Most state laws guarantee you a car if you have reserved one. When you make a reservation always get a reservation number, and show up within a half hour of the time, the company is required to give you a car of the similar size or give you a upgrade if the one you reserved is not there. Or they must pay your transportation to another agency; the original car rental agency must pay any increase in cost.

Basics:

1. Use toll free numbers to comparison shop. Look for weekly and week-end specials.
2. Ask if there are any pick-up and drop-off fees at the location you will be using.
3. Find out about any blackout days that could affect an advertised special.
4. Ask about the weekly rate if you are considering a rental for more than 4 days. The daily rate for rentals of more than 4 days, but fewer than seven, is often higher than renting a car at weekly rates.
5. Ask about mandatory additions to the quoted prices, such as mileage rates and caps, fuel charges, airport surcharges, and taxes. Also ask about optional charges when they're applicable, such as additional driver's fees, underage drivers' fees, out of state charges, and equipment rental charges. Always check the gas policy. Often you have to return the gas tank full. If you forget to fill up, agencies charge a substantial markup.
6. Ask about charges for optional collision damage waiver (CDW), personal accident insurance (PAI), and personal-effects coverage (PEC, also known as personal effects protection, or PEP). Know whether your own auto-insurance or credit-cards cover these, but beware! Up to 25% of rental car claims against credit cards are rejected because of violations to the contract; a second driver was not listed on the rental agreement; the driver's license has expired; or the driver was speeding.
7. Your best bet is your home owner insurance. Some-for instance, Chubb in New York-covers rental cars. If you own and insure a car call your agent to find out whether your policy covers rental cars. The deductible is usually much less for rental cars, so don't let them tell you otherwise if it is written in your contract.

1. License Plate Game:

   This is best geared towards very long out of state trips. What you do is you take a sheet of paper and write every state in the United States on it. As you are driving you cross out the different states as you see their license plates. This will quite possibly take you all of your vacation and return trip to spot every state. As it gets closer to the end of the vacation you can add a little extra incentive for spotting these by putting a dollar amount on each remaining state.

2. Alphabet Game:

   This game won't work too well when you are driving on the freeway, but it works excellent when you are driving through cities. You play against at least one other person. You start at "A" and try to find every letter in the alphabet between "A" and "Z". They have to be in order. There are a few tricky letters that are best spotted on license plates.

3. Compound Words:

   This game is probably not something anybody over 10 would play, but when I was younger, it was rather entertaining. You simply go back and forth amongst everybody who is playing and start listing off compound words. If you repeat a previously used word, you're out. If you cannot think of a new word within a certain time frame that you can decide, you're out. After a while it gets a bit tricky remembering all the previously used words, as well as thinking of new words. All pronouns are prohibited.

4. Bingo:

   This isn't your traditional bingo game. This requires either a pre-designed board, or purchasing a few boards. The boards have different stop signs, stores, landmarks, and many other things you would expect to see while driving through a town or on the highway. You can play either black out or plain bingos. To make it more fun, make sure the boards you pick actually have items that you can expect to see. A few boards I've used before have a light house. That's basically a dead square unless you're near the coast.

5. Alphabet Memory Game:

   You may have played different versions of this; however some people may not have. What you do is before each turn you state, “I'm going on vacation, and I'm taking…” Each turn you get the next letter in line. So you may start of saying apples, and then your partner says baseballs, and the last person says cake. Every turn you would say, “I'm going on vacation, and I'm bring apples, baseballs, cake…” You lose once you forget one of the letters. When you get to "Z" and you still haven't determined a winner, try going through again going "A" through "Z", and then start over starting each turn with the next letter of the second alphabet.

These games are not really meant for the teenage crowd as I realize that you would much prefer listening to your Ipod or playing a PSP. This was meant to provide some free, unique game ideas that anybody could provide to entertain each other with on those long, painstaking drives across America. Any other games you have played that you suggest that would fit it with this, leave a comment describing it.

The starting person says the first initial of every letter in a movie title. For instance, if the movie is “The Incredibles,” you would say, “T,I.” The first person to guess gets to go next. In most cases you will have to ask for clues after a couple of wrong guesses. This game could go on for hours in my family and my four year old always says, “E” for “ET” which we all get quite a laugh out of.

Play an Alphabet Game

Pretend you are going on a trip and each person says what they will bring in alphabetical order till you reach Z. Say, “I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing an Animal.” The next person would say, “I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing a Book” etc.

For older kids make it harder and have what they're bringing go with the theme of a trip. For instance you would bring an Antenna (to hear the radio), a Book (to read since there's no TV) and a Canoe etc.

Count the Cars

Pick a color and every one can count how many cars of that color they see. Make it a competition. Assign each child a different color and the child who has seen the most cars of their color wins.

Count the Animals

If you live in a rural area, count the animals you see en route.

Tell a Story One Sentence at a Time

Taking turns, each person tells one sentence of a story. For instance, you could start with, “Once upon a time there was a dog on a roof.” Then the next person would tell what happens next. Your kids won't be able to wait till it's their turn to contribute and will be thinking of what to say next.

Be Creative

Make up a new game with your own rules. Better yet, let your kids take turns making up new car games.

Playing car games will not only get you all there in peace, it will provide some quality and fun rides.

The first thing I tell people is don't pay the asking price. That means, don't just walk up to a car rental counter and ask for the price. You will always get ding'd if you do that. Instead, find a computer that is connected to the internet and book it online.

If you are looking for a cheap rental, check out Dollar, Thrifty, Budget and Enterprise. Each of these companies provide pretty new vehicles at their locations for a low rate.

1. The first place when you reach the company's website to check is their Specials page. Depending on how long you need your vehicle, check if there are any dollar savings off a weekend, weekly or monthly rate. Most of these specials are in the form of a promo code or discount code. Take note of it before you leave the page.
2. If you work for a large corporation, check with your company and see if they have a preferred car rental agency and what the discount is. Most large corporations have corporate accounts with Hertz or Avis, and not any of the discount ones that I have listed. With the right corporate code, you may be able to get better rates with their companies or you may get special privileges. I would compare the prices with these discount companies just to see which one offers the better deal.
3. If you don't have a corporate code then ask your friends if they know of any. For example, if you belong to Costco, they have codes for Alamo, Budget, Avis and Hertz. And if you golf and belong to the USGA, you can use their special code for Hertz. (I believe the last time I looked, the code was printed on the USGA site under benefits.) Having a code will save you up to 25% off your total rental costs.
4. When you pick up your car, stay firm on your booking. Because their rates are substantially discounted, they will try to encourage you to upgrade the vehicle for an additional cost. Or if they ran out of the size that you had booked for, they will try to charge you for a larger size car. Either way, stay firm and demand that they honor your booking.
5. Check with your car insurance company and credit cards to see if there are any car rental coverages that are included. For instance, most gold credit cards offer comprehensive coverage on car rentals. This will save you up to $10 per day if you decline the coverage from the car rental agencies but remember to use the gold card to pay for the rental. Also, some car insurance policies allow you to take the coverage you have on your home vehicle and transfer it to the rental car. This could potentially save you another $20 per day.

I personally take no coverage when I rent because my AllState insurance allows me to take my coverage and transfer it to the car rental and my gold American Express card covers the liability. I have to stay firm at the counter, and decline their coverages and not flinch when they say I am responsible for the whole car in case something happens to it. I know AllState and American Express are behind me on it.

My wife informed me that this little incident had convinced her our two weeks in Scotland would either make or break our marriage. Knowing me as she did, she'd immediately become resigned to a fortnight of lurching from one minor disaster to another. I tried to reassure her. We had in prospect a highly enjoyable tour around the most spectacular parts of the British Isles. The weather was glorious, the car had just been serviced, all B & B bookings were confirmed - what could possibly go wrong?

To me it seemed a reasonable point of view as we gazed down at the brown trout languidly making their way along the River Bladnoch near Wigtown. Next day, having moved on to Base Camp 2 at Helensburgh, we were more adventurous and decided on a swim in Gare Loch, undaunted by the nuclear submarine base only a mile away. Upon returning to the layby we were confronted with the sight of a locked car, with the keys smirking at us from the rear parcel shelf.

I swear that the pied wagtail observing my increasingly violent efforts to open the small, hinged window (the car was an Austin 1300, built in 1969) had an amused, “Another silly Sassenach tourist” look about him. At least the sun was still shining.

The window succumbed, miraculously without the glass breaking. We motored on, eager to reach Loch Oich and our first shared experience of camping. We'd planned about four nights under canvas to reduce costs. Forgetting the tent pegs was no problem, I assured my long-suffering partner - there were plenty of screwdrivers in the tool box. I was looking forward to exploring the path of the old Fort William to Invergarry railway at the side of the loch.

The ravages of both time and the Forestry Commission had obliterated all signs of the railway, which I later found had closed just before World War One. “Never mind, dear,” I consoled Avril, “let's go for a drink. There's a hotel just up the road.”

It was during this four-mile walk that we saw the first of very few wild animals of the holiday. The young deer lay at the side of the road, sightless eyes accusingly fixed on us. We offered a silent apology on behalf of our car-worshiping species and continued on our way. Avril was understandably thirsty when we reached the hotel, so I treated her to a pint of keg heavy (apparently the Scots term for bitter). She insisted we sat outside.

One of the few pleasures to compare with sipping beer al fresco on a warm summer evening in Scotland, is emerging from a tent the next morning and washing yourself in an icy-cold loch in brilliant sunshine. The sense of freedom is total. Birmingham, our home city, seemed light-years away. Even the noise from the R.A.F. Tornadoes racing down the Great Glen only gave a momentary sense of the end of the world. We struck camp and headed west.

The Isle of Skye has been eulogised so much there seems little to add. Suffice to say that a visit should be the aim of everyone who calls himself a discerning traveller. Few other places seem to provide such a deep sense of peace, tranquillity and escape from the pressures of everyday life. What induces this feeling is hard to fathom. Unlike Iona, Skye has little direct spiritual significance. It undeniably has far more visitors that most Hebridean islands, which can make some areas uncomfortably crowded. Since the opening of the bridge linking it with the mainland, it is no longer even an island.

Perhaps Skye's appeal lies solely in its sheer beauty, or the romantic association it has with Bonnie Prince Charlie. At any event, it was significant that during our three days in this gem of a place nothing whatsoever went wrong. Even the sun kept shining - until we drove onto the ferry back to Kyle of Lochalsh.

Week Two was far more typical of Scottish holidays. It was as if the rain, having been unavoidably detained, was intent on redoubling its efforts to ensure we didn't go home with a false impression. The damp began to affect the car, resulting in most of a morning being devoted to working under the bonnet in our landlady's garage. At one point I looked up to glimpse a pine marten watching me with a quizzical gaze. Or was it a stoat? It chose not to tarry - a rapid shake of whiskers, dislodging a sparkling shower of droplets, and it was gone.

That evening the rain paused awhile and we made the short trip to the shore of Loch Carron. The sun was sinking behind the mountains of Wester Ross. A gentle breeze rippled the surface of the loch. The last train of the day rattled by on the opposite bank, heading for Inverness. I switched on the car radio, hoping to find a local station playing suitable music to enhance the mood. It was, however, tuned to Radio One, which was playing "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols. The scene abruptly became decidedly less idyllic.

Our remaining time north of Hadrian's Wall passed quickly, and was becoming an anticlimax. Further nights camping were out of the question; we spent a fortune telephoning landladies, desperately arranging extra nights' accommodation. We covered most of the country, resulting in much of our experience of Scotland being through the car windscreen - not, of course, an ideal way to see anywhere.

Ironically in a land full of natural wonders, the fortnight culminated in the crossing of the River Forth. First-time drivers should proceed with caution at low speed. Not that the road bridge is unsafe - far from it, but your first view of the neighbouring cantilever structure (THE Forth Bridge) genuinely takes the breath away. Observation is best from the walkway of the road bridge - it's well worth stopping in North (or South) Queensferry and walking halfway across, lingering to let the scale of the thing wash over you. Is it its sheer size? Or the intrinsic beauty of those three colossal steel diamonds laid end to end? Or the ghosts of the 57 men who died building it? Whatever it is, I defy anyone with a trace of a soul to be unmoved. The Forth Bridge seems to sum up both Man's ingenuity and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

These musings were suddenly interrupted by my sunglasses, which I was absently twirling as one does, slipping from my grasp and tumbling gracefully into the Forth 160 feet below. It seemed fitting to end the holiday much as it had begun. Avril just looked at me. “Hasn't been TOO bad, has it?” she said. It hadn't. what's more, our marriage is still going strong 30 years later.

Be alert of a giant dancing squid while swimming!

Please do not poop on the tree!

Cool, what type of burger is termed “Yo baby burger?”

Actually reads: “Watch for children...they could be yours.” What is the purpose of this sign? Do kids in Quebec usually go to the road and then become unconscious?

An emergency brake found in a Dutch train. Nevertheless, someone purposely wrote “room service” on it, which means pull here for room service!

Be careful; do not let the sea claim your car!

Coffee and what?! Some snack of SNAKE...

If your dog has a giant hair on his neck, he will be the next king.

Wait! The ducklings and their mother are crossing the road.

The poop is in an odd shape, it looks like charcoal ice cream.

...the latest design of a toilet ball?

Hmmm ... lost the faith in GOD?

It is Ok you do not speak Dutch, as “urinoir” means...

The sign says “Warning! Trying to climb the bin is dangerous.” Someone may change his mind at the last minute by climbing into this old clothes collection bin and be mistaken for donation.

Do not use your laptop while...

The sign means, “Take your dog's poop home!” Oops, poop has feelings, too! The poop has an angry face, how funny is that?!

Hey, kid, you do not hit your target!

...have people really locked and suffocated their toddlers in the plastic bin that call for a warning sign???

Awesome! Monkeys or coworkers...

Hmmm ... an emergency meeting area...

The sign in Japanese reads: “Smoking in a clump of people is bad. People's coats are mostly expensive.”

Wow, UFO ...an alien abduction area?!

Naked men with hats not allowed entering the church.

Oh no...Is this “modern” corpse transportation? Why is this stiff dead man still smiling?

What kind of bin is this? Do not put fish or a bag in the bin or it will bite you. ...oh no, dwarves and children cannot use it too...hmmm...anyway do not stick your head in it.

Danger! You will be chased by possessed construction machinery"....

No passing gas here, please!

An explosive car should not be here!

Do not flush baby bottle, fork, syringe, bottle, cup and underwear down the toilet!

Attention! Mr. Superman, do not cross here!

Mr. Elk: “Hey you alien baby, do not touch my antler velvet!”

Do not laser your hand! It will turn black!

Japan Tobacco made a series of these posters to encourage smokers to be more polite about litter and smoking in public places. Some of them are indeed very poetic.

Do not smoke here or a man in a top black hat will break one of your legs with a smile.

Shut up! Let us go! (A comedy group called "Eure Muetter" means “Your mother” is coming around to present their new program "Nix da "Leck mich!" Auf geht's!" that means "Shut up! Let us go!")

Mr. Pooper, do not poop here, please!

In the name of love, STOP!!!

If you let wheels and turtles roll into the bowl, you are not going to rocket away by the power of your bowel!

Oops, upside down ducks like swimming in the garbage ponds?!

Hmmm……..toilet for two headed female?!

For those who aim the best………probably this is the right place.

Wow, what kind of coffee is this?

Confused…….Non? Oui?

“WRONG WAY” or “GNORW YAW” ……???

The sign says in Spanish, “Jesus Christ is the remedy...?”

Oops … A tree with a BRA. Awesome though!

Hmmm… Does the sign that is located upside down means that one can queue across the intersection?

Perhaps this is not a good place to buy foods.

Female may feel nervous of using this restroom.

Ideal place for one stop shopping: buy some real estates, get a haircut and a divorce for $99.

Many of the so-called "caution signs" are often portrayed as universally recognized logos or drawings. These signs point out a specific area of caution, and try to draw attention to it's warning, although these signs can often be amusing, funny, and sometimes, just downright strange. In any case, proceed with caution.

Be careful of strong winds, they may blow you away - in a grocery cart..

In the case of an outbreak of fire, run quickly with a fire extinguisher in your hand.

Does this street really lead to downtown Mongolia?

Please keep your elephant outside, no elephants allowed in the store please.

No fun and entertainment allowed here!

If you drop a hat on the station platform, please find a stationmaster. He will use an amazing grabbing tool to get it back for you.

Will Jesus be appearing personally at the January sale?

You can run, but you will never hide from us. We know where you live.

Maybe you are looking for a store that sells only bread, eggs, cigarettes and soaps?

Get on the bandwagon, you and 8 million mosquitoes.

The “hardware” performs well, but only without windows.

Do you love the one called PORK?

This store either has a child bear, or they have cold beer. Which one?.

Check out the Japanese Auto Rock!.

Please do not let your dog poop on the red line!

The grass is sleeping, please do not step on it.

Would you even want to be a Gamma in the Land of Lamas?

Do not leave cigarette puff on the floor as they may burn the hands and knees of the customers.Mmm, leaving on your hands and knees are you?

He aims, she aims, but just hit the target please!

Please remove your arms BEFORE entering the building!

Maybe not the best place to study English..."

Finally, a logical sign that makes sense.

Attention, this location does not allow you to have sexual contact with goats.

If you encounter a bear, don't be a tough guy, bears don't box.

If you see a jumping baby, don't try to catch it.

Smoking is no problem here, but passing gas is strictly forbidden!

Not a lot of choice here...

An excellent place to wear your sandals, but no sexy underwear allowed here!

Either there are a chocolate ice cream cones available, or there is one of the massive looking piles of poop up ahead that you may have ever seen. Please watch out!

Park your vehicle with all wheels firmly on the ground, no hovering allowed here.

Dear crossing, It has been a long time...

Be alert that drunken people will be seen crawling in this area, pay them no mind.

Houghton is approximately 2 km past the edge of the world, follow the signs carefully."

This is a tricky one, please pass with care.

Traffic lights never turn green here. Would you like a cup of coffee while you wait?

Is this a one way road in both directions or is it a two-way road in one direction?

Please pay attention and read the fine print on this sign. Violators will be prosecuted!.

I think that this sidewalk isn't quite sure what it wants to be.

Is a Coca-Cola really being sold in fashionable Indian made pottery jars, or is that just a locally available version??

I know what you are thinking, but please don't play with those.

Check the air pressure in each tire and if there are any tires with either too much or too little tire pressure, then correct it by either adding or reducing the air pressure until it is at the recommended air pressure as marked on each tire.

Reduce Weight

The more that the car weighs, then the less mileage the automobile will get per gallon of gas. Reduce weight by removing any extra loads from inside the automobile or the trunk.

Engine Tune-up

When car parts get old, then they start failing to do what they were designed to do and the failure of these parts can lead to poor gas mileage among other things. Get a tune-up at least once a year, so that the belts, spark plugs and spark plug wires can be replaced if needed.

Fuel Filter

A bad fuel filter can cause poor gas mileage, so it is important to have it checked out by someone who knows what to look for and replace it if needed.

Air Filter

Routinely, check the air filter to make sure that it is clean. The air filter cleans the air that circulates through the in-take of the fuel system and if it becomes dirty, then it could cause the engine to get less air and could lead to poor performance and less gas mileage.

Avoid Idling

Idling while in slow moving traffic or in a fast food drive-in are the worst culprits of poor gas mileage, because idling continues to burn gasoline whether the car's moving or not. Turn the engine off if parked or waiting for a train to pass, so not to idle as you wait.

Mapping

Planning long road trips can save gas and time on the road and this prudent planning can solve the same travel problems that many commuters face, just going to work and back. Avoiding road construction, traffic bottlenecks and wrecks check the local traffic reports on the radio, television or Internet, before hitting the road.

Reduce Speed

The faster that the car is moving, then the more fuel that is being used. The ideal top end travel speed is 55 mph on the highway and traveling any faster would reduce the mileage per gallon of fuel. Slow down and relax.

Smart Shopping

Not anymore is it smart to visit multiple stores to save a few extra dollars on the things that you buy, because with gas prices shattering records everyday it simply cost more to drive different places to just buy things on sale. Visiting local malls and shopping centers can reduce the amount of driving that will be needed and most malls/shopping centers carry just about everything that most people could ever need.

Car Pooling

Share a ride with a co-worker or friend on the drive to work, home or shopping. This will not directly increase the fuel mileage regarding the vehicle being used, but taking turns driving will save money in the long run.

Make sure every member of your team has a road trip bag. Each one will be tailored made for the owner of the bag. Help each child or adult (husband) pick out items to use easily and quietly. Some examples for kids are crayons and other coloring items, books to read, scissors and a glue stick. Let them pack a few of their favorite snacks so they can help themselves. Any small toys that are easy to play with also help to pass the time. Also, have them bring their pillow and a blanket for rest time.

Have each child start a journal and map. Even if the child cannot write, they can draw or scribble a picture. This makes a great souvenir and they did it themselves. Make a photocopy of your mapped out trip so they can follow along. No more are we there yet?

If you have access to a DVD player let each child pick out a few movies that everyone can enjoy. Put their names in a hat and pick first, second and so forth. This avoids the Johnny is your favorite speech. You can pick up good portable DVD player for a reasonable amount at most stores and the investment is worth saving your hair from going grey.

Play car games like count all the green cars or white vans. The first child to get to ten gets to pick the next item to find. Web sites such as Games Kids Play have a whole collection of fun things to do on the road.

Plan rest stops. I know you just want to get there. If you map out your stops, you kids can break down the trip so it will not seem so long to them. Try to find a stop were they could stretch and run a little (or a lot) then when they get back in the vehicle, they are tired. Bring along a Frisbee or soccer ball. Make sure everyone does there duty at the rest spot. You do not want to stop again once you get back on the road.

The best-planned trips will always have a hitch. This will actually make family memories last in the end. Sometimes we just have to go with the punches. I always tell my kids the old saying when in Rome do as the Romans do.

1. Name that musical tune.

   Put your car radio on the "scan" feature. When a new song comes up, the first person to identify the singer gets a point. Tally up points and declare the grand prize winner when you reach your destination.

2. Count horses by the roadside.

   Divide your family into two teams. One team is assigned to one side of the road and the other team covers the other. The object of the game is to count the number of horses each team passes on its assigned side. A tally of horses passed for each side is kept. The team with the larges number of horses counted when you arrive at your destination is declared the winner.

3. Create a unique story.

   The first person starts telling a story by saying the first line. The next person in the car adds the next line and it goes around and around until the story reaches its climax. This game will bring out the creative story telling talents of your travel companions.

4. Play a rhyming game.

   The first person things of a word and announces it to the group. The next person has to come up with a legitimate word that rhymes with the first word. Each person takes turns coming up with a rhyming word. The first person who can't come up with a word that rhymes is eliminated. The game continues until everyone is eliminated except the winner.

5. Write a poem.

   The first person in the car starts by voicing a sentence of their choice. The next person follows up with a rhyming line. Each subsequent family member contributes a rhyming line. Pretty soon you'll have a unique poetic creation. This game is guaranteed to keep you laughing.

6. Play the alphabet game.

   Start with the letter "A". The first person to point out an object that starts with an "A" gets a point. Proceed through the alphabet to the letter "Z" (That's going to be tough unless you're in Africa and come upon a zebra). The person with the most points is declared the winner.

7. Have a spelling bee.

   Have someone bring along a dictionary or thesaurus. One designated person goes around the car asking how to spell certain words. When a participant is unable to spell the assigned word, he or she is eliminated. The last remaining person wins the spelling bee.

8. The license plate game.

   Make a list of all 50 states on a sheet of paper. As a car with a license plate from that states passes you, check it off the list. See how many boxes you can check off before reaching your destination.9. Name that capital.Have each family member monitor the license plates on the cars they pass. The first person to name the state capital for that particular state gets a point. Count up point totals when you reach your destination and declare a winner.

As you can see, there are a variety of fun things to do on the way to your travel destination. Why not give some of these ideas a try?