This post is part of a sponsored automotive series. All opinions are mine.
It’s always a fun time to plan a family road trip. Whether it’s a summer trip, a fall trip, winter or even spring time – you can make a lot of memories out on the open road. We recently wanted to plan a little getaway with our family, and figured it would be easiest and most cost effective to drive instead of fly. Not to mention, our little one doesn’t do the greatest on planes, so it would save us a lot of stress to avoid the airport and just load up the car and go. That brought up the question, would it be better to take our own vehicle on a road trip or did it make more sense to rent a vehicle? It’s a common question, and for good reason. Here’s what I found out.
“Some people choose to rent a vehicle on family road trips if they are going a long distance and don’t want to put extra miles on their vehicle,” said a friend of mine at this Illinois Dodge dealer. “And it can make sense for them, especially if they’re looking to rent a vehicle that seats more people or fits more luggage or cargo.”
And for that reason, it does make sense. Even more so if you’re looking to cover a lot of ground in not a lot of time. Typically a car rental can range anywhere from $30/day to $70/day depending on the size and capacity of the vehicle. FrugalFringe.com has a great calculator for determining whether it’s better to drive or rent a car for your road trip. It’s a great way to see how the math might work out for you.
Plus, when you consider in the wear and tear on your vehicle, you’ll probably need to factor in another oil change (plus a pre-trip oil change and checkup) and all the less-commonly thought of costs when it comes to preparing your vehicle for a road trip.
On the other hand, if the distance you’re traveling isn’t too far, and you have plenty of room in your own vehicle to fit all of your passengers, then it may make more sense to drive what you have. Not only do you not have to worry about running into any issues with the car (well, mostly) but you won’t have to worry about picking up the car, how many miles you’re allowed to put on it, or having to return it on a certain day. The stress of all that could be worth it for your sanity, but really that is a choice only you can make!
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