Why You Should Consider Renting A Car On A Cross-Country Road Trip

Ever consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip? Jake and I have become big fans of renting a car for long road trips.

But these cross-country road trips are usually 1-month trips for visiting family back home where we typically have a place to stay. 

This is a guide for people looking to go on an extended road trip, not for someone visiting home for a short weekend. But we have found our cross-country road trips to be much easier and cost-effective in a rental car rather than driving our campervan back and forth across the country. Mainly because it is a gas guzzling machine.

Plus, both our families live cross-country (Emily’s in the midwest & Jake’s on the east coast). And Jake and I tend to enjoy the west part of the U.S. most of the year, so our campervan is on the opposite side of the country to our families.

So to drive our gas guzzling campervan back and forth across the country multiple times a year would not only cost a small fortune, it would also add thousands of miles to our odometer. 

Therefore, we save tons of money by renting a car when we go on long cross-country road trips. In this guide we will highlight the main reasons why you should consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip. 

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Cost:

One reason Jake and I consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip is because it is cheaper than driving our own vehicle. And a rental car tends to be cheaper than both of us purchasing flights and then renting a car to get around at our destination. 

For example, for Jake and I to both travel from the West Coast to the East Coast, usually costs us a minimum $300 per person. And then to rent a car from the airport usually ends up being an additional $25+/day. So if we instead put all that money towards a rental car, that’s a budget of at least $650 (not including gas). 

Using a website such as Gas Buddy to estimate the price for gas on a cross-country road trip, the cost of driving our campervan roundtrip (Denver to Boston) would be around $622. Mind you, Gas Buddy calculates the cheapest gas along your route. And then you have to factor in the wear and tear we would inevitably put onto our personal vehicle.

But by renting a car from booking.com or Kayak for around $500 (for a month) we got a 2019 Nissan Sentra. Also using Gas Buddy, the cost of gas with the rental car roundtrip (Denver to Boston) would be around $219. But the perk of a rental car, is you don’t have to factor in the wear and tear because you will be returning it to the rental car company when you are done!

Comparing The Prices:

Total Cost Of Using Personal Vehicle: $622 + wear & tear

Total Cost Of Using A Rental Car: $719

Total Cost Of Flying & Then Renting: $1,150+ (price will differ depending on the amount of people flights you need to purchase)

Comparing the prices of the 3 different options of either using our personal vehicle, renting a car or flying and renting a car, for a cross-country road trip, we felt it was a no-brainer.

Yes, the rental car is about $100 more expensive, but we don’t have to worry about the wear and tear the long adventure might add to our vehicle.

Mind you, a professional oil change for our vehicle is around $100, so it basically equals out with that simple maintenance upkeep. 

Obviously, if you have an economy car, it might be cheaper to drive your vehicle cross-country. But just weigh the price of either putting the wear and tear on your own vehicle or the rental car. Which leads me to my next reason on why you should consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip. 

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Not Putting Miles/Wear and Tear On Your Own Vehicle:

The biggest issue for us driving our own vehicle on a cross-country road trip is the wear and tear we would simply do on our vehicle over such a short period of time. And not to mention adding thousands of miles to our odometer. 

Therefore, we think by renting a car you will save money on the repairs of your vehicle in the long run. And/or your vehicle can run that much longer if you don’t put the miles on it for a long cross-country road trip. 

Like mentioned above a professional oil change for our vehicle runs around $100. So us traveling over 4,000 miles on a cross-country road trip basically means we will need an oil change for the cross-country road trip. And for our specific personal vehicle being a campervan, we want out tiny home on wheels to last as long as it can!

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Unlimited Miles:

Back in the day, you used to get a certain amount of miles you could drive the rental car and then you would pay a surplus for every extra mile you went. But things have changed within the rental car companies and many of them come with unlimited miles.

Therefore Jake and I usually travel over 4,000 miles in one trip without having to pay any extra for the mileage. 

And one main reason we consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip is that we aren’t adding additional mileage to our personal vehicle. 

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Have A Car To Drive Around At Destination:

One big way to save money when renting a car on a cross-country road trip is to avoid flying to your destination to only have to rent a car anyway. Therefore you cut out the cost of flying to your destination. But be sure to calculate the price of gas to see if flying is cheaper or around the same price.

For example, Jake and I are comparing two roundtrip flights (usually $300/person) to renting a rental car. If you are a solo traveler, it might not be as cost-effective. 

But having a vehicle to drive around your destination can save you tons of money. Unless you can walk to everywhere or there is free public transportation, a rental car is usually cheaper per day compared to getting a taxi, Lyft, or Uber every time you need to drive somewhere. 

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Better Gas Mileage:

One easy way to justify saving money by renting a car on your next road trip is to find a rental car with stellar miles per gallon. And most rental car companies have the newest makes and models of car brands.

For example many of the newer cars can get up to 40+ miles per gallon on the highway. And for Jake and I that is an extreme money saver for a cross-country road trip. 

Tip: To save the most money when booking a rental car, choose the economy option, which will usually offer great gas mileage for your cross-country road trip. 

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Can Sleep In It/Avoid Hotel Fees:

One big reason to consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip is to avoid hotel fees. Can your personal vehicle sleep 2? Therefore, you can make sure the rental car you get can easily be slept in.

Jake and I traveled all the way from Denver to Boston by making two overnight stops along our route. And instead of paying over $100/night on a hotel room, we decided to sleep in our car instead.

If your road trip is in the middle of summer, you could camp in a tent instead, but Jake and I find it warmer to sleep in the car when the temperatures get into the low 40’s or below. But be sure to crack the windows for proper ventilation.

Tip: Check to see if the driver and passenger seat recline back all the way. Jake and I sleep pretty comfortably if we lay the seats back flat and add our sleeping pads on top to fill in all the gaps and cracks (pictured above). 

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Can Rent Whatever You Want:

You can now finally rent that car you’ve always wanted. Well unless you are on a super tight budget, then you should probably choose the economy car. But even if you wanted to drive a car a little bit nicer than yours, you can probably get it for not too much more. 

But if budget isn’t an issue, you can rent a car that you’ve always dreamt of. Or if you want to get rugged and be able to get down those 4×4 roads you can rent a jeep or truck (do note some rental companies have rules against this). 

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No Luggage Restrictions:

When you book a flight, you usually have a limited amount of stuff you can bring along for your trip. And it is usually an additional price to bring a big piece of luggage. So renting a car on a cross-country road trip will allow you to bring everything you will possibly need (well still within reason). 

But if you want to bring both your snowboard and skis on your road trip or pack in the surf board, you won’t have to pay extra to safely bring it along on the flight. Or you don’t have to make the tough decision of what shoes go best with all the outfits, you can pack them all! 

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Join Jake and I When We Rented A Car On A Cross-Country Road Trip

Jake and I went on a cross-country road trip from Colorado to New York. We rented a car and slept out of it to save money on accommodation. Take a look at the fun we had along our cross-country road trip.

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Takeaway | Why You Should consider renting a car on a cross-country road trip:

Obviously renting a car won’t always make sense for your travel plans.

For example, if you only have a short weekend to travel to your destination, flying is MUCH faster.

But if you are going on a cross-country road trip, you should consider renting a car. And it gives you the ability to create memorable experiences along the way, rather than worrying about waking up the guy in the aisle seat so you can go to the bathroom.

Our best advice is to weigh your options. Compare renting a car, to flying and renting a car, or even the cost of driving your own vehicle. 

As mentioned above, for Jake and I to both travel to the East Coast from the West Coast, it usually costs us a minimum of $300 per person. And then to rent a car from the airport usually ends up being an additional $25+/day.

So we have at least a budget of $650 to spend on a rental car (not including gas). 

But, if there are budget flights that will get you to your destination for $40 per person round trip, then that might be the smarter decision.

So our best advice is to weigh your options and take into consideration all the reasons we listed above. Jake and I feel it saves us money to rent a car on a cross-country road trip, but will it work for you?!

Use Kayak to find the best deals when booking a rental car!

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