If your goal is to save as much money as possible when renting a car in Chicago, consider these best hints for cutting the cost of your trip to Chicago:

-Pick up your car at an off-airport location. Some municipalities place extra taxes on car rentals at airport locations, and those taxes can add up.

-Stay at a hotel that offers complementary shuttle service from the airport near an off-airport location, and pick up your rental at or near your hotel.

-If you pick up your car at an off-airport location, you may be able to return it at the airport for no extra charge.

-Fly into Midway Airport instead of O’Hare. At Midway, Hertz’s weekly “out-the-door” rate on the Chevy Aveo is $375.73, $124.22 less than at O’Hare.

-Save even more if you take advantage of Hertz’s “pay now” feature. You’ll save $54.22 with the “pay now” feature on the Chevy Aveo at O’Hare and $42.82 when you rent the same car at Midway Airport. Note though that if you use the “pay now” feature, it’s non-refundable.

-Always make your reservations on the Web. Most rental car companies charge more for reservations by telephone.

-If you only need a car for a few days out of a week, consider booking each day individually. This will save the cost of expensive overnight parking.

-Always return the car with a full tank of gas. Use Web sites like GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com to find out the best places to buy gas near your drop-off location.