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Austin is the capital of Texas and home of the University of Texas. With its location near the center of the state, there are several reasons you may visit the city. Whether you're flying in or coming in a train, there's a good chance you'll need to rent a car. Austin, like many other cities in the American Southwest, is spread out, which means the best way to see everything (and attend the locations you're required to for work if you're in town for business) is with the aid of a rental car. One of the top rental services within the region is Enterprise, so you won't have trouble finding an Enterprise Rent A Car Austin branch.
Before you arrive though you'll be better off renting a car ahead of time. With the Enterprise Rent A Car Austin service there are plenty of opportunities to do just this. So take into consideration these tips and tricks to ensure you always have a vehicle waiting for you on your arrival.
Enterprise Rent A Car Austin Locations
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There are several excellent Enterprise Rent A Car Austin locations throughout the city. The most common location is the airport. If you're flying into the airport, this will be the easiest destination to pick up your vehicle and to drop off your vehicle when you're done with it.
Around the University
Beyond the airport, there are plenty of other destinations. There are several found in and around campus, so if you are arriving for a tour of the university, for a Texas Longhorns football game or you're attending other activities around the campus, you'll be able to drive around using your Enterprise Rent A Car Austin vehicle.
Downtown and Around Town
You will also find vehicles around the downtown area and on the outskirts of town. Due to the sheer number of destinations around town and reasons you might visit, there are plenty of locations for you to pick up your rental car. This way, if you don't want to pick up your vehicle at the airport or if you don't want to pick it up around the university, there will always be an option for you. It just comes down to what works best for you and your travel plans.
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Of course, this also impacts the vehicle cost, so keep this in mind. If you are looking for a specific make or model type of vehicle and don't find it listed in one destination around town, you can search for the other destinations in other parts of the city. There's a good chance you'll find the vehicle (or a similar model) available.
Average Cost
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The cost of your Enterprise Rent A Car Austin service will vary for several reasons. Often you'll pay more for convenience or for a larger vehicle, so you need to keep these different pointers in mind.
Location Matters
First, if you're picking up or dropping off your vehicle at the airport, you will pay more. You will pay a convenience fee for having the vehicle at your disposal. Additionally, the airport charges rental car services fees for listing at the airport which is why all rental services, not just Enterprise, will charge you more for picking up and dropping off.
If you only going to be in town for a few days, then your best option is to just pick up the vehicle at the airport. This will be the easiest, and it will not cost you that much more than picking it up from another location. However, if you plan on staying in town for a week, you should consider picking up the vehicle in another area of town. You may save $10 or more per day on the rental, so the cost of the cab or the rideshare service will still leave you saving a good amount of money.
A number of Enterprise locations also provide complimentary shuttles out to the airport, so you won't even need to pay the added rideshare service to return to the airport.
Kind of Vehicle
The vehicle you rent will impact the cost you'll end up paying. Usually, the smaller the vehicle, the less you'll pay per day. This isn't always the case (it may depend on the demand of a certain vehicle, in which case the next tier up might cost less), but you'll pay less for a smaller vehicle. Specialty vehicles such as convertibles will cost a premium on top of what you might normally pay for the vehicle type. Do note that it rains throughout the year in Austin so make sure to check with the weather to see if a convertible is right for you (if you're considering it).
In terms of gas Texas is amongst the cheaper states for buying gas, so you may save money on fuel consumption while visiting Texas than what you might elsewhere. Keep in mind that often gas closer into the city will cost more, so you may end up paying more in Austin than you might in a smaller city (such as El Paso or Amarillo, although this isn't an exact science).
Tips
Before you go about booking your Enterprise Rent A Car Austin vehicle there are several tips, you need to keep in mind. These tips will help improve your booking potential, your enjoyment while in Austin and you may save some money at the same time.
Enterprise Rental App
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If you rent a vehicle, a few times a year you should download the Enterprise rental app. With the app, you may receive discounts and deals you might not receive through other booking services. It's also easier to check in to pick up your vehicle. While using the app, you'll earn points for rentals, which you can then use on future rentals or for free vehicle upgrades. If you have a travel credit card, you may automatically receive VIP status, which automatically gives you a free vehicle upgrade if there is an available upgrade option.
An additional benefit of using the Enterprise Rental App is you can connect a frequent flyer account with the rental app. When you do this, you'll be able to earn frequent flyer miles every time you book a vehicle through the app.
Check Your Insurance
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You need to have insurance when renting your vehicle. After all, you don't want to be involved in an auto accident only to find you're forced to pay for the accident out of pocket. You can purchase car insurance through the Enterprise Rent A Car Austin service. However, you may not need to do this. Check your credit card provider to see if the company offers coverage for rental cars. You may find your credit card automatically covers your rental. If it does, just make sure to use that card for the booking.
You should also check with your current auto insurance provider. You may have a rental car insurance coverage built into your current auto coverage. If this is the case, you need to make sure and have your auto insurance card with you on check-in (and when driving the vehicle). You can have the information on your phone if necessary, but you do need to have it with you in case you're in an accident or pulled over.
Gas Options
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When picking up your Enterprise Rent A Car Austin vehicle, you have two different options available. The first is you are able to pay for the gas up front. When you do this, you can then drop the vehicle off with any amount of gas left in the tank, and you won't have to pay any extra fees. The other option is to not pay for the full tank of gas ahead of time. When you do this, you will need to fill the tank when you drop it off.
In general, you'll save money if you go with the second because when you hand the vehicle back in you won't have gas you bought that you didn't use. If you rent a smaller vehicle, this might not be much in the way of saving money as the tanks are smaller. But if you use a larger vehicle and do not use the several extra gallons of gas the tanks hold, this is a good amount of money you are handing back over. So, if you want to save money your best bet will be to fill the gas tank when returning the vehicle.
Conclusion
The city of Austin, Texas is the capital of the state, and it is the home of the University of Texas. There are several reasons why you might be visiting and renting a vehicle; it may be for work or school as well as all the festivals and specials events. Whatever the reasons are though just make sure you rent your car in advance. This will save you time and money. Additionally, it will mean you'll have your Enterprise Rent A Car Austin vehicle waiting for you upon your arrival.
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