Smarter Car Renting

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

•  Leave Nothing Behind: At a road trip's end, we find we've accumulated souvenirs, kitschy mementoes, and piles of brochures from tourist attractions. These treasures prove you really traveled -- that it wasn't just some wacky delusion. When dropping off your rental car, carefully check every door pocket, drink holder and storage bin for these keepsakes. The rental car company sure doesn't have any use for them.

•  Damaged: Always carefully eyeball your vehicle before leaving the rental agency, whether you're in Columbus or East Podunkville. The last renter may have pulled in after a meteor shower! Prior scratches, dents, and other vehicle damage can cause extra headaches and costs if not noted before you leave the rental car lot. If you see any damage on the car's exterior and interior before you leave, make sure it's noted on the rental car papers, and point it out to an agency employee. This will resolve any questions that could arise when you return. And avoid meteor showers.

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

Columbus GA Area Attractions

• Christian Life School - Theology
• Coca-Cola Space Science Center
• Columbus Civic Center
• Columbus Museum
• Columbus Port Naval Museum
• Columbus State University
• Columbus Technical College
• Doctor's Hospital
• Double Churches Park
• Hughston Sports Medicine Hospital
• Port Columbus Civil War Naval
• Rankin House
• St Francis Hospital
• The Medical Center Hospital
• W C Bradley Co Museum
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park (25.51 miles)
• Mann Museum and Outdoors (26.72 miles)
• East Alabama Medical Center (27.25 miles)

Columbus rental guide