Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure one of the elements of your trip is likely to be a rental car. With enough discounts and coupons, you may be able to spend your time away from home tooling around in a car that is much more luxurious than your own daily driver. On the other hand, you might be compressing yourself into a subcompact. Either way, at some point saving money will probably cross your mind.
Here are five ways to save money at the car rental counter.

1. Off-Airport Locations: Sure, getting your car at the airport is convenient, but did you know that you pay for the 24-hour staffing and airport shuttles that allow you to do so with ease? Even if you’re renting while on a business trip or vacation, consider grabbing a taxi to an off-airport rental site. The cab fare will generally be significantly less expensive than the fees added at the airport rental location.
2. Skip the Insurance: Generally speaking, the answer to “Should I buy rental car insurance?” should be “No.” While it’s true that you as the renter are responsible for any accidents that happen while you’re driving, your personal auto insurance probably already covers you, and if you’re paying with a credit card, chances are there’s automatic coverage from your card provider. Finally, if you’re traveling for work, you may be covered by your employer’s insurance.
3. Pick Your Dates Carefully: It’s common knowledge that weekdays are less expensive than weekends, and that a week-long rental may be less expensive than four single days, even if you end up turning the car in early, but did you know that when you travel can affect what you pay for your rental car? Check the events calendar for your destination city. If there’s a major festival, celebration or other event, consider altering your travel plans to a time when cars won’t be in such high demand. Rental companies can – and do – raise their fees when a big event is happening, and a recent article in the Miami Herald suggests that choosing off-peak travel dates can save you a lot of cash.
4. Rethink that GPS: Most of us got where we needed to go fairly easily before navigational systems became popular. While it may be tempting to pay for that onboard GPS if you’re in a new city, consider that you’re paying up to $15/day for a service you may already have on your cell phone. Don’t own a smartphone yet? Maps are free at most rental desks, and state tourism offices.
5. Fill’er Up: Never agree to return a rental car empty or skip a fill-up if you’ve opted not to prepay for a tank. You’ll pay up to twice the going market rate for each gallon, and if you return a car only partly empty, you may be charged for a full tank. If you know your schedule will be tight, ask your host or hotel for the location of a gas station near the airport, or scope one out as you leave, to save time during drop-off.

Rental cars are useful, of course, and can often give you experience with a car you’d never get to drive otherwise (you might rent a hybrid for a week, for example), but that doesn’t mean you should waste money where you don’t have to. Choose your features wisely, follow these tips, and save your cash for important things, like postcards and cheesy souvenirs.