Whether your vehicle has broken down, you are heading on vacation, or you just need a different vehicle for the weekend; chances are you will, at some point in time, have to rent a car. Prices can be high, insurance costs can be outrageous, and the paperwork involved is crazy. Here is a little help on how to get a great deal on a rental car.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

You definitely need to know what kind of vehicle to rent. Rental cars come in classes. Some of the common classes of rental car are as follows: economy, sedan, luxury, minivan and SUV. Obviously you will pay more for the bigger size cars. To save money, get the smallest vehicle that will fit your needs.

2. COMPARISON SHOP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Never rent from the first company you call. You need to know what is out there, and what other options you might not have considered. Not only can you shop until you can find the best deal, but you can also use the lower rates as leverage to get a lower rate with another company. Below are some links to some of the more popular car rental agencies:

Hertz

Avis

Enterprise

Thrifty

Budget

Alamo

3. NEGOTIATE

Everything is negotiable, from the rental rate to the insurance rates. No matter what they say or what you think, you can haggle any price. Use any price that you see listed as a springboard to jump off from, and see how far you can go with the research you've already done as a backup.

4. DO EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE IF POSSIBLE

From time to time an emergency arises and booking in advance is not an option. But, when this avenue is available to you, take it. When you book in advance, you will definitely save money over just walking up to the car rental counter.

5. READ THE FINE PRINT

One of the biggest costs that will get you in the car rental business is mileage charges. They will charge you per mile over a certain mileage. Don't fall for it. Although it may look a bit cheaper, chances are you will lose money in the long run. Your best bet is to just pay for unlimited mileage up front and not have to worry about any costs later.

6. FIND PACKAGE DEALS

If you are flying or getting a hotel, look for packages that include car rentals. This marketplace is extremely competitive and you can save a ton of money if you are willing to do some research. Check out them links here for an idea on what to expect from travel packages.

Travelocity.com

Priceline.com

Orbitz.com

Expedia.com

Tripadvisor.com

7. USE INTERNET SITES

As you can see, the Internet is a marvelous tool for gathering information to find deals on car rentals. Instead of calling all these places individually, you can let your mouse do all the work while you sift through what is useful to you. Here are even more options to find deals on car rentals online:

Carrentalexpress.com

Carrentals.com

Hotwire.com

Dollar.com

Nationalcar.com

8. USE YOUR CONNECTIONS

While you might not have a friend of a friend in the car rental business, you do have connections. Make full use of them. Here are some of the connections you have, some you might not even know you have.

Your insurance company. This is the first place you should look if you need to rent a car due to an accident or a car break down. You might have insurance that covers you. Check it out, or at least ask your insurance agent where he would go to rent a car.

Your credit card. You may have some type of discount or insurance through your credit card company. You really never know until you check. Some credit cards include perks that most people even know about. Call your credit card company or check the back of your statement.

Your Internet connection. One of the very best places to look when renting a car is your computer. You can get crazy amounts of discounts through online reservations that you wouldn't get from the guy working the counter at the airport. This will not only save you money, it will save you time too! (This is a super easy way to get some comparison shopping done. Even if you just get the quote from the website and call the customer service number, it will be worth the visit.

Use your hotel and airline connections. You want to be able to book everything together if at all possible. When you book all these things together you might be able to get a major discount on everything involved. There are many websites that are dedicated to booking all your needs for a trip together. This is another way you can save some dough.

Use a frequent renter connection. This only works if you rent often. But, if you do, this can really, really pay off in the long run. Most major car rental agencies have some sort of plan for you to get a discount if you need to rent vehicles frequently.

Use a friend who is over the age of twenty-five. Never rent a car yourself if you are under 25. The insurance on the car for you is astronomical. You need to have someone go with you and drive the car that is over twenty-five years old. This will save you more money than you know.

The basic lesson in trying to rent a car is to always research your options before you make a decision. Doing your research can not only help you save some money, whether it is on the actual rental rate or the insurance, but it can also help you make an informed decision on which company to use and what kind of car to rent. Following these tips should help you in trying to rent your first car and any other rentals afterwards.