Options for when you can't find a rental car

In the classic travel movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," an airport shuttle leaves Steve Martin in a distant parking lot only to find the car he rented isn’t there. He spends the next few days trying to get home by any means possible.

Scenes like that are being played out this summer across the country. In some places, no rental cars are available at any price. In others, an economy-size rental may cost more than the airline ticket that got you across the country.

While some people want no part of the craziness and have postponed travel plans, others find creative solutions.

The best tip of all: Book your rental car before you do anything else.

The rental car drought

There’s a shortage of rental cars because there’s a shortage of new cars because there’s a shortage of the microchips used to control everything from entertainment systems to safety equipment.

That domino effect is slowly reversing, allowing rental car companies to rebuild their fleets to meet a travel surge. For example, as travel ground to a halt in 2020, Hertz sought bankruptcy protection and sold off hundreds of thousands of cars. It emerged from bankruptcy in June and is adding cars to its inventory, according to a company spokesperson.

Mismatches between supply and demand are still common. Need a minivan for a Labor Day weekend getaway? Using the search engine Kayak.com to assess availability, that four-day rental in Las Vegas would cost at least $441; in Portland, Oregon, $1,029; and in Anchorage, Alaska, you'd be out of luck at any price.

Think outside the airport

Here’s a look at other ways to get where you need to go — some of which might show up in online travel booking sites alongside Dollar, Budget and Enterprise, some that rely on others to do the driving:

• Turo is a peer-to-peer rental car website where people share their private cars. In some cases, you can arrange to have the Turo car left at the airport and unlock it with an app. But keep in mind that many of these cars are older and others may limit the number of miles you can drive.
• Getaround is similar to Turo, but it lets you rent a car by the hour. For example, the cost to use a 2019 Honda Civic for three hours in Southern California was around $30.
• Zipcar requires a small membership fee, then charges hourly or daily rates. The cars are stored in city lots or on college campuses. You unlock the car with an app.
• U-Haul is known for trailers and trucks but, in a pinch, these vehicles can still provide basic transportation. If you’re driving to a wedding, make sure the happy couple is OK with you arriving in a work van.
• Taxis and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft are great for short hops. Rather than spending a grand for a week’s rental, you can be driven by someone else for much less.
• Want more legroom and a driver wearing a tie? With a limo service, you can carry more people and split the extra cost.
• If you’re in the market for a car at home, buy one at your destination and use it for your vacation. Then, drive it back or have it shipped home.

If you must rent a car

If you do decide to go the rental car route, here are ways to keep the price down.

• Check out a neighborhood rental lot. Airport facility fees and taxes won’t apply. Try calling the location directly if no availability shows online.
• Book for a week. Often, there is a discount for a weekly rental. In some cases, if you return it early, you'll get a refund of the difference.
• Prepay. Depending on the vendor you may save as much as 35%.
• Use your preferred status as a frequent renter. It may get you to the front of the line faster, and at the highest levels, may actually guarantee you a car.

Philip Reed writes for NerdWallet. Email: articles@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AutoReed.