rental analysts . That's on par with 2007, before the industry cruise packages was beset by the Great Recession, and the industry's inventory of cars, vans, SUVs and luxury cars shrunk. Mid-way through the Great Recession, the car rental industry, which was reeling cruise packages from the economic downturn and "yo-yo spikes and decreases in fuel prices," trimmed its fleet. The industry sold more than 400,000 vehicles to the used car market in 2009, according to news reports. That, in turn, spawned a shortage in the available rolling stock of rental car units, causing caused rental prices to increase.
Last year, the traditional car rental industry staged a comeback as operators added new inventory, and is now a $24 billion a year business in the United cruise packages States, industry bloggers say. Yet the big three car rental behemoths "control about 95 percent-plus" of the car rental marketplace across the United States, industry watchers say. Savvy travelers will always shop around for the best possible rental rates, and so should you, advises cruise packages AAA Travel. In fact, "the number of car rental operators increased sharply by 10% in 2012, driven by low-priced independent operators," industry analysts say.
"So this Thanksgiving, there are plenty of rental cars around, including vehicles large enough to hold five adults and four suitcases," added Norman. "You just have to know where and how to find the best car rental rates and last-minute specials to suit your pocketbooks and personal car rental preferences. Look for deals for specific pickup/drop-off dates and times. If you are flying to your destination and then renting a car, you can find cheaper rates in other areas of the country."
Despite the unsettling sharp uptick in rental rates this Thanksgiving locally, renting cruise packages a vehicle can make your holiday trip easier and cheaper in the long run. As always, your Washington metro area AAA representative cruise packages can help you find a rental car this Thanksgiving holiday travel period — at a location near you — that meets your size, destination and seating preferences. Here are some other things to consider:
Know your (age) limits — Drivers under 25 can often face stiff surcharges ($20 to $97 per day)—if they can rent at all—from major rental car companies. Some international destinations also restrict older drivers. Travelers as young as 65 can't rent from Hertz in Morocco, for example, and in Ireland you won't get a car from National if you're cruise packages over 70.
Ask about taxes and fees — You think you're paying for a modest subcompact; you may also be contributing taxes to build a local sports stadium. Tacked-on charges can make your rental costs balloon. Unfortunately, most fees can't be avoided—the best you can do is budget for them.
Don't gamble on an upgrade — Crafty types often request the smallest economy car and hope the company cruise packages will be overbooked for that size. Voilà, a free upgrade. But the industry's planning tools have become more sophisticated, and chances are that the tiny car you asked for will be right there waiting for you. If it's a free upgrade you're after, scan your frequent flier or frequent renter program mailings, the Internet, and AAA offerings for deals.