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Whenever my husband and I visit the Caribbean, we try to rent a rental car for at least one day. In my opinion, the best parts of any island are the places off the beaten path—the small unpacked beaches and coves, the secret snorkeling spots visited only by locals, and the tiny diners where less fancy (and a whole lot cheaper) food is served without much fanfare.
Our recent trip to Grand Cayman wasn’t any different. Since it’s known for being extremely safe and easy to get around, we actually hoped to get a rental car for our entire trip.
Since I was already bracing myself for high costs, I assumed a rental car would cost a pretty penny. But, lo and behold, I hopped on Expedia one day and found basic rental cars for anywhere from $3 to $9 per day.
“This must be a mistake,” I thought, noting that a Daihatsu Charade (or similar) was marked for just $3 per day.
I instantly wondered if Grand Cayman was like Mexico or other countries where they offer cheap rental car rates then force you to purchase their government-mandated coverage when you arrive. But after some research, I discovered this situation was nothing of the sort.
I knew I wouldn’t find anything cheaper than $3 per day, but I still wanted to shop around. The strange thing was, car rentals in Grand Cayman were literally all over the board for the week we were in town. Through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, I found nothing cheaper than $240 for the week. And through Kayak.com, I found nothing cheaper than $180.
But I kept coming back to Expedia, where I could get something akin to a Go-Kart for $41 including tax. I was sold, and despite my husband’s pleas to upgrade to an $8/day midsize car, there was no going back. I had to know what a $3/day rental car might be like. We joked that it might have pedals, but I had to find out for sure.
Our Experience with a $3/day Rental Car
We rented the car from a company called Apex, which was scary at first because I had never heard of them. They do have decent and good reviews all over the internet, though, so I wasn’t scared off. When we arrived, I also found they are somehow affiliated with Budget Rental Cars.
In addition to the $41 charge for our rental, we had to pay $20 for a temporary license for my husband. Apparently, we would have to pay for that temporary license either way, so that wasn’t a big deal at all. Of course, I paid with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to get the free primary rental car coverage, and we declined the coverage offered by Apex.
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A few minutes later, the Apex rep pulled up with a small but drivable Kia Picanto. It was pretty banged up, but it was surprisingly clean on the inside. I laughed as my husband squeezed in with our luggage, then we both laughed as he got acclimated to driving on the wrong side of the road.
We laughed all week about that funny little car, but what’s amazing is that we only used $11 in gas the entire time we were there despite driving all over the island. Our Kia Picanto wasn’t fancy, but it sure got great gas mileage! Most importantly, it took us all over the island – from our hotel on Seven Mile Beach to places like Bodden Town and Hell, where you can visit Hell’s only post office.
Why You Have to Shop Around for Your Car Rentals
This scenario is an example of why it’s so important to shop around for hotels, flights, and yes, car rentals. For an economy car in the same city for a week, I found prices that ranged from $240 all the way down to $41. No matter what you’re booking, it’s possible to find prices that are downright cheap at times.
My favorite place to book rental cars has always been Expedia, but there are plenty of other places to look as well. For example, you can use your status with certain credit cards to score a discount, shop through your favorite credit card’s shopping mall, or look on aggregator sites like Kayak.com. {Related: 5 Tips that Will Help Save You from the Heartache of Getting a Rental Car}
What is the cheapest rental car you have ever booked? Are you skeptical or low-cost rental counters?
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