Smarter Car Renting

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

•  Many States, One Car: If renting a car for a longer road trip, check with the car rental companies in Santa Rosa, 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!

•  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 Santa Rosa before arrival or verify in the rental policy and rules to see which forms of payment they accept.

•  Fear of the Unknown: Unfamiliar with the streets of Santa Rosa? Consider adding a GPS navigation system to your rental. GPS provides turn-by-turn directions to a number of Santa Rosa attractions and businesses, and is offered by almost all Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa attractions

Santa Rosa CA Area Attractions

• Charles M Schulz Museum
• Demented But Beloved Dog Statue
• Empire College - Business School
• Fountaingrove Country Club
• Heald College of Bus and Tech
• Indian Museum
• John Medica's Castles & Gardens
• Lake Sonoma Resort
• Northwestern Railway Museum
• Pacific Coast Air Museum
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital
• Sonoma State University (7.88 miles)
• Petrified Forest (8.20 miles)
• Deerfield Ranch Winery (8.74 miles)
• Old Faithful Geyser of California (11.56 miles)
• Ballentine Vineyards (12.60 miles)
• Culinary Institute of America (13.10 miles)

Santa Rosa rental guide