I recently got a great travel story from a close friend. She and a coworker were going to Philadelphia for a meeting, tried to rent a car, and, well, adventures ensued…..

They arrived late in Philadelphia, and had to wait in a very smoky spot for shuttle to rental car place. To add to the atmosphere, it was lightly raining. They finally got their rental car, but had trouble finding the exit.  After driving around in the parking lot, they spotted the exit. Hooray! That much closer to my warm hotel bed, she remembers thinking. The arm at the exit was up, and as the person in the booth did not appear interested in talking to them, they drove on through.

As the car cleared the dreaded ‘do not reverse over these spikes’ threshold, the attendant began shouting, “Hey lady!” and asked her to ‘back in.’ She wasn’t about to do that, and explained why.  The attendant said “Oh, they won’t do anything, don’t worry.” (Are warning bells going off in your head? Because they sure were in mine as I listened to this story!!) My friend protested, but acquiesced after the attendant’s assurance – saying to her traveling companion, “This is ending a life held belief!” Sure enough, the back tires crossed the line and all seemed well.

Then the arm fell is a rush and whacked the hood of the car, effectively pinning them precisely on the spikes.  A soft hissing began and they soon heard a rush of air.  At first they thought it was the hydraulic arm, explaining the malfunction.  This is the moment the attendant began assuring them, “Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.”  My friend assumed she meant the whacking on the hood, which most definitely was not their fault. (My friend pauses in telling the story. “Did I mention it was raining?” she said. “And at this point it’s after midnight, and we had to be up at 7!”)  Soon, a helpful young man arrived, released the vehicle, backed it all the way in and drove it off.  The hood seemed fine and my friend’s companion said, “A good thing there is no damage!”

“Well, there’s the tires,” the attendant said. That’s when my friend saw them.  Completely flat.

The moral of the story? When the signs say, “Do not back up as severe damage will result to your tires,” they are not kidding!! Don’t back up! Cling to your long held beliefs that the sign is not lying.

This week, I have been in Santa Clara for internal meetings. (BTW, three solid days of meetings is a looooong time.) For this trip, Budget gave me a Chevy Cruz. It drives very nicely, and I have been enjoying it. The first night, I made sure to pay attention to the color and where I parked (gray, left side of the parking lot by the street). But yesterday morning when I left the hotel for the office, I actually tried to get in the wrong car. I walked up to the car, noted the make, model, and color, saw where it was parked, determined it had to be mine, and tried to open the door. It didn’t open, so I pulled the handle again, a little more vigorously. Nope. I stood back, pointed my key fob at the door, and pushed “unlock” repeatedly. Still didn’t open. Finally, I stepped close enough to see the mints on the other seat. Oops…..definitely not my car. Once I find my actual car (which is parked two spaces away, on the other side of a big car), I realize it is dark gray and the other one was light gray. Sigh.

And of course, this made me super paranoid last night when trying to find it in the restaurant parking lot. To make sure I found the right car this time, I clicked the unlock button so the rear lights would flash. Unfortunately, on this particular car, this makes all of the lights, including the headlights, turn on. Not just blink or flash, but turn on. So when I walked up to the car that I was sure was mine, all the lights turned on and I just knew I was about to open the door to someone else’s car. Luckily, it was mine and it all worked out fine.

Readers, how do you keep track of what your rental car looks like? Do I need to start taking pictures of my cars, in addition to my parking spot and hotel room number?

Last week, I was in Chicago for work. Since my meetings were out in the suburbs, I had to rent a car, a Ford Focus. For most of that trip, I was glad to have it. It’s a small car, so fitting into tiny little spaces was much easier than it could have been. Everything was great, until I was headed back to the airport and stopped at a gas station to fill up. As I opened the door to the tank, I noticed that there was no gas cap. It said “Easy Fuel”. Okay, I thought. That’s nice of them to not make me fool with a gas cap and get my hand all dirty. I stuck the nozzle in the tank, and pressed the lever. It went for about two seconds, and stopped. I pressed it again; two seconds and stopped. At this point, I start to get concerned, because there wasn’t really time to mess with a malfunctioning gas pump. But I try again. Two seconds and stop. Two seconds and stop. Sigh.

After a few more tries, I notice a pool of liquid spreading under my car. Crap. The gas station attendant runs out, yelling, “You have a leak in your tank! Stop, stop!!” A leak? CRAP. He comes over to inspect the “Easy Fuel” hole for the nozzle. He points to the small print that says the fuel type (something about 10-85, I don’t know what that means) and says, “Oh, this car doesn’t take normal gas.”  Three other people come out to look at the car and figure out what’s going on, and the general consensus is that I can’t fill up the car. Cue Road Warriorette meltdown in 3….2….1…..

My thoughts ping-ponged around as I get back on the highway and head toward O’Hare.  It doesn’t take normal gas and no one told me before I drove off the rental car lot?? My company is not going to pay for the $10/gallon gas at Budget, and I am going to have to eat that. I am going to have to confront someone about this, and I hate confrontation. Will I even make my flight at this point? Then I notice that the gas gauge has moved up, and I really start freaking out. If this car isn’t supposed to take normal gas, and I managed to get some in the tank, am I going to ruin the car and stall out on the highway? Uuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhh.

As I drive, I simultaneously pray that the car doesn’t break down and plan my conversation with the agent at Budget. Of course, it did not go at all the way I thought it would. When I told her what the gas station guy told me, she laughed.  “Of course it takes normal gas!” she said. My response: “When I put the nozzle in there and tried to fill it up, gas spilled all over the ground.” She stopped laughing, and went off to find a manager. After waiting for a manager for like ten minutes, she came out of the back office and refunded the money they charged me for gas tank fill up.

All’s well that ends well right? I guess that’s true, except that dealing with this process took so long I almost missed my flight. It was in final boarding when I finally sprinted up to the gate, and boarded fifth to last. Then I had a cookie, because I really think I deserved it after all of that. But I never did find out what the problem with the car was…..

You guys are amazing! All of your tips for renting a car will certainly help people with that first rental. Below, I have put the tips together in a comprehensive list. But first, the winner! With over 60 responses to the contest on Monday, the winner (chosen using the random number generator at Random.org) is Fran, with the following tip:

….you may not always want the “upgrade.” I got upgraded to an SUV once and was excited until: 1. it took more gas and 2. since it was bigger it was harder to get around, ESPECIALLY in unfamiliar areas. When you are around unfamiliar territory it is much easier in smaller car, I wish I would have kept my compact, lesson learned.

Great tip! On Friday I will be doing another contest, giving one reader Emerald Club Executive Elite Status for a year. Stay tuned for that one!

Readers’ Tips for First Time Car Rental

• If you’re in an unfamiliar area, get a GPS, or written instructions if you’re in the mountains.
• Look for gas stations as you’re leaving the airport, and notice which side of the car has the gas tank.
• Sign up for the club! You’ll get rewards, and it will take way less time to get your car.
• Be familiar with your company policies—gas, insurance, accidents, and anything else. When I rented my first car, I got the insurance. Turns out my company doesn’t reimburse for that, and I had to eat the cost. Lame.
• Examine the car for preexisting damage before you leave. If you find something, show the agent or take a picture with your phone.
• Find out all hidden fees before you give your credit card! Print out your reservation, which will help document everything you should be charged for, as well as make it easier for the person at the counter to find your information.
• Know where the rental facility is—sometimes it’s offsite, which means more time and trickier returns.
• Become familiar with the car before leaving–know how to turn it on, use the a/c and radio, and how to adjust the mirrors.
• Put all of the rental emergency info in your phone, or better yet your email. It doesn’t help you to have all of the info in the car if it is wrecked or stolen.
• Go to the website and get familiar with the car rental company and its processes; also assume it will take you longer than you think at the counter.
• Companies will often put holds on funds when using a debit card, which can lead to issues down the road. Credit cards are easier to use, and often have benefits such as insurance coverage.
• When dealing with smaller locations, call and confirm that everything is as it should be. They are not always as technologically connected as we may want.
• Find out ahead of time the policy for toll roads–some rental companies make you pay them, some have automatic payment boxes. Don’t double pay!

Thanks for all of the entries, and all of the great tips!

I rent a car almost every time I travel. Even if I’m only in town for a day, I’ve found it is more convenient and often cheaper to rent a car than to take cabs. I do it so often I forget now how intimidating it can be for some people, and how it used to be for me. My company has specific policies in place about what kind of car you have to rent, and you can only go up a level if you are traveling with a certain number of people. So unfortunately I don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to choosing a car. Ford Focus seems to be what I end up with most of the time. But on the few opportunities I have to choose my car, there are a few things I consider.

• Driving conditions. For a normal trip, it really doesn’t matter what kind of car you get. But on some occasions, it helps to take weather or location into account. During that first awful trip to Ohio where it started snowing, I was incredibly glad I had an SUV. When my sister and I went to Napa Valley, we (of course) chose a convertible.
• Comfort. No offense to Mustangs, but I don’t find them to be a comfortable drive. I have a long torso, and it’s not a tall car. Even though they look cool, I will always turn them down. At the same time, I don’t need a Crown Victoria–that’s actually too much space.
• Mileage. Once I got a Dodge Charger. It was SO fun to drive, but I felt guilty when I thought about the terrible fuel economy. This is not as a big of a deal if I’m only driving a few miles, but on the occasions where travel is several hours it can really add up.

I suppose on a regular, sunny skies trip I would just like to have a Prius like I do at home. Except one with Sirius and a port for my iPhone to plug into.

Readers, what do you think?

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Starting soon, I will be a featured blogger for National Car Rental’s new Facebook program, Go Like a Pro. National is one of the top rental car companies in the world, with locations just about everywhere. I’m pretty excited about the exposure I’ll be getting on their page, plus they are sending me a pretty sweet suitcase as well as a few treats to pass along to my readers. If you get a second, check out their new page which  is full of tips from frequent renters. And look for my car-rental-centric posts throughout the next few weeks, starting with this one…..

The first time I rented a car was on my first business trip, which was my first day at work. To say I was nervous and stressed is kind of an understatement. After an early morning flight, I arrived in San Jose and got on the bus that took you on the long trip to the old car rental lots. At this point I was sure that everyone at my new company was going to think I was a slow, idiot slacker, since it was taking me so long to do everything. And it only got worse. I waited in line at the counter for a long time, tapping my foot and looking at my watch. Once I finally had my rental agreement in hand, I went outside and found my car. I put my suitcase in the back, my purse in the front seat, got out a bottle of water, and directions to the office. Feeling much more comfortable, I drove the car to the little check out booth. Where the security person promptly told me that I had taken the wrong car. With my face turning red, I did an awkward back-up-and-turn-around, took the car back to its slot, and found the correct car the next space over. This time I wanted to be positively, absolutely sure that I had the right car. So I looked carefully at my rental agreement and checked the make, model, and license plate. All matched up. Then I looked at the color, which on the agreement was listed as brown. This car was white. I went around to the little numbers on the window and checked those too, and sure enough it was the correct car, with the wrong color listed on the agreement. This time when I drove to the security booth, when the check-out guy looked at me, I said, “I know, I know! But the license plate number checked out!” He got out and checked it all himself, and then let me leave with the car. Oy. So in this case, I was not exactly “going like a pro.” But that came soon, I promise.

The moral of this story? Make sure you are taking the right car out of the lot!! Save yourself some embarrassment, and check the license plate number before you drive away.

Over the next week, my best friend is going on a vacation to Morocco and my cousin is going to Sweden for school. In between feeling slightly envious of their awesome upcoming trips, I have been giving them tips on how to survive the long flights they have ahead of them.

• Dress comfortably. This may be the most important thing of all. When I flew to Manila, I wore yoga pants and a long sleeved t-shirt. Maybe not the most fashionable, but I was comfy during all of my 24 hours of flying. I recommended to my best friend to wear leggings, a tunic or dress, cardigan, and comfy flats. This way she will look great when she gets of the plane but feel like she’s wearing PJs. My cousin is a college-age guy, and I’m sure he will wear jeans and a t-shirt and be just fine. Another thing–think about compression socks. It will make you more comfortable, keep your ankles from swelling, and reduce your risk of deep-vein thrombosis.
• Bring the things you need to sleep. For me, nothing is more frustrating than being exhausted on a plane and not able to sleep. Plus, sleeping on the plane allows you to wake up refreshed, or at least not zombie like, when you get to your destination. I need a pillow, blanket or pashmina, eyemask, earplugs (or earbuds), and maybe a Tylenol PM. One thing that works for me is to play my White Noise app through my headphones. Puts me right to sleep.
• Beauty necessities. There are a few toiletry items you can bring that can make the difference between your skin feeling like sandpaper or skin when you land. I recommend heavy lip balm (I love Burt’s Bees), hydrating mist, facial moisturizer, hand lotion, and of course toothpaste and a toothbrush. Don’t forget that this stuff has to go in a ziplock bag to go through security.
• Entertainment is important! Whether you enjoy reading, listening to books, watching movies, playing games, knitting, whatever. Bring stuff to entertain you during the flight and (especially) during the layovers. Many airplanes have movies, but you may not like what’s showing or feel like watching one. Know yourself, and bring what you need.
• Snacks, snacks, snacks. Buy a bottle of water at the airport, and have a few snacks on hand such as almonds, bars, trail mix, whatever. This way if the flight attendants haven’t made it to you and you’re about to pass out from hunger, you have something to tide you over.

Last night my best friend came over and I sent her home with a bunch of stuff, including bucky pillow, travel blanket, eye mask and earplugs, a book on CD, and many verbal instructions. I may have overwhelmed her (sorry!!) but hopefully it will make her trip just that much better.

My mom and I recently got into a conversation about how we remember where we park our cars at the airport. I don’t actually usually have to remember, because I typically park at an off-site parking facility which handily writes down my space and hands me the paper. Then when I am ready to go back to my car, I had the slip of paper to the driver and he takes me right to it. However, on day trips I will park in the airport garage. I try to always park on row K (this is the first letter of Home Warrior’s name). This morning my usual row was not available, so I had to figure out how I would remember that I parked on row “M”. Here is what I came up with.

• If you can, always park on the same row. My mom said she would park really far down on the row just to be on that same row. As I said above, I will always try to park on the same row as well.
• If that row is not available, you can always try a mnemonic device, like (what I finally came up with for this morning): M for Marriage. (I thought about M for Mom, but I wasn’t sure that would work. My wedding anniversary is this month so hopefully I will remember this.)
• If you’re really worried about your memory, write it down and stick it in your wallet like I do when I park at the off-site location.
• If you lose your car, you can always try sounding the alarm or flashing the lights using your remote. One time after a particularly long and brutal day trip, I walked right past my car on the row. I was slightly hysterical (and more than slightly punch-drunk) by the time I thought to unlock my car, which made my lights flash, which showed me where my car was.

I hope this helps you! And thanks Mom for the good ideas.

(Pictured: Airport Parking at ATL)

Fly Gracefully has another great post about business travel. How do you know where the fuel door is on your rental car? Look at the arrow! She even has photographs. Thanks Grace!!

Granted, I have elite status with them so I don’t have to pay checked bag fees. But still! This means that now you have to pay up to $60 on top of your ticket price? I am disappointed in them.  This means that overhead bins will be running out of space even more quickly than normal. Great.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34935146/ns/travel-news/