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People go on road trips for many reasons, whether it’s to explore a new country, visit different states, or simply because it’s their preferred way to travel. If you’re planning a long road trip, renting a vehicle can help you avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your car. In this article, we’ll discuss how to choose the best rental car for your trip, along with other tips to help you prepare and enjoy a smoother journey.
Renting a Car for Long Road Trips: What You Need to Know
Renting a car gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, whether you’re traveling across the U.S. or exploring another country. However, car rental policies, car rental insurance options and hidden fees can make the process confusing.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Can you take a rental car on a road trip?
Yes, it’s common for travelers going on a road trip to rent a car as it is often more affordable than adding milage and potential maintenance issues to your own vehicle. Depending on your needs, look for a rental car company that offers benefits like unlimited milage, add-on features like car seats or a backup camera and even one-way travel to allow you to drop your rental car off at a different location than where it was picked up.
Should you get a rental car for a road trip?
While you may be more comfortable behind the wheel of your own car, renting a vehicle offers several advantages for long road trips. Extended periods of driving can add wear and tear to your personal vehicle, affecting the brakes, the engine and other moving parts. Renting a car means you won’t have to worry about additional wear on your personal vehicle. Plus, you have the flexibility to book a vehicle that fits the needs of your trip, whether that is extra space for your travel group, or a one-way rental so you can drop off the car at a different location.
Choosing the right rental car for your road trip
When it comes to choosing your rental car, look at the options offered by the rental car company. Typically, you select the size of vehicle you need rather than a specific make and model – for instance sizes usually include compact, mid-size SUV, large SUV, truck, etc.
Consider your travel needs and the vehicle options you’d like, to help you decide what size vehicle to choose. Do you want lots of space with media players to entertain your passengers? Will you need all-wheel drive for off-road adventures? Or maybe you need a small vehicle for narrow city streets?
For even more tips on selecting the right vehicle for your vacation, check out our article on How to Choose the Right Rental Car.
Preparing for a road trip with a rental car
Before you set off with your rental car, take a second to review your rental car agreement. Make sure you understand the rules around tolls, mileage limits, fuel policy and possible restrictions, such as crossing boarders, driving off-road or taking the car on a ferry.
Get your vehicle organized for the journey. Pack essentials like a garbage bag, charging cables, a phone mount, GPS, and offline maps. If your rental vehicle doesn’t have a Bluetooth connection, consider bringing an auxiliary cable, FM transmitter, or cassette adapter. And if your car has a CD player, don’t forget your favorite albums for the drive.
Finally, remember to keep important documents together in an easy-to-reach place in case of emergency.
Road trip safety tips
Road trips can take a toll on you, especially if you’re driving for long stretches of time. To help keep yourself and your passengers safe, here’s a look at some quick tips for long road trips:
- Plan breaks to avoid drowsy driving. An easy way to give yourself a break is to plan on stopping every two hours or every 100 miles to stretch your legs, hydrate and give your brain a break.
- Pack snacks to keep your blood sugar up and help your brain focus. Great road trip snacks include beef jerky, trail mix, protein or granola bars and easy-to-eat fruits and veggies like grapes, apple slices or baby carrots.
- If you’re driving with others, switch drivers every two to four hours to avoid exhaustion (make sure the other drivers are listed with the rental vehicle company on your agreement if they’re driving).
- If you have passengers, have whoever is in the front passenger seat stay alert to spot hazards and help with navigation.
- If someone in your travel party is prone to motion sickness, the front seat is the best spot since it is stable and allows them to focus on the horizon. You can pack a “sick kit” with vomit bags, wet wipes, extra clothing and gum, just to be safe.
- Aim for driving no more than eight hours per day.
For more tips on staying safe and prepared, visit our article on Essential Road Safety Tips.
The Travel Guard Approach
If you want an alternative to the rental car insurance offered by your rental car company, Travel Guard has your back. Whether you want comprehensive coverage for multiple parts of your trip or just protection for rental vehicle collision damage, you can get a travel protection plan or Rental Vehicle Damage Coverage that fits your needs. Plus, our assistance team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you run into trouble on the road, we can help you rebook a rental vehicle or dispatch roadside assistance for services like flat-tire help, fuel delivery, lock-out assistance, battery jump starts and more.
Road trip tips for families and pets
If you’re traveling with family, particularly with pets, kids, infants or a newborn, your road trip preparation will likely be more intense since you’ll have more to consider. From on-the-go entertainment and snacks to lodging and meals, you’ll want to know your options and have a solid plan, even if you don’t stick to it.
Carefully book lodging
It can be a lot of fun to wing it on a road trip and see where the drive takes you. But, if you’re traveling with kids or teens, you might want to do some preplanning in terms of where you’ll stop and the lodging you book. Look for a place with a pool to help the kids stay active and get their energy out after being in the car all day. If you’re traveling with pets, you may want to plan your stops around where you can find pet-friendly hotels as well as parks that are nearby that’ll let your pets stretch their legs.
Leave early
One of the best ways for kids to pass time in the car is by sleeping. If you can, wake up early and get the kids in the car so they can finish out their sleep on the road. They’ll be far less likely to get antsy by the end of the day. Plus, planning to leave early lets you get to your next stop at a reasonable hour so you can explore and do some fun things along the way.
Tips for traveling with young kids
To help keep your children comfortable on the road (and your sanity intact), we’ve pulled together some of our best tips on what to pack for kids on long road trips:
- A sunshade to help prevent the backseat from overheating and to stop sunlight from glaring in their little eyes.
- Individually packed snacks so that kids can hold their snacks easily themselves.
- Easy to eat dry snacks (think pretzels, goldfish or veggie straws) are also a good idea especially in a rental car, to help prevent messy spills.
- Plan entertainment, such as music, puzzle books, coloring books, movies or you can play family road trip games like eye-spy to help pass the time.
- Download story time or trivia podcasts. These can be a great way to take a screen break in the car while still keeping everyone’s attention.
- If you have little kids who are potty training, bring a potty-training toilet with you in the car. There are bags you can purchase to put in the bowl (or use plastic shopping bags). You don’t want to find yourself miles from the next gas station with a kid who has to go NOW.
- Plan on frequent stops. Research ahead of time where there are parks, playgrounds or other fun sites to see. This helps break up the day and allows for more opportunities to stretch little legs.
Tips for road trip travel with infants and newborns
Travel with an infant or newborn can be difficult, whether you’re visiting family, moving to a new home or trying to plan a small getaway. Here are some tips to help make the drive easier and help keep your baby safe:
- Leave around nap time to help your infant fall asleep while you start your journey.
- Bring puppy pads as a disposable cover for truck stop changing tables.
- Pack wet and dry bags to separate items that may leak, such as bottles, away from items you need to keep dry like extra diapers and clothing.
- Cover the car seat with a light-fabric, such as a muslin blanket, to block out the sun if needed.
- Pack toys for entertainment and for snuggling during nap time.
- Plan plenty of breaks since infants shouldn’t be in a car seat for more than two hours at a time.
- Aim to take at least 30 minutes for each break to allow time to stretch, get yourself and the baby readjusted and set up for the next stretch of the drive.
Essentials for pets
Since animals can’t verbalize their needs, you’ll want to plan as much as possible by including time for bathroom breaks and short walks. Here are some ways you can prepare your pet for your upcoming trip:
- Leading up to your trip, offer your pet exciting, new mental stimulation like puzzles and new scents to tire them out for the long ride.
- Before taking off, go for a long walk to get their exercise needs met and let their energy out.
- If your dog has car anxiety, you can speak with your veterinarian ahead of time to look for a solution like a calming spray or medicine.
- Remember to keep them safe on the road by strapping them in with a harness and seatbelt and pack plenty of water, food, potty bags and collapsible bowls.
- Get a large mesh cage to allow your pet to feel like they have a space of their own inside your vehicle.
- Before you book a trip, read the rental car company agreement to ensure they allow pets.
- Get added protection for your furry friend with the Pet Bundle.
What to do in case of emergencies
Traffic Accident
If you get into an accident while driving a rental car, your first step, after checking on your passengers, is to call 911 or the local emergency number of the location you’re visiting. Once emergency services have been called, notify your rental car company about the incident as soon as possible to avoid potential complications later.
If another driver is involved, exchange contact information and be sure to take photos of all vehicles and any damages. Take notes about road conditions and other relevant details to support your insurance claim.
Medical Emergencies
For a medical emergency, stay calm and pull over to a safe location and assess the situation. From here, you should contact 911 for assistance to get medical care as quickly as possible. You’ll need to provide your location so watch for mile markers, exit signs, or landmarks that can help emergency services locate you.
For more information on rental car safety, read our articles for [How to Handle a Flat Tire on a Rental Car] and Essential Road Safety Tips for Driving a Rental Car.
Travel Guard offers comprehensive and customizable travel insurance plans to fit your unique travel needs. Whether you’re traveling by land, air or sea, we have excellent travel coverage and specialized emergency travel assistance available 24/7.
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Coverage available to residents of U.S. states and the District of Columbia only. This plan provides insurance coverage that only applies during the covered trip. Similar travel insurance coverage, offered by Travel Guard or another insurance provider, may be available through a variety of other sources, but may be subject to different terms and conditions (i.e. benefits, limits, exclusions, etc.). You may wish to compare the terms and conditions of this policy with those of your existing life, health, home and automobile insurance policies, as well as any other coverage which you may already have or is available to you, including through other insurers, as a member of an organization, or through your credit card program(s). If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer or insurance agent or broker. Coverage is offered by Travel Guard Group, Inc. (Travel Guard). California lic. no.0B93606, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54482, www.travelguard.com. CA DOI toll free number: 800-927-HELP. This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Insurance may be underwritten by American Zurich Insurance Company, a New York company (NAIC No. 40142), Zurich American Insurance Company, an Illinois company (NAIC No. 16535), each having its principal place of business at 1299 Zurich Way, Schaumburg, IL 60196, or National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. (NAIC No. 19445), a Pennsylvania insurance company, having its principal place of business at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, 37th FL, New York, NY 10020-1304. Please review the Plan offered to or purchased by you to confirm the underwriting insurer for your specific policy of insurance. Coverage may not be available in all states. Travel assistance services provided by Travel Guard.