Money Saving Travel Tips And Hints
for Austin, Texas and Beyond

Save money with these 10 Travel Tips and Hints. Photo/..lauren

Travel Tips And Hints - Save Money With Car Rentals

1. Don't buy the rental companies insurance until you find out if your auto insurance gives you “walkaway” coverage on a rental car. The credit card you use to rent the vehicle may include insurance as a card member benefit. “Walkaway” insurance means after an accident, you complete the accident report and - walk away. No liability, even if it's your fault. This is the only kind of insurance I get for a car rental. And my credit card provides it on any car I rent using their card. I recommend it. If you have to get it from the rental company, walkaway insurance can cost as much as the daily rate in some instances. Walkaway is worth not having to quibble about dings. Let alone owe $40,000 if the accident results in the total loss of the car.


2. Always ask about mileage on the vehicle you reserve. If it's more than 10,000 or 15,000 miles ask for the same vehicle with less miles. If they can't accommodate you, ask for a free upgrade. Most companies will fall over backwards to get your money, and an upgrade is reasonable for a vehicle with more than 15,000 miles.


3. Use the cheapest gas you can. Unless it's a high performance car like a Corvette.


4. Save gas - enjoy your drive. Driving at 62 mph instead of 75 miles per hour will save you 15% in gas cost. Or a $3.50 gallon of gas reduced to only $2.97.


5. If all your driving is downtown, start and stop - rent a hybrid that uses no or very little fuel in a city driving environment. The increased cost of the hybrid rental may be offset by the high cost of fuel.


6. Air-conditioning in Texas is not a luxury, it's survival. When you run the AC on full, your fuel consumption increases by 20%. The solution is to run the air at two thirds power. And keep the windows closed. Keeping windows closed reduces drag and can increase gas efficiency by a full 10%.


7. Best way to increase your fuel mileage is drive when traffic is moderate. The less braking and acceleration, the higher your fuel economy. Some experts say a 25% increase is possible. I recommend you also take alternate routes that require less start and stop traffic.


8. My husband is a stickler on an oil change every 3,000 miles and PSI tire check once a week. For every 2 PSI your tire is under inflated, you lose 1% per gallon per tire. Keep the tires at the manufactured suggested pressure and save money.


9. Get car rental discount club cards. Most rental companies offer cards. From membership discounts to paying your charges every 30 days like a credit card. If you rent a car more than six times a year, look into a “club card.”


10. AAA, AARP, military, student or senior discounts. All are good. But there are better discounts and Austin car rental packages available. You can check each web site and compare or use your favorite travel service. Here's what I do. Find the best deals I can on the Internet and then go to Kayak.com. It's free and they search hundreds of travel sites for lowest airfare, car rental and hotel accommodations. I then select the best deal available. It's amazing that with Austin car rental knowledge and a little leg work you can get a great rental car at 30-40% off walk-up rates or same day reservations.

Travel Tips And Hints - Austin Gas Prices

Travel Tip and Hints for Austin, Texas - Go to AustinGasPrices.com for current updates on gas stations offering lowest prices and more. There can be as much as 15-20¢ variance in the price of a gallon of gas depending on brand and location in Austin.

AustinGasPrices.com nails it and saves thousands of Austinites money every day offering this valuable information.

Austin police car on a rainy night. Photo/athomson

Travel Tips And Hints - Texas Information

Observe all speed limits closely. There is no tolerance in Texas. State Troopers use unmarked “grill light” cars as well as the marked black and whites.

And what ever you do, do not get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. The price is too steep to pay. You're legally drunk at .08 in Texas. It will cost a first time offender $5,000-20,000. Community service, driver re-education and one or two years of supplying urine for testing, which you have to pay for. Not to mention the monthly meeting with your parole officer, which you also have to pay for. And then there's the criminal felony conviction.

If you're going to party like I do. Or get blind, falling down drunk like my husband, do yourself a favor – don't drive. It costs too much. Plan ahead, there are plenty of other ways to get around without driving drunk. Of all the Travel Tips and Hints, this may be your best call.

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