cheap car rental vancouver

Keeping your car clean is often easier said than done. Without even realizing it, you will notice that both the inside and outside of your car are a mess, especially if you have children or a long drive to work. The good news is that there are simple ways of keeping your car clean; here are just a few.

Tips for Keeping Your Car Clean

1. During the winter season, kick off the snow and dirt from your boots or shoes before getting into your car. This will prevent loose dirt, leaves, snow, slush, sand, gravel and any other outdoor components from entering your car, which will help keep the inside clean and tidy. Ask passengers to do the same so that all of the dirt falls outside of your vehicle.
2. Invest in specialty wipes that are designed specifically for cars. Vacuuming the interior of your car is great and will make a difference; however, it will only tackle the top layer of dirt and leave stains and ingrained dirt to remain exactly where they are. Specialty wipes will be able to get rid of messes right from the root so that you do not see any stains and are meant to be used on the dash and door fixtures without causing any scratches. Wipes are ideal for getting into tricky areas like the cup holder and air vents so your car can continue looking its best.
3. This can be difficult to do but if you implement a no food in the car rule, you will see a big difference in the condition and appearance of your vehicle. If possible, try to avoid eating and drinking in your car (aside from water, of course), as this will reduce the number of stains and dirt trails significantly. It may be hard to do but it’s definitely worth a try!
4. Take the time to wax your car every so often after you wash it because it will make the cleaning process a lot easier the next time around. The wax also protects the paint on your car so you don’t have to worry about road salt, bugs, debris and other elements damaging the paintwork. You don’t have to wax your car every single time you wash it but doing it every few months will help a lot.
5. One of the easiest things you can do is to keep trash bags handy in your car. You never know when you’ll be in need of one and this will allow you to place all of your trash into the bag so that you can dispose of it easily. You can also store dirty boots and shoes inside of them so that your car does not get dirty. They are great for a number of purposes, so always have them in your car.

Expo Rent a Car in downtown Vancouver can help with all of your car rental needs. For affordable rates and great cars, give them a call today!

Winter is upon us and it’s important to make winterizing your vehicle an immediate priority. Travelling during the cold season with a car rental in Vancouver, whether just to work or to the cottage, is no easy feat. Planning ahead and preparing yourself if the car breaks down, gets stuck in a ditch or suffers a collision is imperative to your safety. Before you get stuck on a terribly cold morning or find yourself with a dead battery waiting outside of work, get your emergency winter kit ready.

Follow Expo Rent-A-Car Vancouver’s four essential things to keep in your emergency car kit this winter.

1. Reliable Ice Scraper and Snow Brush

The most vital tool to have in your emergency kit is an ice scraper and snow brush. Without either, you could be stuck with several inches of snow on your vehicle as you’re headed home from work or a windshield covered in ice in the early morning. Before the cold weather hits, pack a scraper in your car to be readily available at any point you need it. Clear your entire front and back windshields, side windows, the top of the car, and the front and backlights on your vehicle for safety.

2. Jumper Cables

Car batteries are especially vulnerable to cold temperatures and can fail when you need them most. Prepare yourself for the worst possible scenario by having jumper cables in your vehicle ready to jump-start your battery and have you back on the road on a chilly day. Waiting for roadside assistance in the cold can be dangerous, but with jumper cables, you can have access to your warm vehicle in no time.

3. Gloves and Extra Winter Clothes

Using the snow brush and ice scraper in the wintertime without winter gear to keep you warm is a recipe for disaster. Pack extra gloves, a warm hat, extra warm pants or snow pants, a jacket and boots to ensure you’ll be safe and warm whether cleaning the car or waiting for a tow. On days you did not anticipate the temperature to sink so low, you will be prepared with extra bundles to make that commute or trip up north more comfortable.

4. Your Cell Phone and Charger Cable

It’s unlikely that you’ll leave the house without your cell phone, however, it may not always be fully charged when you do. You rely on your cell phone for any type of emergency, which means you should have it fully charged often, and especially during long trips. If your vehicle has a USB port installed that allows you to plug a charging cable into it, you can charge your phone while driving as well. Cell phones are equipped with a flashlight to help during an emergency, which is another reason to have the device charged.

At Expo Rent-A-Car, our safe, high-quality and comfortable car rental options in Downtown Vancouver will ensure the best winter travel. We guarantee a short, straightforward, and easy-to-understand rental process to get you on the road with the vehicle sooner. Get in touch today for a winter car rental!

Renting a car should be a straightforward process that ultimately allows you to get to destinations without having to wait for public transit for Uber. It’s exciting to be able to browse through a rental car’s inventory and select the most suitable car for you and your family. However, many customers who rent a car are not sure of what to look for to allow them the most cost-effective, safe and comfortable rental experience.

To help, Expo Rent-A-Car has created a transparent guide that informs you of all you need to know before selecting your rental car.

Rental Car Options & Features

Before the kids decide for you, it’s important to familiarize yourself with a rental car’s size and features to see if it’s suitable for one or the whole family. At Expo Rent-A-Car, we carry a variety of vehicle sizes from the economy to SUV. 

Here’s a guide to our different vehicle sizes and the features to consider:

• Economy: This type of vehicle is an ideal rental for those that are primarily driving in-town. Economy vehicles often come with two-four doors.

• • Can seat up to four people and comfortably sit one to two adults and two small children. Able to fit a few small bags or an individual, medium-sized suitcase and a few carry-ons.
  • Fuel economy is about 28 miles per gallon.
• SUV: An SUV vehicle is perfect for in-town driving as well as off-road driving for the entire family because it has four-wheel drive. SUV’s commonly have at least four doors.
• • Can comfortably seat five adults or two adults and three children in the backseat. Able to fit at least five large suitcases for the whole family.
  • Fuel economy is about 26 miles per gallon.
• Full Size/Premium Full Size: Full-size vehicles are larger than mid-size cars and offer more space than a standard vehicle. Expo Rent-A-Car also has premium full-size vehicles available, which have a larger size and are equipped with advanced features to give the driver and passengers optimal comfort. Both vehicle types often have four doors.
• • Comfortably seats five adults in the seats or even two adults and two children. Able to fit two large suitcases and three small.
  • Fuel economy is about 20-21 miles per gallon.
• Intermediate: This vehicle is mid-size and larger than a compact but smaller than a full-size car. It is known as a “large family car” and has four doors.
• • Comfortably fits five passengers whether two adults and three children or all adults. It can fit two large suitcases and a few carry-ons.
  • Fuel economy is about 24 miles per gallon.
• Sport/Convertible: A small vehicle with a more advanced engine to enhance performance. Often a two or four-door vehicle.
• • Comfortably seats four people if it is two adults and two children. Often limited to space for two small suitcases.
  • Fuel economy is about 24 miles per gallon.

For affordable car rental in Vancouver, be sure to contact one of our rental agents at Expo Rent-A-Car. Reserve the car you decide and get our best offer to get it on the road in no time.

No matter how well you plan a trip, things can always change resulting in different flights, accommodations and car rental. It’s more common than you think to have to return a rental car early or late and if you’re ever in that situation, it’s good to know what to expect. 

It’s fair to assume that returning a car early means you’ll get some sort of credit or refund for the days that you didn’t use, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The same is true for returning a car late. The assumption is that you’ll get billed for the additional days that the car was needed but again, it’s not that simple and there’s more to it than simply paying an additional fee. 

When you rent a car, you are agreeing to a contract as well as the terms and conditions of the rental company and its policies. Once the contract has been signed, you are required to fulfill your end of the agreement and failing to do so can affect the rate you received. If you break the contract for whatever reason, the car rental company has the right to change the base rate you were originally offered, which may no longer apply. This condition will be listed in the contract and once you sign off on it, there is not much you can do other than follow the changes that will be applied. The rate you are given is based on the period of time that you require the vehicle, so if you rent a car for one week, the rate is based on that specific week and valid only for that period of time. Changing the return time can affect that rate because you are no longer using it for the time you originally intended. 

Car rental companies try to offer discounts based on deals they have but changing the return or pick up time can affect the pricing and eliminate those discounts. If you get a weekend deal but return it sooner or later than the set weekend arrangement, the rental car company is no longer obligated to provide you with that discounted rate. A change of plans can trigger a change in price, so keep that in mind when dealing with a car rental. In most cases, you will likely end up paying more because you did not keep the agreement stated in the contract. Different plans will result in different fees and those fees will usually be higher. 

Of course, many rental car shops will try to work with you to come up with a solution that is fair so that the customer is not left with a negative experience based on plans that changed and were out of their control. Expo Rent a Car in downtown Vancouver understands that plans change and will accommodate you, so visit them today for all of your affordable car rental needs!

We all want to save money and find deals when it comes to travelling because going on an adventure can be quite costly. If your next trip requires a car rental, the following secrets can help you score a great deal so that your wallet is not empty by the end of your trip.

We use the internet for everything, including our search for deals. When it comes to travel, there are the famous websites we see advertised daily, however, a great trick is to visit lesser-known websites that not everyone thinks about. As fewer people are visiting these sites, you have a higher chance of finding a great deal that won’t be posted anywhere else. Ask around and you’ll see that there are several sites you can check that you normally would not have thought of. These sites often offer special deals that the major sites do not, so you’ll end up finding a great car rental while saving a lot of money!

Do not fall for the insurance being offered, no matter how pushy the ads are. If you have a credit card from a reputable bank or personal car insurance, then the chances are you’re already covered and don’t need any additional coverage for a car rental. Take a look at your car insurance and call your credit card company to see what your insurance coverage is and make a decision based on that information. Once you have confirmed that you’re already covered, bring along the paperwork when you’re picking up your rental so they see that you don’t need to buy insurance from them.

Check for unnecessary fees that are hidden in the price. Sometimes, the price you’re offered includes all sorts of things that you don’t need, like a GPS, satellite radio or a toll transponder. Always read the fine print and point out anything strange that you see because you can walk out with a better deal than what was originally being offered. It never hurts to speak up, so don’t let the rental company pull a fast one!

The next time you need to rent a car, try the tricks above to get yourself a better deal or visit Expo Rent a Car in downtown Vancouver for great rental options at even better prices. For affordable car rental deals, you can get on board with Expo Rent a Car!