The next time you head out of state for a short vacation, think again if you decide that renting a car may save you some money instead of choosing local transportation. In many parts of the United States, various government-mandated charges make up 20% - 40% of the total bill. Even rental companies at some of the busiest airports in the US (which did not have such fees in the recent past, such as Los Angeles International and New York's JFK Airport) have joined the ranks of add-on car rental companies. At LAX for instance, car renters are charged a $10 fee (in addition to other miscellaneous fees) to pay for an airport facility that hasn't been built yet (and won't be built for years to come), said rental-car-industry expert Neil Abrams. Take a look at these cities: In Denver, the cost of a midsize car rental for a July weekend is $75.98. Additional charges (which come up to 24% of the bill) includes airport concession fees, facility use and taxes. When renting a midsize car for that same period in Dallas, car renters incur busing cost recovery fees, airport concession fees, customer facility fees and taxes that come up to 42% of the total cost. So the next time you travel out of state, and you think renting a car might save you a couple of dollars, think again. Source: Expedia, MSN Research | 
