Locate car rental agencies that allow one-way car rentals. Most major car rental companies do this, but it typically is easier to find agencies allowing this for journeys entirely within certain states, i.e., New York or California. Your options may be limited for journeys within other states or between states. It is best to choose a large rental agency, because it will be more likely to have a location near your destination. Note that some companies, such as Avis, offer after-hours key drop-off boxes at their locations.
Narrow your list of car rental agencies to those that do not charge drop-off fees or other one-way surcharges. This list will become smaller the longer the distance that you travel because the rental company may want to return the car to its original location and that costs money. If the agency's website does not contain a detailed one-way rental pricing plan, you may have to telephone or email the company and ask about it.
Note any restrictions on the type of vehicle you may rent for a one-way trip. If, for example, a company will not allow you to rent a compact car for a one-way journey, you might treat this restriction as a hidden surcharge because of the extra fuel that it will take to drive a larger car the same distance.
Find car rental agency drop-off locations near your destination and further narrow your list to agencies with nearby drop-off locations. If you will need to take a taxi from your drop-off point to your destination, research local taxi fares. The higher they are, the more important a conveniently located drop-off point becomes.
Contact the agencies on your list and find out the price for your journey including rental, mileage, gasoline and any other charges. If your journey is relatively short, don't be fooled by a low price. The price per mile is usually a better measure of value. If you cannot get a reasonable price for a short journey, it might be wise to make alternative arrangements.
