'Carpocalypse:' Car rental shortage spikes costs during travel season

The current car rental shortage has caused countless summer travel headaches. If you haven’t rented a car in a while, you may be shocked by the cost.

"It’s really bad. I’ve talked to some people who spent $500 on a rental car which is more than they spent for their airline ticket," said consumer advocate and journalist Christopher Elliott.

Elliott and others call this travel season "Carpocalypse."

"It’s about as bad as it gets," said Elliott.

He says the cost of renting a car often depends on where you are renting it to travel.

Staying in one place? One very affordable alternative requires a little foot power.

"A lot of people are taking a bike or a scooter or they’re walking. They are actually re-doing their whole vacation so they don’t have to rent a car. They’re going to places that are more pedestrian friendly," said Elliott.

He says mass transit is also an option in many popular urban destinations but be prepared to wear a mask. They are typically required in most buses and trains.

Car-sharing options work like Airbnb of vehicles

Try car-sharing with companies like Avail, Turo, or Get Around.

"Those are kind of like the Airbnb of cars," said Elliott. "So you’re getting somebody else’s car and just driving it when you’re on vacation."

That’s also a money-making opportunity for people with an extra car to spare.

Elliott warns, next time you plan to travel, don’t let renting a car be an after-thought. "So they go do their airline reservations and their hotel reservations weeks, even months, in advance and the last thing they think about is, how are we going to get around?"

This is not the summer where you can leave that box unchecked.

Elliott adds, this summer, many travelers avoid the rental car issue with "staycations." They can drive their own car to resorts or camping areas relatively close to home.