From hidden costs to rental insurance, here’s everything you need to know before renting a car to drive cross country
The Ultimate Guide to Renting a Car to Drive Cross-Country
Updated on Jun. 30, 2025
When you’re planning a road trip vacation, most of the time you’re factoring in using your own car. Or, you might consider flying to a centralized location, then renting a car to drive around a specific area. (Think: arriving in Las Vegas before embarking on a glorious Utah National Parks road trip). But renting a car to drive cross-country is an entirely different experience, and one that you might not have thought of before.
Road trips are the quintessential American vacation, because we have so much land to cover! The shifting scenery, surprise stops and slow build to your destination make road trips an adventure. But renting a car to drive cross-country? That part might feel overwhelming. That’s why we spoke with four travelers and auto industry pros about what to consider about renting a car—before you hit the open road.
Reader’s Digest‘s ultimate guide to road trip car rentals tells you how to save money on gas, avoid expensive extras and find the right vehicle that’ll fit all your people and your stuff comfortably. Keep reading to understand cross-country car rentals before you kick off that dreamy American road trip.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, news, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.
What impacts the cost of renting a car?
Renting a car to drive cross-country can come with a hefty bill, if you don’t make the right choice. Let’s take a look at factors that can increase (or decrease) your final cost:
Size of car
When it comes to rental cars, the bigger the car the heftier the price tag. So it’s no surprise that economy cars, which tend to be smaller than luxury models, are indeed the cheapest option when it comes to average rental car costs. That’s true whether you’re renting at the airport, downtown or anywhere in between.
Booking in advance
Experts say you can find cheap rates on rental cars by booking ahead of time, and by using a platform like Rentalcars.com (a subsidiary of Booking.com) or Expedia. Third-party sites deliver the cheapest average rental car cost to consumers, even more so than going to a rental agency website and certainly cheaper than booking in person at the airport.
One way vs. round trip
One-way cross-country car rentals are convenient because you don’t have to worry about making the drive back home, but you will pay for it. Rental car companies charge more for one-way trips, because they have to pay someone to get the vehicle back to the original location (or rebalance their inventory in other ways).
If you want to save money, plan a round-trip road trip.
Cost of gas
Car rental companies love to upsell you on the prepaid full tank option, which offers the convenience of not having to worry about refueling before you return the rental. This is a giant waste of money. Instead, fill up the rental right before you return it. You can almost always find a gas station nearby, and even if it’s a few miles away that tiny bit of gasoline you use driving it to the drop-off spot won’t register on the gauge.
Add-ons and perks
Most of the time, you can just say no to GPS navigation and other hard-sells like extra insurance. Instead, use your phone or even old-fashioned maps to navigate during your trip, and check with your insurance company. Depending on your coverage, you may not need to waste money on extra insurance from the rental company.
Melanie Musson, insurance and finance writer at Clearsurance, says if you have full coverage, your policy should transfer to most vehicles you rent and your same deductibles will apply. But liability coverage only pays for the damage you do to other parties—not the car you’re driving. Since rentals tend to be newer, it may cost you a lot of money out-of-pocket to repair or replace one if you cause a crash.
Where should you rent a car?
Rental companies can be found at the airport, either onsite or off-airport with a shuttle service, and in cities and suburban locations. If you’re trying to balance cost and convenience while renting a car to drive cross country, keep the following tips in mind:
Avoid the airport
Renting your car from the airport is undeniably convenient, especially if you’re flying in, but it’s not likely going to get you the best price. Why? Many states charge an additional airport tax for airport rentals. Even if you don’t have to pay an additional airport tax, things like “concession recovery fees” and “customer facility charges” may get tacked on. Look elsewhere for savings—they may just be a few miles away.
Look to the ‘burbs
Due to supply and demand, the cost of renting a car in a big city can be much higher than in the surrounding suburbs. Cities and large metro areas tend to have more visitors and people needing rentals, so the cost can be higher. You may be able to save more than half the cost of a rental simply by going just a few miles away, outside the city limits.
Try a car dealership
Did you know that many car dealerships rent cars? It’s true, and there are a couple of advantages to renting from a dealership. If you really want a specific make and model, there’s usually more availability at a car dealership than at a car rental agency, which might not guarantee the make, model or even size of the vehicle you’ll be getting when you arrive.
Additionally, when you rent a car from a local dealership, you can often get free perks like unlimited mileage and free 24-hour roadside assistance. If that sounds too good to be true, remember that dealers are always looking for new customers, and might want to sweeten the deal to form a long-term relationship.
What are the advantages of renting a car to drive cross-country?
Getting everyone on board for a road trip is one thing—getting them to agree not to take their own cars is another. While you may hesitate to leave your beloved car at home, in many cases renting a vehicle is the smarter, more practical choice. Ahead, we look at the key advantages of renting a car for your next road trip:
Avoids wear and tear on your own car
One of the biggest reasons to rent a car for your road trip is to avoid putting the miles on your everyday ride, says Caleb Chen of The Van Life Coach. Think of all that extra wear and tear you’ll be avoiding, not to mention avoiding costly repairs if something goes wrong. So even if it’s costlier upfront, the savings down the line may be worth it—especially if you lease your car and have mileage limits.
Gives you more options and perks
Road-tripping with a crowd, and your car is a 2-seater coupe? Rent an SUV! You’ll get more comfort and luxury options, and if you have multiple people they can all chip in on the cost. “Plus, it might be fun to drive a unique vehicle such as a 4×4 Jeep for a road trip that may involve more dirt roads than paved roads,” Chen says.
Reduces anxiety
Do you experience “range anxiety” when you have to take your electric vehicle (EV) on long-distance trips? This is another reason for renting a car to drive cross country. Lauren Fix, an automotive sector analyst and industry expert with The Car Coach, recommends you leave the EV at home and rent a gas-powered car when you want to get out there and see the country.
Provides seasonal peace of mind
Heading out to Colorado for a ski trip? Fix says that if you don’t have a winterized vehicle that will carry your family safely on snowy, icy and potentially dangerous roads, renting a truck or an SUV with good winter tires will provide peace of mind.
Saves money over flying
Is it actually cheaper to rent a car for a road trip instead of booking a plane? It can be. Jeff Miller, frequent road tripper and blogger at Our Passion For Travel, says the average rental car cost tends to go down during longer rentals, so renting a car for a road trip may be cheaper than even flying to your destination. Of course, it’s important to consider the entire trip holistically.
“It’s not just the point-to-point cost,” Miller says. “With a flight, there is transport to the airport, potential parking of your own vehicle and of course the flight cost.”
FAQs
What is a collision damage waiver (CDW)?
This is the extra insurance Musson was talking about, and every car rental company will eagerly try to get you to agree to CDW coverage at a cost of upwards of $35 a day. When you sign up, you’re off the hook for even the smallest damage—with a few exceptions, such as gross negligence—incurred during your road trip. However, opting for CDW will skyrocket the average rental car cost, and you may not even need it.
Does your credit card cover your rental car insurance?
“Some credit cards offer automatic rental coverage, while you must enroll in some programs for a fee; or your card may offer secondary coverage, meaning it kicks in to supplement your regular car insurance coverage,” Musson says. While it’s less common, some cards even offer primary coverage, which provides protection before other types of insurance you may have.
While credit card car insurance coverage may be sufficient, your credit card might not cover every vehicle type, nor will it cover you in every location. Be sure to double-check that the rental car insurance offered by your credit card provider will cover you, your rental car and driving in the area in which you’ll be road-tripping.
About the experts
|
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Lauren Fix, automotive sector analyst and industry expert at The Car Coach
- Jeff Miller, read trip expert and blogger at Our Passion for Travel
- Melanie Musson, insurance and finance writer at Clearsurance
- Caleb Chen, traveller and blogger formerly with The Van Life Coach
