Smarter Car Renting

Here are car rental tips from the road trip-seasoned editors of RoadsideAmerica.com:

•  Credit Cards for Pick-Up: Many agencies require a credit card upon pick-up. Yes, Opie, we live in that kind of world. So make sure you are in good standing with your "plastic." Call the car rental agency in Irvine before arrival or verify in the rental policy and rules to see which forms of payment they accept.

•  Many States, One Car: If renting a car for a longer road trip, check with the car rental companies in Irvine, California to see if they have policies about crossing state lines that affect the final rate you pay. May be no effect, but don't assume you can crisscross the globe with unlimited mileage impunity. There may be a GPS tracker in the car!

•  Fear of the Unknown: Unfamiliar with the streets of Irvine? Consider adding a GPS navigation system to your rental. GPS provides turn-by-turn directions to a number of Irvine attractions and businesses, and is offered by almost all Irvine car rental agencies. The GPS helps you navigate like some mythical Greek God of Navigation! You can also add your own portable GPS on your handy windshield sucker, but remember to take it all with you when you turn in the car at the end of your trip.

Click here to see Irvine attractions

Irvine CA Area Attractions

• Bren Events Center
• Concordia University
• Fuller Theological Seminary
• Irvine Medical Center
• Irvine Museum
• Irvine Valley College
• Palace Park
• Spirit Life Bible College
• Wild Rivers Water Park
• William Howard Taft University (3.20 miles)
• Orange County Museum of Art (3.97 miles)
• Orange County Fair & Exposition Center (4.53 miles)
• Vanguard University of Southern California (4.56 miles)
• Coastal Communities Hospital (4.58 miles)
• Costa Mesa Speedway (4.67 miles)
• Orange Coast College (4.95 miles)
• Hoag Health Center (4.94 miles)
• Santa Ana Zoo (4.99 miles)

Irvine rental guide