How to make a proper car rental: both cheap and fine

The process of renting a car is sometimes expensive, time-consuming and full of hidden fees and surprising requirements.
In order to rent a car in the most efficient and cost-effective way, you are required to doing some research and searching out the best deals. Ensuring you understand the rules and regulations before and after you use the car will help. Rent a car by making a reservation because sometimes, the best cheap rental car deals are only available if you can prepay. Ensuring you have all the required documentation and returning it in the same condition that you rented it. Paying attention to all the little details especially signing a rental agreement sometimes can really save you a lot of trouble. Remember that the devil is in the detail.
Then I’ll address the rental process in detail.
1. Before you make a reservation either online or by phone, do a research out of your demands. First of all, you should check websites to get a sense of what’s available and determine the car type and size, and the add-on features (GPS system or car seats for the kids, etc.) that you want with your rental car. Then you can do the math-compare rates on rental agency and travel websites and hunt for deals. Be sure that any ‘deals’ really are deals: Sometimes a rate really isn’t so great after you tally all the fees and taxes. Now you can prepay or simply make a reservation.
2. Go to the car rental company to pick up your rental car. Provide the reservation number as well as your driver’s license and credit card. Sometimes the company allows you to use a debit card instead of a credit card. Review your rental contract carefully or your rights can be comprised without your notice. You’ve got to mind things as gas paying, insurance, and the rules and restrictions demanded by the rental agency. Make sure all the information is correct, especially items related to money. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask the custom service agent. Collect a copy for yourself. After you get the keys, check the car’s exterior and interior carefully to make sure that all the existing damages have been documented so you are not held liable for these when you return the car.
3. Return the rental car to the rental agency at the exact agreed upon date and time. Sometimes, 30 minutes later means another full day charge. Before you bring it back, read your contract again for items relating the rental car’s return, such as the requirement for car gas quantity. On the other hand, you’d better clean out the inside of the car, or any trash left will become the reason for extra charge. After you hand over the keys, do not forget to ask for the receipt if there’s any.
At the very last, I want to add something about rental car use. That is driving restrictions. Most U.S. agencies allow you to cross into and drive around Canada but there are always some exceptions, so ask before heading to the Great White North. Meanwhile, down south, driving into Mexico is forbidden by American-based agencies. In addition, some agencies have restrictions on back-country driving or taking cars into major metropolitan areas. So you really need to give it a second thought if you are not aware of those restrictions the moment you taking the rental car directly for a desert jaunt.