Car Rentals

Here you will find information on renting a car in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and getting better car rental deals.

You'll find several of the usual national rental car companies in Gatlinburg, as well as a number of local companies who offer off-road vehicles. Since most people get to Gatlinburg by driving due to the lack of bus and train service, and the closest airports are an hour or so away, you may not be in the market for a rental car in Gatlinburg. However, all of the major rental car companies are represented at the Knoxville and Asheville airports.

If you would like to rent a car in Gatlinburg, you can go with:

• Alamo
• Thrifty
• Budget
• and Avis Rental Cars.

Make sure to check out CouponMountain.com for Thrifty coupons and Budget coupons before you rent a car online.

Other car rental agencies in the Gatlinburg area include:

• A&V Rent A Car in Gatlinburg - (865) 430-2178,
• Affordable Car Rental in Pigeon Forge - (865) 428-7686
• Enterprise Rent A Car Sevierville - (865) 908-3044
• and McNelly-Whaley Ford Sevierville - (865) 453-2833.

If you're looking for something a little more adventurous, you can try Southland Car & Jeep Rentals, which features jeeps and off-road vehicles for some fun ways to experience the Smokies.

If you like to get the best deals on car rental rates, Fodor's Travel Guides points out that the car rental industry is largely unregulated and companies set their own policies -- and rates. Fodor's recommends six steps to cheaper car deals:

1. Act Locally. Even if you made a reservation online, check with the local agency when you get where you're going. The rate may be different, and it may be to your advantage. There may be an unadvertised special.
2. Check the Web. Comparison shopping pays off. Check sites such as Expedia and Travelocity. The rates are often better than those quoted at the companies' 800 numbers.
3. Reserve an Economy Car. Major rental agencies generally sell out of "economy" (i.e., the cheapest) cars first. If you're flexible about the type of car you'll drive, make your reservation for an economy car. If they're out of economy cars, they have to upgrade you to something nicer for the economy rate. But remember, don't let an agent talk you into an upgrade and charge you for it. An upgrade has to be because they are out of the car you reserved.
4. Beware Weekly Rates. Read the fine print and watch out for those minimum day requirements. Sometimes if you return a car early, you will be charged for the daily rate and the cost will be much higher than the weekly rate you thought you were getting.
5. Never Buy the Gas. Unless you bring the car back with an absolutely empty tank, you wind up paying for gas you don't use. And, make sure you return the tank full because refueling fees will really cost you.
6. Avoid the Billion-Dollar Insurance Scam. If you have personal car insurance and you are using a major credit card for the rental, chances are that you will not need any additional insurance. Likewise, the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) is a transferral of responsibility that supposedly makes the company, rather than the renter, liable for any damage to the vehicle. However, the ambiguous wording and substantial loopholes make it of questionable value.

Hopefully these tips will help you get better value when you rent your next vehicle.