Is it cheaper to rent a car or to fly?

Renting a car can be cheaper than flying because the travel expenses look a lot like driving your own car. You'll pay for the use of the car, fuel, and e-Toll service (if you use it)—but you don't have to pay for depreciation or insurance (unless you opt for add-on protections/insurance).



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Once you've priced out your trip, if you compare the two options (driving vs. flying), you'll almost certainly see that renting a car for your full vacation costs less than paying for airfare. A travel calculator like BeFrugal.com might help you predict the cost of driving vs. flying for your trip.

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Airport car rental can also be more expensive than other rental locations. Because of the additional fees and taxes, rental rates at the airport can be higher than rates at off-airport locations. Additionally, some car rental companies may not have as many discounts or promotions available for airport car rental.

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That time-saving advantage is one of the biggest pros when it comes to choosing to fly. A trip that could take days of driving might only take hours in the air. Air travel can be more relaxing. You're free to close your eyes and snooze away the hours until you arrive at your final destination.

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No wear and tear on your personal vehicle A long road trip can be hard on your vehicle and can lead to future repairs. A rental is an easy and convenient alternative to using your personal car – especially if you don't think your car is reliable enough for a road trip!

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Some of the strengths of a car rental business include flexibility in pricing, a wide range of vehicle types to cater to different needs, and convenience. Meanwhile, some of its weaknesses include high competition, high operating costs, and high maintenance costs.

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For the shortest trip, driving is slightly more economical than flying. But for the longer cross-country trip, flying is far cheaper. And keep in mind that this only considers solo drivers. Families or friends traveling in one vehicle can save money by driving, even on longer routes.

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Car rentals cost more than they did a few years ago due to many different factors, but primarily because of supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As demand for rental cars fell, rental car companies sold segments of their fleets to stay in business during the lean times.

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Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.

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Those who buy on Sunday instead of Friday (the most expensive day to shop for plane tickets) will save on average 17% on domestic flights and 24% on international ones.

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We often assume that we don't have flying cars because the technology just isn't there. In fact, the technology has been around for a century. The actual reason we don't have flying cars is that they're too big, too loud, too expensive. They're impractical for everyday use, and for all kinds of other reasons.

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