Frequently Asked Questions

What is MirrorTrip?

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.

What Do I Need to Use MirrorTrip?

• A drivers licence
• A matching credit card
• To be 20 years or older

What Are the Advantages to Using MirrorTrip Compared to Other Transport Options?

• Better COVID Safety. MirrorTrip gives you full control over who you travel with. No crowded terminals.
• Cheaper. MirrorTrip is often cheaper than other alternatives such as bus, train, and flying. If there is more than one person in your travelling party, MirrorTrip is almost always cheaper if you split the cost of your car between everyone travelling with you.
• Choose your own Route. MirrorTrip gives you full control over which route you take, and where & when you stop. This also allows you to maximize the scenery along the beautiful routes that MirrorTrip services, criss crossing the Canadian Rockies and many other beautiful places.
• Choose your own itinerary. MirrorTrip gives you more control over what time of day you travel, and how long you want to take.
• No luggage restrictions. You can pack as much luggage as you can comfortably fit in the car with you.

What Cities and Areas Does MirrorTrip Currently Serve?

• Vancouver - Calgary
• Las Vegas - Los Angeles
• Toronto - Montreal
• Seattle - Portland
• Las Vegas - Phoenix
• Los Angeles - San Francisco
• Dallas - Houston
• Vancouver - Edmonton
• Denver
• Salt Lake City
• San Diego
• Canadian Rockies
• Looking for more options? Try our Savings Guide

What if the Other Driver Gets in an Accident or Damages the Car?

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.

How Does Pick-up and Drop-off Work?

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.

Are There Any Additional Charges or Fees?

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:

• You damaged or lost the car. Although your insurance should cover this so long as you weren't doing anything illegal. FYI MirrorTrip's optional insurance package is a $0 deductible insurance package if you choose to buy it!
• The car was towed or impounded. In this case you will be charged for the recovery fees, including any additional days of rental.
• You asked for a vehicle upgrade at the rental desk on the day of your pick-up. Please note this can be quite expensive, as this also increases the cost for the return driver that you are matched with. Some of our trips are as long as 2 weeks - so please don't do this unless you're willing to pay for a 2-week upgrade for the other driver as well.
• You dropped the car off later than the agreed upon time. Please note we bill per 24-hour period, so if you picked up at 9am and dropped off at 10am the next day, this counts as an extra day.
• You left the car with an empty tank of gas, or significantly less full than how you received it. In this case you will be charged per litre at the rate of the rental company fulfilling the booking. Often this is much more expensive than the price of gas at the pump.
• You asked for additional accessories at the rental desk when you pick the car up such as a car seat, GPS, or any insurance packages offered to you at the rental desk.

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!

How Much Luggage Can I Bring?

You can pack as much luggage as you can comfortably fit in the car with you.

What If the Other Driver Cancels?

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.

Can I Bring Other People With Me?

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.

What Is the Insurance Cost for Renting a Car With MirrorTrip?

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.

How Much Are One-way Car Rental Fees?

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 Savings Guide for detailed information on 26,000 different routes across the USA and Canada.

How to Get a Cheap One-way Car Rental?

1. Use MirrorTrip if it's available in your city ;)
2. If you're travelling somewhere where MirrorTrip isn’t available yet, we recommend trying our Savings Guide. It will automatically search all major rental companies, in all of their locations in the cities that you are considering to find you the best deals. Price Lab also has an extensive price data base so you can see how prices change over time, and set a price alert if you want to be notified when we've found a cheaper price for you. To be clear, Price Lab is not MirrorTrip, so one-way drop-off fees may be required. Price Lab just removes the leg work from 'shopping around'.
3. Plan your travel. There are well established travel trends centering around large events and holidays. If you have the luxury of travelling against the grain after one of these events or holidays - then you can cash in on the drop-off fee that someone else has already paid and take advantage of the rental company's need to return the car. For example, heading out of Florida after spring break up the East Coast, it's not uncommon to see $1 one-way car rentals at the right time of year. Savings Guide can be a great tool for helping you observe seasonal trends here.