Loading...
MirrorTrip is a one-way car rental solution that makes one-way car rentals more affordable. MirrorTrip has deals in place with top tier rental companies that allow it to match you with someone driving in the opposite direction so that they can return the car back to its original location. By using MirrorTrip, both drivers don't have to pay the expensive drop-off fees normally charged by rental companies for one-way car rentals. We have a quick explainer video here that can tell you more.
Each driver picks the car up from a top tier car rental company e.g. Hertz. When you pick the car up, you each start your own contract with the rental company which documents the condition of the car before you drive. When you drop the car off, you drop it off at another rental company location in your chosen destination city. During drop-off the car is inspected and your contract is closed. You are never exposed to the other driver from a financial or liability perspective.
You pick your car up from a top tier car rental company during their opening hours e.g. Hertz. When you pick the car up, you will have already paid for your rental so you don't need to show your credit card again - just the driver's license that matches the name of the booking. The rental company will open a contract for you - then you just get in and drive!
At the end of your trip, you drop the car off at the scheduled drop-off location which will also be at a top tier car rental company in your destination city. The car is inspected by their staff and you're all done! If you are the second driver and no-one is scheduled to drive after you, you can also use a key drop box after hours if required.
After you're finished with the car, the rental company will clean it and get it ready for the next driver. There is no need for you to meet the other driver.
There are no hidden fees or expenses, everything is as shown on the website. Most importantly there are no drop-off fees! However, you may be charged extra in these situations:
MirrorTrip's huge savings rely entirely on you planning ahead and sticking to your plans. If you do that, you'll be fine ;) If you are still concerned about the potential for extra charges, we also encourage you to take photos of the vehicle including the dashboard showing fuel gage and odometer at pick-up and drop-off. Our website and app have this functionality built in if you want to use it!
You can pack as much luggage as you can comfortably fit in the car with you.
MirrorTrip is prepaid and once your trip is confirmed with the other driver, non-refundable. The reason for this is to make MirrorTrip as reliable as possible by providing a strong incentive not to renege on your travel commitment. The flipside of this though, is that MirrorTrip trips are guaranteed by MirrorTrip. If for some reason the other driver can’t complete their trip, you will still have a car available no matter what.
Yes, free of charge! With MirrorTrip you can bring as many passengers as the vehicle can legally seat. Or if you're looking for some peace and quiet - put the seat back, stretch out and have the car to yourself.
Potentially $0, many drivers are already insured for car rentals via their credit card, or if they have extended personal auto insurance. Additionally, British Columbia & Alberta also mandate significant 3rd party insurance that is built into the regular rental price. You can read more about the fine details of car rental insurance here.
If you do find that you still need to buy insurance. We offer insurance during the checkout process for $16 per day, a $0 deductible plan that is much cheaper than what is typically offered at the rental desk.
To be clear - MirrorTrip NEVER charges one-way drop-off fees, as this is the main problem that MirrorTrip solves. One-way car rental fees are most commonly referred to as a 'drop-off fee' or 'drop fee'. This the fee levied by the rental company in order to cover the logistical costs that a rental company incurs when you pick a rental car up in one city and drop it off in another.
Many rental companies have franchised locations that invest diligently in their fleet's composition and maintenance. Additionally, certain state laws often dictate that a vehicle can only be out of state for a certain amount of time before it needs to be re-registered. The upshot of this is that rental companies need to return those cars, either by dropping the price as a one-off incentive, or worst case scenario, by hiring expensive vehicle transportation companies. This is why there is often a drop-off fee.
The drop fee can vary. Sometimes, on certain routes, or certain times of year they can be very little. Sometimes the 'drop-off' fee is built into an inflated daily price. However mostly in Western Canada we find the effective drop-off fee to be between $200 to $700 per trip. We have seen drop-off fees up to $1500 in some situations. If you are interested in researching specific drop-fee history, please refer to our Price Lab for detailed information on 26,000 different routes across the USA and Canada.