Peter Greenberg: Best Car Rental Web Sites

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-12-15

What site can I go to in order to get the cheapest car rentals? I've tried Hotwire, the airlines’ Web sites, etc., etc., but they are all really close to each other in price. We're flying into Chicago for two weeks (arriving at Midway Airport).
–Laura, Orange Park, Fla.

Getting out of the airport and renting a car at a non-airport location will usually be more affordable than renting at the airport. In Chicago's Midway Airport, this is easy, because Chicago's public transit system connects directly to the terminal. From the airport, just take the Orange Line. It can whisk you downtown or to any other non-airport car-rental location you might need to visit.

One place to compare car-rental prices is a Web site called BreezeNet. On the home page, just provide the general information, such as airport, date, and time. Once you give that information, a list of different car rentals will appear. Then you can just compare and choose according to your desire.

Another place to look is Priceline.com. Most people use it to book hotels and airlines. But I'm a big fan of using Priceline for rental cars. It has some features that are very similar to BreezeNet, in that it can also bring up car-rental comparisons. Just click on Car Rentals and provide the general information. Then a list of the most popular car rental companies will appear, such as Alamo, Budget, National, and Avis. But the more unique thing about Priceline is that alternately, you can "Name Your Own Price." Basically, you submit a bid (say, "I'm willing to pay $18 per day for a car rental in Chicago"), and if any rental companies match it, you'll be notified by e-mail.