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Flying is expensive. There’s no two ways about it. The cost of the flight itself is pricy. Anything and everything you need to purchase at any airport are usually overpriced. You might even have to add in the cost of a car rental and/or hotel charges at your destination. And then there’s the trip home with the final blow. Picking up your vehicle and paying for the parking. For short trips, it’s not too bad. But if you had to leave it there for a week to ten days, it can equal the price of a plane ticket (to a close destination).
You can use one of my favorite ways to save money as a fix for this dilemma. Of course, the cheapest way is to have a friend or family member take you and pick you up. For the trip out, that’s usually not too difficult. Most plane trips seem to originate during daytime hours. But what if it happens to hit at a time no one is available? Or what if your return flight doesn’t get in until the wee hours of the night?
Rent a car one way. Hertz is especially good with this, although many of the others now offer that option as well. Make a reservation, pick the car up at the airport as soon as you’ve found your luggage, and head home. The next day, take the car to the car rental’s local shop near where you live and request a ride home which Hertz, and many others, offer for free. I usually give them a call a couple of hours ahead of time to ensure their office can provide this service within my time frame. The cost can vary from $25 for great deals, on up to about $75 if it’s definitely NOT a great deal. But $75 is still cheaper than the cost of parking for several days. It’s also much more convenient for everyone then having to make some poor friend or relative go without sleep to pick you up, and then leave them stuck hanging around the airport if your plane is delayed, as many are.
It may not be cheap but it does save money and it often gets me back to senior parents and grandkids quicker. I personally love Hertz and their membership program, which I get through AAA (another frugal tip!). It actually gets me on the way faster than if my own car was there!
