If reserving cheap auto rentals is a priority and something you desire in addition to purchasing cheap airplane tickets, the following are some tips as to how this can be done:
Booking early increases your chances of finding an affordable car rental. As your travel date gets closer, more car reservations are made, usually for the most inexpensive or desired rental car sizes and models. Prices increase as the availability of car rentals drop.
Booking your car reservation last minute might make sense, if you are feeling lucky, since car rental companies will rent cars cheaply if cars are still available when you reserve your car. Car companies do not want cars sitting in their lots unrented. This is definitely a risky strategy, given that the car rental inventory in total is shrinking, but if you are not picky about the type of car you will end up renting, you may end up saving money.
Renting a full size car is sometimes less expensive than renting a compact. Be sure to factor in the higher gasoline costs when driving full size cars long distances.
Renting a car for five days tends to be expensive, but a weekly rental, with a minimum of five days use before returning the rental, is sometimes very inexpensive.
Changing pickup times for a weekend rental can sometimes save considerable money.