Peter Greenberg: Renting a Car for a Cross-Country Road Trip

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-07-29

Q: Hello, Peter. My companion and I are ages 68 and 70. We would like to find a good deal on driving a car cross-country from Pennsylvania to California and/or Washington state. We'd like to take our time in between, not have to drive directly across, but to see certain sights on our way. Your article mentioned Auto Driveaway, but I think they require that you go directly to your destination. What suggestions would you have for us?

–Carol
Ardmore, Pa.

You're correct in your statement that Auto Driveaway limits the amount of time you have to get a car from point A to point B. So it's not a good option for people who want to take their time driving a long distance.

Major car-rental companies sometimes offer discount deals on one-way rentals in the spring, when fleets need to be moved from such warm-weather destinations as Florida back to the Northeast, and vice versa in the fall. But these deals are not widely publicized, so you'd have to call the local office of a big firm and ask whether or not "repositioning" deals are available. But bear in mind that time is money, even with a low daily rate.

Driving one way with a traditional car rental usually incurs a pricey drop-off fee. But in today's economy, everything is negotiable. Call the local car-rental agency directly, not the company's 800 number, and talk directly with the agent. You may be able to negotiate a lower per-day fee or to get the drop-off fee waived altogether if the location has a surplus of inventory.

Another option would be to rent a recreational vehicle, which you can drive at your leisure, and which would save you money on food and lodging in the process. CruiseAmerica.com offers one-way deals for as low as $24 per day from Phoenix in the late summer and early fall. El Monte RV, which has locations across the country, has one-way specials for as low as 70 percent off the regular rate for the first 14 days.