Smarter Car Renting

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

•  Damaged: Always carefully eyeball your vehicle before leaving the rental agency, whether you're in Watertown 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 Watertown? Consider adding a GPS navigation system to your rental. GPS provides turn-by-turn directions to a number of Watertown attractions and businesses, and is offered by almost all Watertown 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.

•  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.

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Watertown NY Area Attractions

• Dry Hill Ski Area
• Jefferson Community College
• Samaritan Medical Center
• Sci-Tech Center
• Salmon River Fine Arts Center (29.83 miles)
• Pulaski Historical Society (30.02 miles)
• Oswego Hospital (46.94 miles)
• H. Lee White Marine Museum (47.29 miles)
• Thunder Island (54.50 miles)
• Rome Sports Hall of Fame (55.58 miles)
• Suny College of Technology (56.30 miles)
• St. Lawrence University (56.53 miles)
• Onondaga County Salt Museum (60.95 miles)
• Clarkson University (65.88 miles)
• The State University of New York at Potsdam (66.25 miles)

Watertown rental guide