Many rental car offers are often at very different prices, regardless of whether you book directly with the car rental company, in a travel agency, or via a price comparison on the Internet.

When should I book a rental car?

The same applies to rental cars as to most other goods or services: prices are based on demand. When there is high demand, prices rise, and when the supply of vehicles exceeds demand, prices are particularly low. The same principles apply here to rental cars as to hotel rooms or plane tickets, for example.

Even if you cannot accurately predict prices or demand – after all, unforeseen events can always occur – there are still a few rules that you can adhere to. A distinction has to be made between renting a car and a truck and, in the case of cars, also between renting in typical holiday countries.

When is the cheapest time to rent vans and trucks?

The need for vans and trucks is greatest among private individuals at the weekend because that’s when most people move. With many car rental companies, the rental prices for vehicle pick-up on Friday and Saturday are higher than on all other days of the week. Demand and prices are particularly high on the last weekends of the quarter, i.e., the end of March, the end of June, the end of September, and the year’s turn.

At the weekend, the vans are not only more expensive than on the other days, but they are also booked out quickly. It is therefore advisable to rent vans and trucks for a weekend rental with greater advance notice. We recommend at least a week in advance, and longer if possible.

Those who are flexible in terms of time can save a lot of money when renting a van. The vehicles can also be picked up on Sunday mornings at many locations – at significantly lower prices than on Saturday. During the week, you can often rent cheap trucks at short notice.

At the end of the year, there will be a shortage of trucks and vans, even during the week, because many vehicles are rented to parcel service providers for the Christmas business.

When is the cheapest time to rent a car

Car rental companies do a large part of their business with corporate customers who rent cars for their employees. These vehicles are often in use from Monday to Friday and not on weekends so it is best time for rent a car in Islamabad or any city of world. For this reason, most companies offer cheap weekend rates. If you rent the car on Friday afternoon and return it by Monday morning at the latest, you can get real bargains here. In many places, these offers can still be booked at short notice.

You should be booking a car as soon as the scheduling is completed. The prices for rental cars usually do not decrease the closer you get to the rental time. However, unforeseen events such as storms or strikes at the railways or airlines can increase demand and thus prices sharply in the short term. In the worst case, there will be no more cars available.

When is the lowest time to rent a vacation rental car?

If you want to rent a rental car in the summer holidays, you should book the car as early as possible. In all likelihood, the closer you get to the rental time, the prices will rise. And if the prices do drop, you can cancel most offers free of charge until shortly before the rental and then simply reserve a cheap rental car.