1. Reserving your rental car for Washington DC will save you money. While you can wait until you arrive at the airport to secure a rental car, not only are you going to pay significantly more, but you run the risk of being unable to find an available rental car.

2. Comparing prices will save you the most money. Even if you are a fan of a specific rental car company, it’s still worth your time to use a price comparison tool like Vroom to get an idea of the best available rates for Washington DC rental cars.

3. If you are under twenty-five years old, you are going to pay extra. Although it may seem unfair, it’s standard policy for car rental companies to increase their daily fee for drivers who are not yet twenty-five.

4. If you don’t have collision insurance on your own vehicle, it’s worth buying collision insurance from the rental car company. Even if you’re not responsible for an accident, if you rental car is damaged and you don’t have collision insurance, there is a good chance that the rental car company will immediately charge your credit card with a large fee to cover the damage. While it may seem hard to believe, people who have found themselves in this position have had up to ten thousand dollars charged directly to their credit card!

5. If you get a GPS with your rental car (or bring your own), don’t leave it sitting in your dashboard. When you leave your car, pop off the GPS unit and put it in your purse or glove compartment. And when you park your car for the night, it’s recommended that you pop off the GPS attachment and put it away as well.