Smarter Car Renting

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

•  Damaged: Always carefully eyeball your vehicle before leaving the rental agency, whether you're in Gaithersburg or East Podunkville. The last renter may have pulled in after a meteor shower! Prior scratches, dents, and other vehicle damage can cause extra headaches and costs if not noted before you leave the rental car lot. If you see any damage on the car's exterior and interior before you leave, make sure it's noted on the rental car papers, and point it out to an agency employee. This will resolve any questions that could arise when you return. And avoid meteor showers.

•  Fear of the Unknown: Unfamiliar with the streets of Gaithersburg? Consider adding a GPS navigation system to your rental. GPS provides turn-by-turn directions to a number of Gaithersburg attractions and businesses, and is offered by almost all Gaithersburg car rental agencies. The GPS helps you navigate like some mythical Greek God of Navigation! You can also add your own portable GPS on your handy windshield sucker, but remember to take it all with you when you turn in the car at the end of your trip.

•  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.

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Gaithersburg MD Area Attractions

• Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health (3.07 miles)
• Shady Grove Adventis Hospital (3.09 miles)
• Montgomery General Hospital (7.79 miles)
• Congressional Country Club (10.27 miles)
• National Institute of Health (11.21 miles)
• Warren G Magnuson Clinic Center (11.23 miles)
• Suburban Hospital Healthcare System (11.29 miles)
• National Naval Medical Center (11.44 miles)
• Clara Barton National Historic Site (12.42 miles)
• Holy Cross Health (12.56 miles)
• Dranesville Tavern (12.61 miles)
• Claude Moore Colonial Farm (13.54 miles)
• Theodore Roosevelt Island and Memorial (14.83 miles)
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center (15.01 miles)
• Rock Creek Park (15.05 miles)
• Battleground National Cemetery (15.11 miles)
• American University (15.28 miles)
• Bender Arena - American University (15.44 miles)

Gaithersburg rental guide