Smarter Car Renting

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

•  Book your reservation in advance. Rates can vary drastically, even for the same rental car in Columbia South Carolina. By booking your car early, you can avoid last minute rate increases. It can also help assure your desired vehicle-type will be available at high demand car rental locations.

•  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 Columbia 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 Columbia? Consider adding a GPS navigation system to your rental. GPS provides turn-by-turn directions to a number of Columbia attractions and businesses, and is offered by almost all Columbia 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 Columbia attractions

Columbia SC Area Attractions

• Allen University
• Benedict College
• Carolina Coliseum
• Columbia Museum of Art
• Downtown Columbia
• Lutheran Theological Seminary
• Mc Kissick Museums
• Palmetto Health Baptist
• Providence Hospital Northeast
• Riverbanks Zoo
• South Carolina Museum
• South Carolina State Hospital
• The Colonial Center at University of South Carolina
• Township Auditorium
• University of South Carolina
• Webster University
• Williams Brice Stadium at University of South Carolina
• Lexington Medical Center (4.59 miles)

Columbia rental guide