Rental car companies kind of get the shaft in the travel game. Â And it’s time that changed.
Getting your rental car sets the tone for a trip. A smooth experience leaves you happy, recharged, and excited for the trip ahead.
A long wait, getting a car you didn’t want, and the constant asking of ‘do you want to pre-purchase gas? Insurance? A GPS rental?’ can set a dark mood over the most anticipated trips.
Not all rental car companies are created equal. For many years, I was loyal to a large brand just because my father was. Even having ‘premium’ status meant I had to wait in line to check in, be stuck with a particular vehicle, and endure the litany of questions before exiting the airport.
My husband, on the other hand, wisely enrolled in National’s Emerald Club. Solely because he liked the commercials. I thought the perks associated with Emerald Club was the same as my own car rental program.
I was wrong. *So* wrong.
On a weekend wedding trip to Florida, our original flight to Tampa was delayed so badly that we would have missed the entire wedding. The kind gate agent at United (a veritable unicorn, she was so magnificent) got us on the last two seats on an Orlando-bound flight. In seconds, my husband had a rental car lined up so we could make the drive to Sarasota and arrive just in time for the cocktail hour.
Let me say this – having to put on makeup and do my hair on a spring-break bound flight to Orlando may have been one of my finest travel achievements. Coming in a close second was my husband’s rental car prowess.
We raced through the airport, decked in formalwear, to National’s Emerald Aisle in the airport’s garage.
“What car do you want?” he asked.
I look at him, flummoxed.
“We can pick any of these cars. Which one do you want?”
“The SUV! Let’s get the SUV!”
We toss our bags in the trunk, hop in the car, and make our way to the exit. He hands over his ID and credit card. She quickly scans them, hands them back, and the liftgate opens.
No muss, no fuss. It was, by far, the best experience we had during the actual travel portion of the trip. And I promptly changed my rental car loyalty club membership the moment we returned home.
I’ve been in many a rental car during a trip – driving around a Midwest town with my boss during a blizzard, journeying to the beach with a group of friends, taking my child on his first long car ride.
A good car rental experience sets 90% of the tone for your trip. 10% belongs to what you have packed for that car ride.
Which is where I come in. I’m sharing my packing guides for your 3 most common car trips, so all aspects of your travel can go as smoothly renting your car through National’s Emerald Club.
Pack these items. Sign up for Emerald Club. And bask in the ease of every future trip.
Rental Car Packing Guides
…for when you’re navigating a new city with your boss
- USB car charger & cord
- Google Maps with your destination pre-loaded in your phone
- ID & credit card in hand
- phone on Do Not Disturb mode, so embarrassing texts or e-mails won’t pop up
- hand sanitizer, because airports are disgusting
- easy-to-eat snacks
- thoughtful questions for your boss on the project/reason for the trip/initiative he/she is spearheading
…for a beach-bound road trip with friends
- an 80’s Pandora station (because no one can resist singing “Don’t Stop Believin'”)
- a card game to keep your pals entertained
- water bottle for yourself
- a giant bag of chips or popcorn
- USB car charger & cord
- extra sunglasses, just in case someone forgot theirs
- pre-planned pit stops, preferably involving a good burger joint and clean bathrooms
…for that first road trip with your baby and spouse
- pacifier
- one prepared bottle & one empty bottle for every 3 hours of your drive + a bib
- diapers and wipes
- a clean outfit (maybe two, in the case of very long trips)
- non-explicit podcasts downloaded so you can take a break from baby talk
- a few toys to keep your baby distracted
- instant coffee packets, to keep you awake
- USB car charger & cord
Other rental car tips:
- Hate doing expense reports after a trip? Snap a picture of all your receipts and upload them to an app like Expensify or Evernote. No muss, no fuss.
- Bring along a copy of your own car insurance card and opt out of the proffered insurance. You don’t need it if you have your own. American Express cardholders will also have limited coverage for rental cars.
- Pick a car that’s most similar to yours. Having to fumble around for the lights, mirror adjusters, or wiper controls (especially in front of a boss!) is never fun.
- Keep the following items in your hand as you get in the car – phone, wallet (with ID and credit card ready for easy removal), a car USB port, and your car charger. If it’s raining, grab an umbrella as well.
The fine print – this post is sponsored by National Car Rental, a company with which I’m a loyal Emerald Club member of. While I was compensated for this post, all opinions are my own. And you know I tell it like it is.
