car rental deals

Car rental deals are especially strong around early 2026, with several major brands and comparison sites pushing winter and New Year promotions.

Quick Scoop

• Up to 70% off on select New Year 2026 rentals via comparison platforms like VIP Cars, mainly by aggregating multiple suppliers and promo codes.

• Big brands are running winter sales: Hertz has a January 2026 promo at about 20% off base rates if you book by January 31 for pickups through March 31, 2026.

• Enterprise is offering around 20% off winter rentals in markets like Germany and Spain for rentals between early January and late April 2026 if booked within the promo window.

• Airline and partner portals (for example, SAS with Europcar) advertise up to 25% off if you book by mid‑January 2026 for trips running into June.

• Online travel agencies and meta‑search engines like Expedia and Kayak are actively promoting “cheap car rentals” and “rental car deals” pages, where you can cross‑check offers from many brands at once.

• Dedicated discount hubs (such as Car Rental Savers) collect coupons and weekly specials, sometimes advertising up to about 30% off or targeted codes for specific companies.

What’s trending now (2026 angle)

• New Year and winter sales: Holiday and winter promos are the big headline offers right now, especially in North America and Europe, often framed as “New Year” or “Winter” deals with time‑limited booking windows.

• Flexible timing: Many promos let you book now at a discount and pick up later in 2026, as long as you travel within the stated period (for example, Avis allowing discounted pickups through mid‑December 2026 on some international rentals).

• Comparison culture: Travel content creators are pushing “live tests” of multiple booking sites, showing that prices for the same car and dates can differ significantly between direct‑to‑brand and comparison platforms.

Practical tips to actually get a good deal

• Use comparison sites first, then check direct: Try a meta‑search (Kayak, Expedia, etc.) and a specialist broker site (like DiscoverCars or VIP Cars), then compare to booking directly with a brand such as Hertz, Avis, or Enterprise for the same times and vehicle.

• Watch the booking deadlines: Many of the current “New Year” and “winter” offers require booking by a specific date (for example, late January or late March 2026), even if you travel later.

• Check location and timing: Airport pickups often carry extra fees, while city or neighborhood locations can be cheaper; early booking for peak dates still tends to lock in better rates.

• Read the fine print: Discounts are usually on the base rate only and may exclude extras like one‑way fees, young driver surcharges, premium location fees, and insurance add‑ons.

Mini “forum‑style” insight

“We tested five platforms with the exact same car and dates and the prices were surprisingly far apart, so we now always comparison‑shop instead of going straight to a single favorite site.”

Travel vloggers and forum posts echo the same pattern: people who compare at least three or four booking sources (brand sites plus aggregators) usually save the most, especially when they stack promo codes or seasonal sales.

Simple game plan for you

1. Pick your dates and pickup/drop‑off locations (including nearby city branches, not just the airport).
2. Run a search on one or two big comparison engines plus one specialist discount site.

3. Open tabs for 2–3 major brands that are running winter/New Year promos (Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, etc.) and price the same itinerary directly.

4. Compare the final totals (after all fees), not just the headline percentage off.
5. Book before the relevant promo deadline if the deal looks good, especially for January–April travel.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.