This is why sometimes you just have to take your travel into your own hands. Maybe owning a car is not practical for you at the moment but a car rental can be a real help in a pinch. It seems almost ridiculous to put important schedules and deadlines in the hands, wheels and motors of large entities that have never and will never care much about when you get where you need to go.

Instead when you rent a car you are the master of your own destiny. You are out to get what’s yours and what you need to take. This is your life and your time belongs to you. No one is going to drive for you. Go out there. Get yours.

I wish I could say there was an eventful end point to the story though for my parents I am certain they were  thrilled the whole trip was so smooth. The vacation car rental was a great car, smooth ride, CD player, working air conditioning. If anything things may have been a little too relaxed for them. They got home without that biting attitude they always had. They weren’t mad about the mess around the house or anything. Who were these people?

That and your car may not have the space you need for a fine road trip experience. It’s nice to be able to stretch out and relax in your car and not feel cramped by all the baggage. A van rental is especially good because you can even put the seats down and sleep in the car if you’re taking a prolonged trip and want to save money on lodging.

Once you have your economy car rentals sorted out, you can think about your destinations. There are plenty of fine things to see in these United States, especially if you drive West, away from what is well known. The West for adventure, the East for home. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your itinerary either, as that can make for exciting and unexpected possibilities.

And when all’s said and done, you can drop your van rental off back at your car rental Mass!

His thoughts got me to thinking about my own road trip memories. Memories that included cranking “Born To Run” in a 15 passenger van rental, a true highlight of my young adult life. There was also the trip where me and my younger brother sang “Weird Al” Yankovich incessantly much to our parents’ dismay. These were joyful moments capturing both my love of the road and my love of music, two things that are tied together like peanut butter and jelly.

So I was excited for this friend getting ready to load up his car rental with a heap of his favorite songs. Appreciating music on the open road is something that America is all about. Here’s hoping he has a tuneful and amazing time!

I loved going on vacations. We went to many places when I was a kid. Hershey Park in Pennsylvania for a factory tour and a trip to their awesome amusement park. There was my grandfather’s summer house in Cape Cod, with it’s beautiful beaches and excellent shell fish. There was Ohio, which was mostly boring but we had family out there, not to mention Bob Evans’ sausage gravy.

Family vacations are a great way to remind the family that when all is said and done, if you find yourself in rural Ohio in the middle of the summer family is all you have. I don’t know if that was the point but I know that when I have kids I plan to load them into a vacation car rental and teach them the same lesson.

Now that I’m older, I think about comfort all the time. I need amenities. If I expect to travel more than a half hour the thing better have an iPod dock. It is official I’m too old for impractical, poorly planned trips. So now, if I’m going anywhere a car rental must be budgeted into the trip. I need air conditioners and someplace to put all my stuff. What am I suppose to hump it along in a backpack? As an adult I feel I have earned my stripes and now it would be nice to have a cup holder instead of a canteen and wheels instead of worn soles.

This summer I’ll be leaving the cozy confines of Hartford for the Midwest with my wife. We will be able to take ourselves and everything we need in our Hartford car rental. Compared to those trips of yore, I’ll feel like a king.

Sure, if you’re in a city transit is easy to get around but not everywhere you go for business will have easily accessible public transportation. Trains and cabs can cost a pretty penny if you’re bustling from here to there and everywhere in-between. Car rentals are actually more convenient. For one, you’ll have flexibility as to your destination. Another is that your travel time is dictated by you, not by schedules (not counting traffic).

The key to car rental though is that you select wisely. Go to the Car rental company’s site. They may offer you deals and discounts. Also, why not try to get a loyalty account. If you’re a returning customer you’re more likely to get access to better cars. It doesn’t hurt to take a peek.

You’ll figure out more secrets as you go along. Experiment a little and see what you can do to make your travels more comfortable and what will save you money. If you’re in doubt then stick with what’s tried and true. If you like a certain company or a certain type of car rental all the more power to you.

Then when the day would come Mom and Dad would cram me and my two brothers in the back seat of the car with whatever luggage didn’t quite make it into the trunk. Often we would have to forgo air conditioning and with the general tensions of sibling rivalry always in the air the backseat would descend into a Lord of the Flies scenario that could not be staunched by even the most emphatic threats to “Turn this car right around.”

Now when I take my family on vacation I go with a sizable 15 passenger van rental. The extra space smooths some of the tension and the rental guarantees a functional A.C. Next time you plan on taking a family vacation consider the space and comfort of a 15 passenger van rental, you’ll be surprised by how much nicer it is.

There are lots of things to see. Some of the cities you may want to stop by and visit are Memphis and Nashville and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; Baton Rouge and New Orleans; Montgomery, Alabama – an important city in the Civil Rights movement; Atlanta; the old port city Charleston. The culture is rich and varied and distinct from the Yankee cities you’re so used to.

Just driving in an economy car rental or van rentals will allow you to feel the difference. When you stop in a roadside diner, you will see more than the slow drawl of speech; you’ll see how the customs and traditions of propriety differ, are more focused than they are in New England. And the natural beauty is worth seeing. The late summer especially is a good time to visit, when it gets slightly cooler and the shadows are longer.

No matter where you go in the American South in van rentals you will have an unforgettable experience.

I’d recommend visiting your car rental Springfield, choosing van rentals with space enough for your bags and some coolers, and hitting the road to see the sights. On your way to Disney World you can stop in Baltimore for lunch, and D.C. for the afternoon to see the sights and spend the night.

If you’re going for speed, stay on the I-95 all the way, then cut over to Orlando, but if you want to see some scenery, check out the Blue Ridge Parkway, Gettysburg, Shenandoah State Park in Virginia or even the Outer Banks in North Carolina, famed for their beaches.

By the time you reach Disney World you will feel like you’ve been on vacation for a while. And depending on how long you want to keep your van rentals, you might be.