Japan Road Trip - How to Rent a Car Last Minute?
Let me guide you on how to rent a car last minute in Japan, especially during holidays or long weekends, when booking through certain car rental websites can easily lead to cancellations. This article will share tips on how to avoid such cancellations and secure a rental car at the last minute.
JAPAN ROAD TRIP
7/31/20232 min read
In various Japan travel groups, it's common to see travelers who have rented a car, only to have their reservation canceled shortly after. If you encounter this situation, it can be quite disappointing. Here, I'll share how to prevent such cancellations.
Cancellations typically happen when you book a car rental a few days before your departure. It's especially likely to occur if you use car rental booking platforms that act as intermediaries between customers and rental car companies. Platforms like ToCoo or Tabirai are examples of such intermediary websites, commonly used by many travelers. Since these platforms need to synchronize orders with the rental car companies, their inventory might not update in real-time, especially during popular periods like holidays or consecutive holidays. This can result in cancellations due to a lack of availability.
To avoid such issues, I recommend booking directly with the rental car companies if you plan to rent a car a few days before your trip or during peak periods. Consider booking through the official websites of the following rental car companies:
Taking TOYOTA as an example, if you find that the car availability is limited at a specific store during peak periods, try looking for other nearby stores or slightly more remote ones. Often, you can find available cars by doing so. In the photos provided, you can see that I rented a car from the TOYOTA website just two days before my trip, during a holiday period, at the Sapporo City store. Additionally, I found out that if you rent a car from TOYOTA using a VISA credit card, you can enjoy a 10% discount, which I was unaware of beforehand. The staff informed me about this discount during the rental process. So, if you're renting a car from TOYOTA, feel free to inquire about this offer.
If you're concerned about getting used to right-hand driving in Japan, you can refer to this article on practicing driving at home for your Japan road trip.