Zip Cars: Hourly Rentals in 100+ Cities

San Francisco's showcase of green vehicles (with special parking spaces with charging stations) includes zipcars. Those are hybrid cars for rent by the hour or day and, best of all, they are located all around the city for easy access.

You have to plan ahead to get started: register at zipcar.com and wait for your Zipcard to arrive. But then you are pretty well set to travel to large cities and pick up a car at your convenience. Your card is simply waved around the windshield for access and activation. You get in the car. Drive it around. And return it to the parking spot.

To find available cars, you check online or on your mobile phone and "reserve" the car so that it will be unlocked with your Zipcard. Nifty maps. Directions. A child could do it. But can't because you have to be a licensed driver.

Cost is reasonable (roughly $10/hr or $60/day) in that it covers rental and gasoline up to a daily total of 180 miles. Probably best of all, the cost covers insurance.

zipcar cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington DC. There are actually more than 100 cities... and more than 100 college campuses, too.

Personal comment: After seeing the zipcars in San Francisco, I came home and started my sign-up. What made the decision for me? Being able to add/drop family members from my membership. I'm doing pay-as-you-go.

© 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Or education advice. Or marital advice. Or even a tip.