Welcome to www.carrentalsanantonio.org

Check cards look so much like credit cards, it’s easy to assume they can do everything a credit card can do.

But, as my brother, Hank, found out when he flew into San Antonio from Chicago last Christmas, that can be a bad assumption.

It wasn’t his fault. I was supposed to pick him up, but I got stuck at work, so he decided to rent a car.

National Car Rental accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover check cards, but also requires proof of round-trip travel. Hank could only show his one-way ticket because he was going to drive back to Chicago with our brother.

Avis would have accepted a Visa or MasterCard check card, but also required proof of round-trip travel, a valid U.S. passport, a U.S. military identification card, a current vehicle insurance card or a recent copy of his bank statement or cell phone, telephone or utility bill - none of which he had thought to bring with him to San Antonio.

The Dollar agent told him they would perform a credit inquiry screening on his check card through Equifax Credit Information Services, which might affect his credit rating. Hank wants to buy a house this year with the lowest possible interest rate, so to keep his credit rating pristine, he moved on to Alamo.

The folks at Alamo also required a round-trip travel ticket and would have taken a debit card with the Discover logo, as well as Visa and MasterCard debit cards.

Hertz would have accepted Hank’s check card because he had enough money in his account to cover the rental plus $200, but they also required a valid credit card in Hank’s name.

That’s when I found him, three hours late but just in time to get a drink.

Most people go to San Antonio to take a tour of the Alamo and see where the famous batlles were fought. For history buffs, it’s a great way to get some historical credit and brush up on your knowledge of the nation’s history, and for kid’s, it’s a fun way to pretend they’re part of the “olden” days. It’s a shame then that one of the next best attractions in San Antonio, the River Walk, gets little to no attention because of the Alamo. That’s why, if you ever make it into San Antonio, you should spend some money and take a boat tour along the river and see all of what San Antonio has to offer.

The tour typically lasts about half an hour and shows you everything within San Antonio. The river itself is much larger than just the portion that the boat tour takes you on, but because of the size of the boat and the number of passengers on board, heading out past the controlled area isn’t a safe idea. The tours start inside of the RiverWalk Mall. And, if you’re a resident of the area, presenting your ID card will get you a huge discount on the tour prices. Along the tour you will see many of the famous hotels that once were a part of San Antonio, as well as the now closed Aztec Theater and its stages on either side of the river. For the relatively small ticket price, you can kill a few hours browsing through the mall and taking the tour “around” San Antonio to get the full experience of Texas!

There are actually several car rental companies that rent to 19 year olds or even 18 year olds. The only real difference in service is that these companies will often charge an extra fee which can range from a few dollars per day up to hundreds depending on various reasons. These companies would prefer to cater to those who are of 25 years or older simply because it costs less for insurance and other costs that they have to go through. Taking the option of renting a vehicle while only 19 will require various securities to be put into place.

Renting the vehicle under another person’s name will not deter the costs either. It is required that all drivers be registered and that could cost even more than the normal fee for the person under 25 years of age to rent the vehicle. These extra fees are put into place to help prevent reckless drivers from wanting to drive the vehicles. Those who are 25 years of age or older are seen as more responsible drivers and their insurance as well as other fees are reduced because of their age.

Of the companies that do offer rental vehicles to those less than 21 years of age, options such as E-Z Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Prestige have hidden fees and options that make them more unfavorable to drive. Many local car rental establishments may also have certain options for rental vehicles available. The best thing to do is choose a car rental option that you are convinced is best for you and request to hear their options for those under 21. They may only offer vehicles for business trips and government trips for those under 21. Always check online for various options as well.

So, you’re landing in San Antonio any minute now. You’re descent begins and you’ve already got in your head a list of places you and the family will visit. The San-Antonio Zoo, the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, and of course, The Alamo, one of our nation’s treasured historic sites. One question remains, however.

What are You Going to Have to Cut Out Because of Time?

A common mistake we’ve all made when traveling is trying to see everything on finite time. Do you want to spend all that time changing city buses, making sure you have correct change, waiting for an airport shuttle or having to flag down a taxi, or would you rather be in the privacy of your own rental car, touring San Antonio and enjoying your time with the family? San Antonio may be a large city, but their wide highways and multiple routes around downtown make renting a car an even more logical choice! With a vast amount of sites to see, historic monuments to view and sporting arenas to choose from, car rental in this Texas city makes all the difference! Renting a car helps you get to know all the intricacies of the River Walk and explore the fabulous shopping of the Shops at La Cantera without the worry of how you’ll get all your new treasures back to the hotel! Don’t get trapped on the transit! Everything may be bigger in Texas, but you’ll find a rental car that fits you and yours just right!

Everything is bigger in Texas, and shopping in San Antonio is even bigger. The eighth largest city in the United States of America, San Antonio offers plenty of eye-candy shops, galleries and malls. Here are several great venues where you can shop till you drop.

Alamo Quarry Market

Located just minutes from downtown, it has more than 60 shops and 15 restaurants.

Artisans Alley

Open for public all day from Monday to Saturday and half day on Sunday, it has abundant of unique shops and restaurants.

FIESTA ON MAIN

All about Mexico! Here you can find almost any Mexican decorations, arts and crafts, including great selections of cascarones, halos, hats, maracas, papel picados, paper flowers, paper maches, fiesta supplies, pinatas, sarapes, sequin figures, textiles and more.

Ingram Park Mall

With more than 100 shops and restaurants, it surely is a great site to visit with your family and friends.

North Star Mall

Internationally acclaimed as shopping destination, it has more than 200 stores and restaurants. Located near the San Antonio International Airport, it is home to the largest cowboy boots.

Prime Outlets - San Marcos

Recently ranked the 3rd Best Place to Shop in the world by ABC’s The View, it offers more than 130 luxury and brand names as Neiman Marcus, Giorgio Armani, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren and others.

Rivercenter Mall

If you want to have a unique shopping experience, this is one of the best choices. It is a shopping and entertainment venue on the banks of San Antonio’s Riverwalk where you can find American Eagle Outfitters as well as IMAX Theatre.

San Antonio is most well known for their basketball team and the Alamo. Most visitors don’t realize this, but San Antonio is also home to two world-class amusement parks. When you visit, you have the option of making it to Sea World San Antonio or Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

Sea World San Antonio gets the wonderful distinction of being the largest of the 3 Sea Worlds, and is also the world’s largest marine-life theme park. After Anheuser-Busch’s takeover in the early 90’s, the park has expanded it’s thrill-ride operations and de-emphasized the learning aspect. There are 5 major thrill rides at this park, and Journey to Atlantis is one of the most unique that the park has to offer. Somewhere in between a roller coaster and a water ride, the cars are actually boats with wheels on the bottom. There are traditional coaster elements like lifts and drops, but there are also areas when the ride is more of a water ride. Of course, no trip to Sea World is complete without a trip to see the killer whales. The Shamu stadium was completely remodeled, and the show now focuses on visual elements, acrobatics, and even has underwater cameras. A visit to Sea World is truly unique.

If you love thrill rides, then Six Flags Fiesta Texas is your best bet. Unlike other Six Flags parks, Fiesta Texas isn’t famous for it’s roller coasters. That’s not to say that the park’s 30 coasters won’t rock your socks off, that’s just not what the park is famous for. The park actually has some of the best shows in the nation, and has been awarded “Best Shows in a Theme Park” awards for the past 10 years running! The Xcelleration show mixes professional BMX riders as well as acrobatics, skate boarders, and bungee artists, and is a fantastic sports show. If you visit during halloween, “Mayor Slayer’s Monster Bash” has also won several industry awards.

After you visit the mandatory places like the Alamo, give San Antonio’s great amusement parks a chance. They’ve spent years building themselves up for your enjoyment, and have the awards to back it up.

San Antonio is a very popular travel destination and many families bring their young children along for the ride. The most important thing to remember is to make sure that the children get to have some educational fun as well. By taking advantage of a trip to the San Antonio Children’s Museum, you allow them to enjoy themselves while subliminally absorbing a large amount of information that could be useful to them in their schooling and personal growth. The museum offers exhibits that are hands on and educational with plenty of instruction from the museum staff on what to do. The location is a blast for any child that loves to have fun and is a great way to show your kids that this trip was about them too.

Taking on a great trip to San Antonio with kids can be challenging. It is important to shop around for a great car rental option that will be able to accommodate your family. You can find a wide array of options when you look online for your travel rental solutions. Family sized vehicles are very easy to come by when you choose to shop online for your rental needs. You can comparison shop through special services which call up results from several different rental companies at once. Ensuring that you get a lower cost vehicle is a great way to save and makes it possible to cover the costs of the attractions you wish to see in San Antonio!

If you’ll be finding yourself in San Antonio either on business or vacation and you think you’ll need a car for the duration of your visit, there are a few things you should consider before you commit to any one car rental company. The first thing you should decide upon is which type of vehicle you’d like to drive. While it’s true there are thousands of car rental services available, many specialize in certain types of vehicles, making them easier to obtain. This means if you’re looking for a specific luxury car or sports car, you’re more likely to find it at specialty car rental place than an economy car rental service.

In addition to this, no matter the car rental service you choose, you should always read the rental agreement in its entirety. It’s important to know what you’re signing to avoid hassles further down the road, especially in the case of renter’s insurance, as you don’t want to be stuck with paying for damages on a car that is not truly yours.

By following these tips, you can make the most of your rental agreement and enjoy the great sights and sounds San Antonio has to offer without being constrained by your car or worrying whether or not you’re protected in the event of an accident. For excellent service reviews of the many rental places available in San Antonio, the internet is a great resource and wealth of information.

If you’ve been to Texas before, you know how big it really is. If you haven’t, then take this advice and book a rental car ahead of time. There’s no public transportation at the Alamo! Sure there might be sightseeing tours but who wants to spend all day on a cramped bus full of strangers? Renting a car is the surest way to go when traveling in Texas.

In San Antonio, you’ll find plenty of shopping, history, culture, restaurants, nightlife and more. As you’ll soon find out, everything is bigger in Texas including the deals to be found! Outlet malls offer great discounts on name brand clothing and merchandise and you’ll find them here. Visit some of the great museums here like the Texas Air Museum or the San Antonio Children’s Museum. There is so much history to take in you’ll almost be overwhelmed with the amount of things to discover in San Antonio. Or take a break from the historic scenery and spend the day at Six Flags, which is sure to be a big hit with the family.

Renting a vehicle for your stay in San Antonio is made easy with online car rental. Locate your vehicle of choice in your price range, find a rental company convenient to your destination, identify online discounts and coupons and book your rental all from the comfort and convenience of your home. Then, when you arrive, simply pick up your car and go! You’ll be sure to have a wonderful time in San Antonio, especially with your own set of wheels!

Many people talk about the state of Texas and automatically think about cowboys with their spurs, hats, and horses; however, Texas goes way beyond all that! Within an eight hour tour around Texas you not leave the state and will not see the same thing over and over.

From the huge, shiny stars and the wide, horizons over the plains to the metropolitan city, everywhere that you travel to there will always be an unimaginable, unique story and a place to tour at San Antonio, Texas.

San Antonio lies within the heart of Texas, coming in as the Texas’ 3rd largest city, along with Dallas and Houston. San Antonio is one of the cities that is the closest to Corpus Christi and also Austin. They are approximately an hour or two away. So, start your vacation in San Antonio, Texas and check out all the wonderful attractions that this huge city has to offer.

If you are considering a shopping spree, then be sure and check out the North Star Mall or even the Rivercenter Mall! You never know what kind of deals you might come across. However, if you are not into the shopping sprees, there are plenty of places that are full of fun and adventure such as: San Antonio Zoo, Enchanted Springs Ranch, Natural Bridge Caverns, Sea World San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and much more!

So, what are you waiting on get your bags packed and come check out all the fun and unbelievable attractions that San Antonia, Texas has to offer!