I like to use a rental car whenever I go on a long trip. There are several reasons for this. We have an old car, I do not want to risk breaking down in unfamiliar territory, being far away from home. The rental solves this problem. And I enjoy driving a new car every now and then. I have gotten to try out many different makes of cars that way. It also saves wear and tear on our car. If we can prolong the need for buying another car for awhile longer, that will be big savings for us in the long run. So I am a real proponent of rental cars.
For long trips, we usually rent a van. It is expensive than using our cars but it is still an advantage if you will consider the effort. A van can fit people that would be using 2 cars so that saves us from the driving chore of 2 people. Next is the gasoline which is a bit cheaper than the fuel of 2 cars. But the best advantage is that everyone in the family are rested and we are all together while traveling. We even have some games inside the van that takes away our boredom on the road.
When we travel by plane we usually end up getting rental car for the time we are there. I usually have enough air miles saved to do this, so we don't pay for the rental. We rented a car for our trip to Vancouver last summer. It ended up getting broken into - a smash and grab and my purse was stolen. Luckily we bought the insurance and were not liable for any of the damages to the vehicle and received another rental immediately. I highly recommend buying the insurance on a rental. You never know what can happen in a city you are not from.
I like to rent a car a couple times per year. We use it for taking family trips or if I have to be in a different city due to my studies. We do not own a car ourselves so by renting one we already save a lot. I agree it is a lot of fun to get to drive a different kind of car each time.If I would have enough air miles I would also rent cars that way but I don't.
Renting a car is a great way to explore further and in more detail new places you visit. We usually do rent a car when on vacations.
I prefer renting a bicycle or use public transportation. But I'm aware in some places public transport pretty much sucks and is a better idea for the sake of your comfort, safety (and even sanity) to rent a car instead. The good thing is that you can cover long distances across the place you're visiting.
I use a rental car every now and then and it has been a mixture of good and bad experiences. There are times when you are provided with a really nice and durable car that will stay functioning throughout the duration of your trip. But then there are also those times when you are provided with a car that breaks down every five miles or so. It’s like gambling. Either you end up with a good car or you don’t.
