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The last of the winter months seem to draw out like no other.  After the holidays are over, the city seems bleak with snow and ice everywhere. However; a short road trip to some of the most amazing ski resorts on the Eastern Seaboard can be nourishing to the soul.  Ski season is almost over but there are many beautiful slopes all over the east coast to take advantage of. Last weekend to celebrate the long weekend, a bunch of friends decided to go to Vermont.  We decided to go to Stowe ski resort.  I was tasked with finding an SUV that would fit all five of us and keep us within the budget.  My first stop was AAMCAR, the company I use right next to my house on the Upper West side.  I checked their web-site and found exactly what we needed but the price was a little higher.  Some of the rental locations in LGA airport were offering the same type of vehicle for $50 cheaper.  I called AAMCAR and spoke with the agent who said that normally they would match the rate but they were almost sold out of the vehicles so the best he could do was meet me half-way.  Now, I must digress here.  Anyone who lives in Manhattan knows the travails of going to any of the area airports.  It is expensive, time consuming and generally not worth it unless you are actually going to the airport to leave NY. So it was a no brainer for me.  I made the deal and we had a wonderful time in Vermont.  The resort was amazing, the route was scenic and safe because of the all wheel drive vehicle. I was especially happy when we got back that night and I was able to drop off the vehicle and be in bed all by midnight.  Definitely worth the trip and it was a very smart decision to do some comparison shopping before deciding on AAMCAR!

As a long time resident of northern Manhattan – currently in Washington Heights (previously in Inwood), I appreciate and value small businesses.  When I spend my hard earned money I want to spend it in the most impactful way.  I want to better my community. Small businesses tend to be run and managed by our neighbors and generally employ in the community.  These businesses understand that the bottom line isn’t the amount of profit that can be shipped back to wherever their corporate headquarters are located -usually out of state, in some cases outside the country!  Instead they know that the enrichment of the community as a whole is as important, if not more so, than trying to maximize every last dollar.

I bring this up because I am reminded of this every time I rent a car from AAMCAR on 181st.  As usual Danny is behind the counter – he’s quick, efficient, and friendly.   I know my car is going to be waiting for me. No delays and no hassles, I am in and out in a jiffy.  Plus their garage is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and unlike some other places there is no drop-off fee to return over night!

While I’m on the topic I should mention some of my other favorite local establishments.  If you find yourself on Fort Washington Ave you should definitely check out Jins on 181st.  And I’ll take Franks Supermarket on 187 st any day over Whole Foods.  For Dominican food you can’t go wrong with El Malecon on 175th st and Broadway.  Maybe my next post will be about all the great restaurant options along 181st.

Months of September through mid-November are some of the best times to visit New York City.  In the city, there are deals on Broadway shows, hotels, lots of other fun activities.   How about your car rental?  We hear from many customers who are interested in renting cars to travel all over the state of New York.  They want to visit Niagara Falls, Adirondacks, Poconos, Boston, etc.  Here are some tips in helping you obtain the best deal for your money.

Avoid the airport.  Rentals from off-site locations are much cheaper than the ones at the airport.  If you prefer to pick-up the car at the airport, just speak with an off-site car rental company.  We spoke with Geoffrey Smith who rented a 15 Passenger van that was delivered to LaGuardia airport from a car rental company based out of the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  He said his rental came out to be $250 less than the cost of renting one at the airport location even with including the $60 delivery fee that the rental company charged to drop-off at the airport!  The van was delivered to the airport parking lot and he called the rental car agency after landing.  He was very happy with the service and since his communication with the company was via e-mail, there were no unexpected charges.   He was right.  We recently checked the “extra” charges at LGA airport for a one day rental of a compact car; it was an additional $13.66 per day!

Brand name car rental companies have to charge you the published rate so there is hardly any room for negotiation. In New York City, there are many local car rental companies that have lower operating costs so they typically charge 10 to 25 percent less than rentals from national agencies.

Check your credit card for insurance coverage for the rental vehicle.  Most major credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard, and Visa offer car rental insurance, which saves you an average of $9-$15 per day.  Depending on how long you rent, this can be a substantial saving.

If you own your own home, your liability policy should also cover you against third party loss or damage.  Once again, do your research by contacting your homeowner’s policy and verify if this is the case.  In addition, the Personal accident coverage which offers some medical coverage in the event of an accident is secondary to primary health insurance.  So if you have health insurance, you can decline to take the one offered by the car rental company thereby avoiding any additional charges for insurance.

Reserve the car for a longer period to get a lower rate.  This may sound absurd but most systems are set up to give you a discount the longer you rent.  Of course, you don’t have to keep the car for that period but you still pay the lower rate.  Last weekend, a compact car for a 4-day rental was $299.95 but $339.95 for a 7 day rental.  We kept the car for 6 days and got the best rate with a free upgrade.  Most times when you are dealing with a local car rental company, the best things to do is pick-up the phone and speak with an agent.  Good Luck!

As you’ll no doubt have discovered for yourself by now, New York is a busy city vehicle-wise. Downtown the roads are always full and it’s no wonder you’d rather take the subway or walk than risk your life driving. But there’s times when you need a car or van rental in NYC in order to get out into the country or go visiting friends and relatives. And that’s when car and van rental outlets like our own are invaluable.

Trouble is though, if you’re not used to treating yourself and your family to a car or van rental in NYC, then how do you know what to ask for and even how to go about it in the first place? Well, read on and find out everything you need to know:

1.      Purpose. Why do you need a car or van rental? Is it because you’re taking the family on holiday for a week? Maybe it’s because you have an interview for a job in a place that it’s difficult to reach via public transport? And anyway you don’t want to have to carry your good suit around on the train where it will easily get crushed.

2.      Cost. How much are you willing to spend on a van or NYC car rental? Once you’ve decided the size of vehicle you’ll need for your purpose it’s a good idea to look around and compare prices. You’ll be surprised to find there is quite a difference between companies for car rentals in NYC. Don’t just check the actual hiring rate though. Also find out how much mpg you’ll get on the tank (this is particularly important if it’s a long road trip you’re planning on taking).

3.      Passengers. Obviously the more passengers you have then the bigger the vehicle you’ll need. Lots of car rental firms in New York now hire out passenger vehicles so this really shouldn’t be a problem for you. And, if it’s a long road trip you’re taking then the more space ever passenger has, chances are the less they’ll grumble – and as the driver that is certainly something worth taking into consideration!

4.      Weather. It’s always a good idea to check what the weather is going to be like when you’re taking your trip. That’s because winter weather often means using tires with a special tread on them. If it’s going to be extremely warm then you’ll want a car rental vehicle with a sun room or maybe even a soft top vehicle so you can soak up those rays on the open road while playing the music loud California-style.

5.      Duration. How long will your trip be for? This bullet point is similar to the passengers one above in that the more comfortable those you are driving with are, then the more pleasant your road trip. If it’s going to be for hours or days on end then it’s worth paying more for a bit of luxury such as first class air conditioning, back seat TV for the kids and a super-luxury stereo sound system for mum and dad.

Is there anything in the above list you’d like to know about it and that we haven’t covered here? If so we’d be happy to add it. That’s because at the popular NYC car rental serviceAamcar we like to go out of our way to make sure our customers are happy with our service. To date we are delighted at the number of repeat clients we have. If you’d like to know about our service then why not take a look at our website today at Aamcar.com?