Smarter Car Renting

Here are car rental tips from the road trip-seasoned editors of RoadsideAmerica.com:

•  Credit Cards for Pick-Up: Many agencies require a credit card upon pick-up. Yes, Opie, we live in that kind of world. So make sure you are in good standing with your "plastic." Call the car rental agency in Cathedral City before arrival or verify in the rental policy and rules to see which forms of payment they accept.

•  Leave Nothing Behind: At a road trip's end, we find we've accumulated souvenirs, kitschy mementoes, and piles of brochures from tourist attractions. These treasures prove you really traveled -- that it wasn't just some wacky delusion. When dropping off your rental car, carefully check every door pocket, drink holder and storage bin for these keepsakes. The rental car company sure doesn't have any use for them.

•  Many States, One Car: If renting a car for a longer road trip, check with the car rental companies in Cathedral City, California to see if they have policies about crossing state lines that affect the final rate you pay. May be no effect, but don't assume you can crisscross the globe with unlimited mileage impunity. There may be a GPS tracker in the car!

Click here to see Cathedral City attractions

Cathedral City CA Area Attractions

• Sonny Bono's Grave
• Knott's Soak City U.S.A. (2.30 miles)
• Eisenhower Memorial Hospital (3.43 miles)
• Palm Springs Air Museum (4.04 miles)
• Palm Springs Convention Center (5.24 miles)
• Palm Springs Walk of Stars (5.58 miles)
• McCallum Adobe (5.67 miles)
• Big Wheel Tours (6.27 miles)
• Desert Regional Medical Center (6.32 miles)
• Big Hand-Carved Indian Head (12.35 miles)
• General Patton Memorial Museum (14.86 miles)
• Dinosaurs Owned by Creationists (20.36 miles)
• Desert Hills Premium Outlets (21.84 miles)
• Desert Christ Park (23.80 miles)
• Hi-Desert Medical Center (26.69 miles)
• Hemet Valley Medical Center (28.56 miles)
• Kid Zone Museum (29.15 miles)
• Hemet Museum (29.26 miles)

Cathedral City rental guide