Renting A Car in Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver is a city of extremes. The downtown area is where most of the city’s luxury shopping, dining, and nightlife are located. If you want to avoid the crowds and check out one of the city’s many attractions, you’ll want to rent a car like from Ascent Car Rental to get around. Of course, you’ll also have to learn the rules of the road before you drive. Read more.

Traveling in Downtown Vancouver

Traveling to Vancouver isn’t likely on anyone’s “bucket list.” It’s usually up there with “never” or “if I’m rich,” but the fact is, Vancouver is a fantastic city. If you’re visiting Vancouver, you’re going to need a way to get around.  Downtown Vancouver is known for its vibrant cultural mix and for the fact that it’s walkable, meaning you won’t need a car to get around. Still, you’ll need a way to get around when you want to get out of town and explore. Fortunately, Vancouver has a robust public transportation system that’s reliable and relatively easy to navigate. 

Staying in a downtown Vancouver hotel means you have a variety of nearby transportation options, including buses, trains, taxis, and even ferries. And if you prefer to have a bit more freedom, renting a car in Vancouver makes it easy to drive around the city to hit a few tourist spots, park the car, and then hop on a bus or train to head somewhere else. 

Renting a car in Vancouver is easy and affordable. If you have plans to rent a car in Vancouver, you’ll find that Vancouver International Airport is close to downtown, so you can pick up or drop off your rental at one of the nearby car rental agencies. While picking up and dropping off a car at an airport or train station typically incurs an extra fee, renting a car downtown comes without an extra fee. If you need a little more help getting around town, consider getting an Uber or a Lyft.

Renting A Car in Downtown Vancouver? Here Are Some Tips

Downtown Vancouver offers one of the top destination spots for tourists and residents alike. Visitors come to Canada’s west coast city to shop, dine, explore, and experience firsthand local culture. Luckily for the tourists, there are many car rental companies downtown, so you can easily explore the city and get around.

To help you in renting a car, here are some helpful tips for you:

• Do your research about parking to avoid getting into a frustrating and expensive situation. You’ve made plans to see a concert, a baseball game, or a play in downtown Vancouver, so you’ve decided to rent a car. The location, the time of year, and your reason for picking up a car all play a role in the cost. This is where your research can save you a lot of time and money. Start by thinking ahead. If you’re headed downtown for an event, find out if you need parking passes. If you’re planning a longer trip, research parking options and rates before you leave your home.
• Don’t get lost – familiarize yourself with the right directions. The road to where you’re going can be pretty long, and there isn’t always a GPS device that you can read along the way to tell you exactly when to turn to get to your destination. Having an idea of where you’re going—or at least an idea of the general area—will help you navigate your trip, whether you’re traveling by car or public transportation. When you are traveling, it is important to know the directions to where you are heading. When renting a car in downtown Vancouver, having a map and directions to where you’re going will help you avoid getting lost and will ensure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible. So you will save time from getting lost and will prevent you from spending more money on gas, and from having to rent a car to get to your destination. 
• Take note of the peak hours. If you’re living in Downtown Vancouver or visiting, you know just how congested the city can be. The roads get busy from the city center all the way to the outskirts of the city, and then also to and from the airport. To help avoid peak times, the best time to return or pick up a car is outside of rush hour. For example, try dropping off the car early in the morning or late in the evening, or choose the times when you only need to take the car in order to get to or from the airport or to and from downtown Vancouver.
• Always book in advance. Car hire can be an expensive business, with car rental companies often adding extortionate fees to the price you pay. And, if you don’t book in advance, you’re more likely to be bumped down to a less desirable car or have to pay more when you pick up the car. So, how can you make sure you get the best deal? Book in advance. Although it’s not always possible, depending on the situation, booking in advance will make your life much easier while also potentially saving you money. There is a great selection of cars the earlier you book too, so you can ensure you aren’t left with one that isn’t suitable for. Booking ahead can be a great way of saving money, particularly when it comes to holidays. Booking in advance means you get the best flights, accommodation, and cars. You could benefit from booking in advance if you’re planning a holiday.
• Always drive carefully. When you rent a car in Vancouver, you need to be especially aware of going to the city. The city is busy, and while most of the streets are laid out in a grid pattern, street grids are not evenly spaced, and intersections often change directions without warning. And while many people are aware of the traffic signals and rules, many aren’t aware of the unexpected challenges they may face when navigating Vancouver streets. Even if you are an experienced driver, renting a car in downtown Vancouver and traveling around Canada for the first time can be a daunting task. There are a lot of differences between driving here and driving in your home country; for instance, traffic rules are quite different, driving can be difficult with unfamiliar road signs and regulations, and winter driving can be dangerous.
• Choose a reliable company. A reliable car rental company is one of the most important tips for renting in downtown Vancouver. You don’t want to do business with a company that cannot deliver the service that you need. Many car rental companies simply do not have a good reputation. You want to work with a company that has a solid reputation.

Downtown Vancouver is an exciting place to be, so you’ll want everything to be right when you’re there and have a rental car. You’ll want to find downtown Vancouver car rentals, and you might even want to make a downtown Vancouver car rental reservation in advance so you can enjoy all that Vancouver has to offer. Ascent Car Rental Downtown Vancouver has what you need.