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Having grown up in Michigan, where everyone drives everywhere, I was surprised when I first learned that in cities like New York, people often don’t own cars (or even learn to drive!). Instead, when they need a vehicle for the weekend or for the summer to go back and forth to the beach, they use long term car rental.  I occasionally rent a car to drive to Chicago and back, so I checked the Hertz site and sure enough, the longer you keep your rental car, the cheaper it gets. In fact, Hertz allows you to rent a car for up to eleven months!

That got me thinking about reasons why someone might need a rental car for a long period of time.  My husband occasionally travels to another state for his job and sometimes is gone a couple of weeks. Since the hotels are never within walking distance of the job site, he rents a car.  So that’s one reason, long business trips.

A long term van rental would be an option for a family planning a long summer vacation with lots of driving who needs a bigger vehicle to hold kids and suitcases and all the stuff that everyone needs.  It’s really almost like leasing a car, except when you’re done with it, you just turn it back in!

Renting would also be a great way to see if you like a car or van before you commit to a purchase. It could also be a way to drive a more expensive car with less of a monthly payment than if you bought that same car.  Want a convertible for the summer? Rent one!  Show up at your high school class reunion in a sports car, or haul the soccer team around in a van for the summer, without the hassle of buying.  I think it’s a great idea!