You may have seen that I traveled with one of my friends to New York for the night last week. NYC is one of those magical places that fuels creativity, so I try to go every few months. This was my first time not doing some sort of public transportation when traveling to the big city - it didn't make sense given how much stuff I was bringing to shoot - so we reserved a Zipcar! To be honest, my husband usually handles these things for us, so this would be my first time taking the initiative on reserving a car and handling all the logistics...want to see how it went? Keep on reading.
First, when I'm planning a trip, ease and convenience are top priority for me. Signing up for a Zipcar membership (as low as $7/month) was easy, and my Zipcarcard (what you use to lock/unlock the car) arrived quickly thereafter. Plus insurance is also included, which is a big deal when it comes to putting my mind at ease. Choosing a car was easy too - I essentially picked based on the distance from my work (lazy or efficient - you decide), and I knew I wanted an SUV since we had so much stuff to bring!
Once I reserved my car, I waited anxiously for the day of our trip! I reviewed some of the helpful videos on the Zipcar website (like how to get gas - it's covered by them!) and downloaded the Zipcar app on my phone.
When the big day finally arrived, I crossed my fingers that everything would run smoothly. I got to my car, swiped my card across the windshield, and click! The car unlocked! I checked to make sure the key was inside, and it was. (It actually stays in the car, tethered to the steering wheel, for the entirety of the trip. Your car is locked and unlocked from either your Zipcard or through the app!)
I inspected the car to make sure everything looked fine inside, and it was much more than just fine. Everything was immaculately cleaned, and I felt as if I were driving a brand new car. The gas tank was full, and so I loaded up the vehicle and was on my way to pick up my friend!
After I picked her up and we routed how long it'd take to get to the Big Apple, I noticed there was an EZPASS in the car! Another huge bonus - I knew would make our trip immensely faster. We were on our way!
The drive, which I expected to be a nightmare, was also a breeze. Before we knew it, we were in New Jersey getting gas for the car. One thing I LOVE about northern states is that they have someone to fill up the gas for you (especially helpful in cooler months!) The gas attendant totally knew what to do with our Zipcar, as we passed him the credit card (that came inside of the car) and gave him my Zipcar ID number. I honestly couldn't believe how easy it was.
When we arrived to our hotel in the Lower East Side, we parked in a garage - and the garage attendant was also familiar with how Zipcar worked. Seems it's a popular way for people to travel around the city!
The next morning when it was time to head out, we gathered all our luggage, packed up the car, and rode around the city enjoying last few bits of sunshine before having to head back home. We listened to a bunch of great podcasts, my friend got some work done, and we made it back for our return time at 5:00 PM.
Returning the car was just as easy as picking up. I unpacked the car, made sure I had all my belongings and threw away the trash. We also made sure there was at least 1/4 tank of gas in the car when we dropped off. I couldn't beleive we only had to fill up twice during the whole trip! Then I locked the car with my Zipcard, and that was it. I kept checking my confirmation email - was it really that simple? (Yes, yes it was.)
If you're someone who doesn't have a car in the DC area or NYC and want to escape town for a bit, run errands or explore a new part of town, definitely look into Zipcar. Or if you're just someone who doesn't want to put a few hundred extra miles on their car for a trip (ours is leased so that's why this was so helpful), it might be a great option for you too. And if you have any questions about their service, feel free to shoot me a note or comment below!
This post was done in partnership with Zipcar - thanks for supporting the brands that Julien loves working with.
