Rental car availability and prices vary depending on your travel schedule and destination. We have organized things to consider before making a reservation, such as peak season considerations, understanding cancellation policies, and tips for searching last minute. I hope you find it easy to read wh
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When renting a car, it's important to also consider when to make a reservation before choosing a vehicle.
This is because availability and pricing can change depending on your schedule and destination.
So, here are five points to keep in mind regarding the timing of your reservations.
① Act early during peak seasons
The following periods tend to see a concentration of reservations:
・Golden Week
・Obon
・Silver Week
・New Year's holidays
・Long weekends and tourist seasons
During these times, your preferred vehicle may become booked, or rates may increase.
Once your travel dates are set, it’s a good idea to check availability early for peace of mind.
② How cars fill up varies by class
Larger vehicles like minivans or wagons may have limited availability.
For large group travel or trips with a lot of luggage, it’s easier to start searching by vehicle class first.
We've also summarized vehicle selection tips in a separate article in this series.
③ Check cancellation conditions and secure early
Depending on the reservation site or company, some plans allow cancellation without fees up to a certain deadline.
Since the deadlines and conditions differ by plan, make sure to check before booking.
If your dates might change, you can secure a booking while considering the free cancellation timeline.
④ Shift dates to compare
Even with the same vehicle, prices can change depending on departure and return dates.
If you have flexibility in your schedule, try shifting your dates by a day to compare.
Availability and pricing may change simultaneously.
⑤ Adjust conditions when searching close to the date
When your departure date is near, you might find no availability that meets your preferences.
In such cases, consider changing the following:
・The rental and return locations
・The vehicle class
・Looking at other companies
Sometimes cancellations occur after you book, leading to availability, so revisiting your search after some time can also be a good strategy.
Being able to compare with the same conditions is one of the convenient features of booking sites.
▼ Compare rental car availability and prices
When renting a car, the things you want to confirm will change as you choose, borrow, and return.
In this series, we will summarize the points to keep in mind step by step to avoid any problems later.
Once you decide on your reservation timing, the next step is to move on to choosing a vehicle and confirming when borrowing.
I hope you can read from the parts that interest you.
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