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Originally Posted by cb2008
I LIKED this rant! It is truth and thanks for sharing this. Maybe the trick is to plan better, all the details. like tha car you will rent, what you will ear, what you will see. I get nervous as the day for travel approaches but planning the details helps.
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I also plan ahead - probably over plan. Having a list of potential attractions and restaurants selected ahead of time helps in case the hotel internet is down or I get to the hotel late the first night and don't have time to look something up. I always request a map at the car rental place even if I have GPS - am starting to get funny looks from the young person behind the counter when I do this but I prefer to have a GPS backup. You can also usually find a map at the airport information kiosk or at the hotel.
It helps to be an experienced traveler. I know not to get a subcompact rental car even though I like driving a small car. The subcompact that was supposed to be a compact that I rented in Las Vegas started to shake and rattle when driving over 50 mph. Often with Costco, you can rent a larger car for just a few more dollars a day. Even then it can be difficult to figure out the car - I could not open the trunk on a VW Beetle so had to put my luggage in the back seat. And on a recent trip, there was a slow leak in one of the tires.
As far as safety, better to go with a nicer hotel if you can afford it. My brother and SIL are very frugal and like Super Eights but I don't feel safe at these. Tripadvisor is a good source for hotel information and even sorts reviews by subject matter so you can check out what other travelers said about the location and safety.