All of us like discounts and special offers. But how to rent a 7-passenger vehicle for less if the main bunch of agencies apply approximately the same conditions? In case your budget is tight, it will be useful for you to learn how to significantly save on car rental services.
13 Valuable tips to pay less for a 7-passenger van rental
Choosing the lowest price is not the only way to save. Check out a comprehensive list of tips on how to rent a 7-passenger vehicle for less.
Before booking
- Book as early as possible. The peak travel season means higher rental costs. Even if this is not your case, booking in advance will help your company get the car ready for you.
- Estimate the drop-off time correctly. Late return fees are against our core rule – to save money. Thus, be sure to return your vehicle on time.
- Be smart on size, overall look, and fuel economy. No need to hire a Ford Expedition just because it looks cool. Don’t book a 15-seater so that all your 7 passengers have 2x room. You should choose a car that will simply transport your squad from point A to point B for a few days.
- Check the fuel policy. There are two policies out there. “Full to full” means you pick up and return the car with a full tank (you pay only for fuel used – the cheapest option). “Full to empty” policy is when you don’t have to refill the tank. Usually, this turns out in a higher final cost since the agency charges service fees on top of the fuel price.
- Compare different locations. Yes, it does matter where to rent a 7-passenger vehicle. Usually, airport locations are more expensive because of airport fees. Usually, off-airport locations are 10-25% cheaper.
- Pre-paying leads to cancellation fees. Pre-pay only in case you are 100% sure that your plans won’t change. Modifying the date, car model, and rent period could cost you around $50 (at Alamo and Enterprise). This sum will double if the cancellation was held within 24 hours before the pick-up.
- Credit card = no primary insurance. Some credit cards offer their clients a useful perk – coverage of the primary insurance. Also, you can buy one outside the rental office.
While renting
- Think of the head of your trip. Your driver will get tired so thinking about adding one is a good solution. But this makes your rental more expensive especially if your spare chauffeur is under 25. Contact “free additional driver” offers if a one driver option for the whole holiday is impossible for you.
- Plug in memberships like Costco, AAA, etc. (note: AAA cooperates only with Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar, and no other companies). Apart from discounts, this partnership may include an additional driver for free, waivers for rental car coverage, and so on.
- Stay away from “free” rental car bundle deals with hotels and/or airfare. You’ll be provided with 1-2 days for free, but these packages/bundles won’t save you money. If you book a rental for a longer period, then expenses will far overshadow the two “free” days.
- Take pictures of every dent you spot. It is crucial to document every scratch or dent not to cause additional troubles in the future.
- Don’t rent child seats. Bringing your own or buying a new one (if you rent for a long period) would cost you less than paying an additional $10-15/day.
- Pay tolls on your own. Keep out of Hertz’s PlatePass way since this feature is too expensive. The fee of $3.95-5.95 applies for every day of traveling through the toll roads.
Prices for renting a 7-passenger vehicle in popular places
The final cost depends on how many days/hours you will rent a car, your location, the chosen model, the car rental company, and additional bonuses included in your deal. Check out some valuable insights about car rentals for 7 people. For example, the cheapest 7-seater vans can be found from SIXT ($21 per day) and AVIS ($30 per day).
Portland International Airport
To find out more about the rental prices of 7-passenger SUVs and minivans, check out the most popular providers and rates of 7-seater rentals at Portland International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Here is what local suppliers can offer you at Portland PDX Airport:
- A Chrysler Pacifica rental is a quite fuel-efficient option (21.98 MPG) starting from $48,8 per day from AVIS. The luggage capacity is 32.3 cu. ft.
- You can rent a Dodge Grand Caravan from HERTZ at the price of $42,34 per day. Fuel consumption is 24 MPG to 17.96 MPG. This car can transfer up to 33 cu. ft. of cargo.
- The cheapest 7-seat minivan rental in Portland is a Nissan Quest from Thrifty (only $44,16 per day), but this car uses a lot of fuel (19.6 MPG of fuel) and accommodates up to 32.7 cu. ft. of baggage.
Los Angeles Airport
Taking a look at minivan rentals at Los Angeles Airport, the similar 7-seater models have the following pricing:
- A Nissan Pathfinder rental from Thrifty costs from $59,43 per day. It is the cheapest full-size SUV at LAX Airport. Fuel consumption is 13 mpg in the city. The luggage capacity is 16.6 cu. ft.
- You can find a Dodge Grand Caravan rental from HERTZ, and it will cost from $31 per day. Fuel consumption is 17 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway. The luggage capacity is 23.7 cu. ft.
- Renting a Chevrolet Tahoe from National will set you back at about $90,38 per day. This one is considered a premium SUV rental at LAX Airport. Fuel consumption is 28 on the highway, 21 for a city, and 24 combined mpg. The luggage capacity is 25.5 cu. ft.
Where to rent a 7-passenger car?
You can rent a 7-passenger vehicle everywhere in the US, but it is advisable to turn only to seasoned vendors:
- Alamo. Huge selection of cars, from economy class to premium models. All prices are listed on the website. No hidden or additional payments for car rental.
- Avis. You have the opportunity to rent a specific car model by choosing from a large list of offers.
- Budget. This agency has only brand new cars – all of them not older than 3 years.
- Enterprise. The company provides a wide range of prices, as well as discounts and promotions.
- At Enterprise, everyone will be able to find a car that suits them in terms of cost and rental terms.
- Hertz. This vendor cares about the time of its customers. The process of renting a car in the company takes 5-10 minutes, after which you get the keys and a full tank.
- SIXT. Offers fully equipped and disinfected cars, which undergo regular maintenance.
- Thrifty. Probably the best range of minivans in the USA. The company provides 24/7 technical support.
One more note: all these agencies are presented at airports and in downtown offices of different cities.
Find your finest van easily!
The need to rent a 7-passenger vehicle has never been solved so fast and easily. All these thanks to an all-in-one solution. Rental24H.com is one of the most popular car rental deal aggregators on the web. US citizens are vetting the portal from day one so that we are 100% confident to claim ourselves the easiest rental procedure providers on the continent.
Many call Rental24H.com a one-size-fits-all solution because here you can cover any car booking demand: from economy minivans and large Sprinters to premium SUVs.
Forget about price comparing tools. Fill out the search form and we’ll come up with the best deal that suits all your requirements and preferences!