Ever wanted to rent a car for a long road trip? If you’ve ever looked for some car rental options online, you’ve probably noticed that there are two alternatives available when it comes to mileage: limited and unlimited.
But how does that work?
Limited mileage car rental
Limited mileage basically means that your booking has a limited or fixed number of miles/kilometers you can drive. If you are renting a car for a quick day trip somewhere or just to run some errands, this is ideal, as a limited mileage car rental can be cheaper than unlimited.
What happens if you rent a car with limited mileage and surpass the limit?
Most of the time, if you’re renting a car and accidently (or purposefully) surpass the number of miles you are allowed to drive, the rental company will charge an extra fee for every additional mile or kilometer.
The fee varies from rental company to rental company, but Enterprise, for example, charges from $0.10 to $0.25 per mile/kilometer.
Unlimited mileage car rental
Unlimited mileage car rental means you can drive as much as you want without any extra fees. This is the best option if you’re planning a road trip or simply don’t want to worry about how many miles you’re driving.
Is unlimited mileage available for all car classes?
Unlimited mileage is available for not all, but most car categories. Most of time time, if you’re renting an everyday vehicle, unlimited mileage will be available.
However, for some special and exotic classes, this won’t be the case. Enterprise, for example, has unlimited mileage for large passenger vans, large SUVs, exotic cars etc.
What is better: limited or unlimited?
Choosing between limited or unlimited mileage comes down to how you’re planning to use the car, for how long, and the price. Our tip is to make some simulations and check the price for both limited and unlimited mileage. If the price difference isn’t significant for you, always go for unlimited just to be safe and avoid extra fees 🙂
