Day trips from Santa Monica: Plan Around Your Miles

Day trips from Santa Monica work best when you know your daily allowance before you leave. See current pricing on the booking page.

Key takeaways

• Every car in our fleet includes 200 miles per day, so a two-day rental includes 400 miles.
• Miles past the allowance are billed per mile, and the rate differs by car.
• The allowance multiplies by the number of days, so longer rentals give you more room.
• Pickup and delivery details are confirmed on the booking page.

How many miles are included with each car?

See current pricing on the booking page. That is the same allowance on the 2017 GMC Terrain, the Chevrolet Traverse 8 seater and the Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus. You do not have to pick a car based on mileage, because the daily allowance matches across the fleet.

What differs is the daily rate and the overage. The GMC Terrain and the Traverse are both $55 and $60 a day respectively, while the Jeep Cherokee is $57 a day. Checking the Santa Monica rental rates side by side takes a few seconds with the comparison below.

A daily allowance is a ceiling, not a target. Many day trips use well under 200 miles, and a rental that stays within the allowance has no mileage charge at all. Knowing the number up front lets you decide how far to go.

What happens if you drive past the included miles?

If you pass your allowance, each extra mile is billed at the car's overage rate. The GMC Terrain is $0.45 per mile, the Jeep Cherokee is $0.45 per mile, and the Traverse is $0.25 per mile. Only the miles beyond your included total are charged.

The chart below walks through the decision for the GMC Terrain. You either finish within the included miles and pay nothing extra, or you go over and pay the per-mile rate on the difference.

The same logic applies to the other two cars, just with their own overage rate. If you expect a long day, it helps to compare the per-mile figures before you choose. A small difference per mile adds up when a trip runs well past the allowance.

Keep in mind that the allowance is counted across the rental, so a quiet day can balance a busier one. Check the booking page for how mileage is tracked on your dates.

How do the included miles add up over a longer rental?

The included miles are simply your daily allowance times the number of days. At 200 miles a day, one day gives you 200 miles and two days give you 400. Three days gives 600, four days gives 800, and five days gives 1000.

A six-day rental includes 1200 miles, and a full week includes 1400 miles. This is the same math whichever car you pick, since all three include 200 miles per day. It makes a multi-day plan easy to check on the back of an envelope.

The chart below shows how the 1 to 7 day rental total for the GMC Terrain grows, with and without an example of 50 extra miles a day. In the cost chart's example, 50 extra miles a day are billed at $0.45 each.

Because the allowance grows with every day you add, a longer rental often gives more breathing room for several separate outings. You can spread the miles across days instead of squeezing everything into one.

Which car suits a longer day of driving?

Pick the car that fits your group and your gear, since the mileage allowance is the same. The 2017 GMC Terrain seats 5 and has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, GPS navigation, USB charging, a backup camera, a sunroof and is pet friendly. It is $55 a day.

The features matter on a long day. Navigation and phone connection help you keep track of how far you have gone, and charging ports keep devices ready. If a dog is coming along, the pet friendly note on the Terrain is useful.

For a bigger group, the Chevrolet Traverse 8 seater is our minivan-class option at $60 a day. It has a backup camera, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and keyless entry. Its overage is $0.25 per mile, the lowest of the three, which helps if you expect to go past the allowance. If you want a closer look, see our guide to Chevrolet Traverse 8 Seater Rental in Los Angeles, CA.

The Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus is the lowest daily rate in the fleet at $57 a day, with a $250 deposit held on your card. It suits a smaller party that wants an SUV without paying the higher day rate.

How do you plan a trip around the allowance?

Start with your total included miles, then work backward to what you want to do. Here is a simple way to plan it.

1. Count your rental days and multiply by 200 to get your included miles.
2. Decide how many outings you want and roughly how much driving each one needs.
3. Add a cushion for getting around town, since local driving counts too.
4. Compare the plan to your total, and trim an outing if you are close to the limit.
5. If you will go over, check the overage rate for your car so you know the cost per extra mile.

This approach keeps the decision simple and avoids guessing at the end of the trip. Nona carz keeps the allowance the same across the fleet so the planning math never changes. Pickup and delivery details are confirmed on the booking page, so check there before you set your start time.

If your plans change mid-rental, you can adjust on the road. Heading back a little earlier is easier than paying for extra miles you did not need.