Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, trying to get around without reliable transportation makes everything more difficult. While RideShare services like Uber and Lyft have become more popular in recent years, they’re no replacement for a rental car. Here are four big reasons to choose car rental vs popular RideShare services.
Cost
While the upfront cost of a rental car might seem high compared to a single RideShare trip, there’s not many situations where you only want to go to a single location. Just the cost of going a few miles away and back can be as much as half a day of renting. Now imagine if you want to go somewhere a half hour away. Just one ride will cost as much as renting a car for several days. Trip rates for RideShare can also fluctuate wildly depending on the time of day, demand, and the number of drivers available. When you rent a car, you’ll know well ahead of time how much it will cost. You can also take advantage of weekly and monthly rates when renting, whereas RideShare costs will pile up the longer you rely on it.
Immediacy
Nothing beats getting into a personal vehicle and hitting the road on your own schedule. That’s where a rental car really shines vs RideShare apps. Depending on how many drivers service your city, you may have to wait a long time to have your ride accepted. Even if the driver accepts, there’s no guarantee that they won’t cancel, sending you back into the wait queue. You can remove a lot of hiccups from your travel plans by having access to your own vehicle. That way you’re always on your own schedule.
Safety
Due to COVID-19, RideShare services have become a risky enterprise. While RideShare drivers are required to practice social distancing and clean their vehicles frequently, there’s no real accountability. In order to cover their own expenses, a full time RideShare driver has to turn over customers as quickly as possible. This can lead to corners being cut in the cleaning process, or the cleaning might be discarded entirely by less scrupulous users. It’s not uncommon for RideShare drivers have 40 or 50 different people from all around the city in their car every day. That’s a lot of opportunities for the unintentional spread of Coronavirus or other illnesses. To truly control your contact with others, it’s highly encouraged that you get a personal vehicle from a reputable car rental agency.
Convenience
Most people use their vehicle for a lot more than just getting from point A to B. A car is a mobile office. It’s a convenient place to safely store useful items you may need while you’re out. People on the go often have to eat in their car as well. You can’t do any of these things in someone else’s car. You’d need to hire a personal chauffeur just to get the same conveniences as renting a vehicle.
Looking For A Rental Car Agency in Los Angeles?
At Value Rental Car we want to help you get to your destination quickly and safely. We offer clean and affordable rental cars for local driving in LA and Pasadena, with complimentary pickup and drop off service within seven miles of our two locations. If you’re a college student, we want to help you get on the road. We rent to drivers under the age of 21, and we offer cash and debit card car rentals. Check out some of our other articles to learn more about how car rental works!