Two one-way car rentals as round trip

Two one-way car rentals as round trip - Old green automobile moving on asphalt road near pavement with people and aged brick building with columns

I'd like to rent a car in the US to go from city A to city B (~5-hour drive), and then back from B to A within 1 week. I have no use for the car during the week, but renting one-way is significantly more expensive than for a round trip.

What I would like to do is to rent the car at city A, go to B, return it, then one week later pick it up again (or any other car), and go back to A, while being charged as in a round trip (paying for two days' rent, not one week's rent).

Is this possible? Does anyone know any company that offers such a service?



Best Answer

There's a small chance this could work. For you to succeed at this, the following will be required:

  • The rental company needs to have a surplus of vehicles in City A during the time when you want to rent.
  • The rental company needs to have a shortage of vehicles in City B during the time when you want to rent.
  • The rental company locations from which you want to rent need to be aware of these facts when you book your rental.

I think it's pretty unlikely that this will succeed. All the stars would need to align. :)

The good news: a one-week rental tends to be pretty cheap compared to seven one-day rentals. Mind, you don't need the car for a week per se, but a one-week rental will be surprisingly competitive in price compared to two one-day rentals. In areas where there are kilometre or mile restrictions on how far you may drive without surcharges, you will also get more distance to drive, and more flexibility, since you'll get a week's worth of mileage to use instead of two separate one-day sets of mileage.




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Is it cheaper to return a rental car to the same location?

If you rent a vehicle and return it to the same location, you can usually find a competitive rate. But rent the car in one place and return it somewhere else \u2014 a one-way rental \u2014 and you'll pay hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars more.

Why are one way rentals so expensive?

Why are one way car rentals so expensive? The main factor that causes one way fees to skyrocket is the distance between destinations. The further your pick up and drop off points are, the more expensive your rental will be.

What happens if I return my rental car to a different location?

Yes, you can return the car in a different location. Usually, this is called \u201cone-way rental\u201d. However, please note that, sometimes, an extra fee may be applied to your reservation.

Can I drop my rental car off at a different location enterprise?

At participating Enterprise rental locations, a vehicle can be rented in one location and returned to another; however, please be advised that: Some one way rentals are assessed a one-time drop charge or mileage charge in addition to the rental rate.



5 Tips for One way Car Rentals




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