Hertz: road trips are rising

Road trips are gaining ground this spring, and Hertz says travelers are shifting their bookings to capture cheaper midweek rental rates. (travelmole.com) Hertz’s 2026 spring travel snapshot said demand is rising for drive-to vacations and that renters are showing more flexibility on departure dates than in past spring-break periods. The company pointed to midweek pickups and returns as a key source of savings. (travelmole.com) That pattern lines up with how rental-car pricing works: rates usually move with demand, and weekends around school breaks tend to fill faster than Tuesday or Wednesday starts. Hertz framed the gap as a practical way for travelers to lower trip costs without changing destinations. (hertz.com) The timing matters because spring travel has become more price-sensitive after two years of elevated costs for flights, hotels, and car rentals. A road trip lets families swap airfare for a car booking and spread spending across several days and stops. (hertz.com) Flexible-date behavior also suggests travelers are planning around price rather than locking into the traditional Saturday-to-Saturday spring-break window. That gives rental companies a way to smooth demand across the week instead of concentrating bookings on a few peak days. (travelmole.com) Hertz has been leaning harder into travel-advice content as it tries to turn booking data into consumer guidance on timing, vehicle choice, and destination planning. Its spring report presented midweek discounts not as a one-off promotion, but as a broader change in how people are organizing leisure trips. (hertz.com) For renters, the takeaway is simple: the cheapest spring getaway may come from moving the calendar by a day or two, not canceling the trip. (travelmole.com)