Renting a car for your next trip can be costly, especially if you’re booking from a high-demand area or waiting until the last minute.
However, there’s a quick trick you can use to save on car rentals: a VPN. By changing your virtual location with a VPN, you can often find cheaper rates on rental cars – sometimes saving you up to 50%!
In this guide, I’ll show how you can use a VPN to get the best deals on rental cars. But first, here are the five top VPNs for the job (based on IRL tests).
Best VPNs for getting cheaper rental cars:
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Are you wondering why we chose these VPNs for getting cheap rental cars anywhere in the world? Well, as you’ll see in more detail further down, we screened every VPN based on strict criteria that included:
- Access to regional pricing
- Privacy and security tools
- Connection speeds
- Value for money
- Server locations
- Extra features
You can check out our testing methodology section for more information!
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Deep dive: The best VPNs for booking cheap rental cars in 2024
Now, let’s take a closer look at the best VPNs. We’ll take you through each one, what they offer users, and why we think they’re excellent choices for cheaper rentals.
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How to set up a VPN for cheaper rental car prices
To get the best rental car rates using a VPN, follow these steps:
- Download and install ExpressVPN on your device.
- Sign up or log in to your account.
- Connect to a server in a location where you want to check rental rates (start with lower-demand regions).
- Visit a rental car booking site and compare rates in different locations.
- Start browsing.
- Switch to a new server any time you see prices creeping back up based on your searches.
Methodology: How we tested the best VPNs for finding cheap rental car prices
We tested each VPN across multiple regions and rental sites, checking for price differences based on location.
We also looked at:
- Global server network: With servers in numerous locations, these VPNs allow you to check rates from different cities or countries quickly.
- Connection speeds: I selected VPNs with minimal impact on internet speed to ensure you can browse rental car sites smoothly without frustrating slowdowns.
- Access to regional pricing: The best VPNs allow you to bypass location-based pricing differences, giving you easy access to rates in various countries and regions.
- Security: Strong security is non-negotiable. These VPNs use 256-bit AES encryption, leak protection, and other advanced security features, ensuring your searches stay private, even on public Wi-Fi.
- Privacy: With a strict no-logs policy, RAM-only servers, and other privacy measures, these VPNs ensure none of your browsing data is tracked or stored.
- Value for money: I focused on VPNs offering affordable plans that cover multiple devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you get great value while hunting for car rental deals.
- Ease of use: These VPNs are beginner-friendly, with simple setup and use across devices.
If you want to learn more, check out ProPrivacy’s complete VPN review process to see how these services stack up in greater detail.
Can I use a free VPN to find cheap rental car deals?
Most free VPNs aren’t good for finding cheaper rental rates because they have limited functionality.
- Limited server locations: Free VPNs only offer servers in two to three countries, quickly crowded by other users. This reduces your options for comparing rates from various regions.
- Slow speeds: Free VPNs often can’t deliver reliable speeds, or they throttle your connection, making it hard to browse rental sites and compare prices quickly.
- Ad intrusions: Free VPNs come bundled with ads interrupting your browsing experience. Worse, some of these ads may even carry malware, which could compromise your device.
- Data privacy risks: Free VPNs often make money by selling your data to advertisers and data brokers. This compromises your privacy, making it risky to use them to access sensitive information like booking and payment details.
- Malware and security concerns: Some free VPNs have been found hosting malware or exposing users to hackers, putting your personal information at risk.
Plenty of cheap VPNs provide faster speeds, better security, and a smooth browsing experience – ideal for finding rental deals without compromising your privacy. Stick with these to save yourself hassle and protect your data.
FAQs: Cheaper cars with a VPN
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Is it legal to use a VPN to book rental cars?” answer=”Yes, using a VPN to browse for rental cars is entirely legal. Rental companies may have different pricing based on location, but using a VPN to access these rates isn’t against the law.” /]]
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Can I use my VPN on mobile devices to book rentals?” answer=”Yes! Most VPNs, including ExpressVPN and Surfshark, offer mobile apps compatible with iOS and Android, making searching for deals on the go easy.” /]]
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”What if the website blocks my VPN?” answer=”Some sites may recognize VPNs and restrict access. If this happens, try switching to a different server or consider a VPN with advanced obfuscation features, like NordVPN.” /]]
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Will using a VPN slow down my browsing?” answer=”Paid VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN are optimized for speed, so you shouldn’t notice a major difference. However, free VPNs may cause slowdowns due to bandwidth limitations.” /]]
Get cheaper rental cars in 2024
Using a VPN to find cheap rental car rates is a smart, easy way to save on travel expenses.
By changing your virtual location, you can access different regional prices and choose the best deal – in minutes.
To maximize your savings, stick with a trusted VPN service like ExpressVPN. With the right VPN and a little browsing effort, you’ll be ready to hit the road without breaking the bank! Safe travels!