Flying to San Antonio is a great idea for the traveler that wishes to get to San Antonio and the surrounding areas much faster. One of the ways to make this process even faster is to have a vehicle ready to pick up at the airport. Car rentals are extremely easy to have reserved and the process allows the driver to get the vehicle they want with little problems. This beats having to make reservations on the day of travel which could be problematic for the thousands of travelers each and every day that do so.

Making reservations online is quick and easy and even those who are computer illiterate could do it. They simply need to go to a comparison pricing website where they can insert their travel information such as their age and days of travel to find the best car rental options available. These options are listings from various car rental vendors which are sure to please. The wide selection of vehicles will include standard rental vehicle models all the way to exotic and luxury models depending on what the renter needs. These options are great for getting around San Antonio and anywhere else the traveler wishes to go.

The most enjoyable advantage that having a vehicle reserved online brings is the speed of which you can receive your vehicle. The popular method is to use the kiosks available at the vendor of your reservation holder. This allows travelers to use their credit or debit card to print out their vehicle voucher which could be processed quickly and easily at the car rental desk without waiting. Since all travelers who arrive by plane need a form of identification on them at all times, they can verify the reservation quickly and easily.

The question of whether or not you should buy the rental car insurance is always lingering in the back of many renters’ minds. This is simply because it is a decision which could alter the course of your responsibility in the event of an accident and what you would need to pay for damages or worse. This is simply one of the things that the driver/renter of the vehicle will have to choose based on two sets of criteria. This will be between being a safe driver and the possibility of an accident occurring while you are using the vehicle.

Safe drivers will usually have insurance on their normal vehicles anyways. They will have the least likely possibility of ever getting into a car wreck or causing damage to a vehicle because they take care in what they are doing. They will be the least likely to need optional rental car insurance because it is very likely that their normal insurance company will cover damages for a rental car. The best thing that they could do is opt into the small extra charge to have the least chance of responsibility in the event of an accident.

If you will be travelling to a large city with people who tend to drive on the less safe side, it is very important to make sure that the vehicle you are using is properly insured. Vehicle insurance is not very expensive and can provide you with the best outcome in the event of an accident as well as damages to a vehicle, even when you were not in it. There are two types of insurance to consider, damage and loss waivers as well as vehicular insurance for car crashes. They both offer benefits and combined offer the best protection possible.

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!