HOW IT WORKS:

1. You make a reservation online or by calling the office, 406-922-0179.
2. We email the rental contract 2-business days prior to your arrival to read and digitally sign.
3. We have two options for you to pick up the car: at the Bozeman Airport or at our office. If at the Bozeman Airport, we are required to charge a 10% concession fee.
4. We will text you a photo of your car, in its location, prior to your touchdown time.
5. On you departure, you can leave the car in our designated parking spots right outside of the departures terminal at BZN.

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Primary renter must be at least 21-years of age and possess a valid driver’s license.
2. A credit card.
3. Renter must have insurance that will act as primary coverage in the case of an accident.
4. Accidents happen, but we prefer to not rent to people who will consciously make bad decisions. Examples of bad decisions that have happened, and the renters have had to pay (a lot) to have the cars repaired: Christmas tree on hood of car, standing on top of car for selfie, luggage on roof of car not on roof rack, melting the interior of a car. If you are prone to making these type of life choices, we are not the company for you.

RESERVATIONS:

• A 15% credit card deposit is required to confirm a booking. No exceptions, ever. If you do not have a credit card, we cannot help you. This can be completed via our online reservation system or by calling 406-922-0179, or we can email you a secure credit card payment link.
• We have a three (3) day minimum of on all rental cars except our Sprinters, which have a two (2) day minimum rental period. 
• Final payment is due at the end of rental and will be charged to the deposit card on file, unless otherwise instructed by renter.

INCLUSIONS:

• We do not charge for an airport (BZN) pick-up and drop-offs. However, the airport requires us to charge a 10% concession fee for all rentals originating at the airport. If you booked online, that 10% is included in your price. If you wish to make your way to the office to pick up your rental, please let us know and we can deduct the 10% concession fee.
• No surcharge for drivers less than 25-years old, but there is an inflexible 21-years old minimum.
• No charge for additional named drivers, as long as they possess a valid driver’s license and are above 21-years old. Please note, if something happens when one of these listed drivers is driving, if they do not have a full coverage US auto insurance policy that provides primary coverage, responsibility will fall to the primary renter.
• Mileage: 175-miles per day are included with your rental. Example: if you rent a car for a week and go to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone, this will be about 1,100-miles total, averaging 157-miles per day. Totally fine. Price per mile over the 175/day average = $.35.
• Gravel roads are totally fine. Unimproved roads and trails are not. If anything happens on an unimproved road, the renter is 100% liable for all damage and extraction fees.

TAXES AND FEES:

• There is a 4% Montana Rental Vehicle Tax that will be applied to your vehicle rental total. Montana Rental Vehicle Tax extends to additional rental items that are securable to the vehicle, like roof boxes.
• Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport at Gallatin Field (BZN) requires a 10% concession fee to be applied to rental vehicles originating at the Bozeman Airport, Yellowstone Jetcenter, or Jet Aviation.

EXCLUSIONS:

• Fuel. Tank will be full at the start of your rental, we ask you to return it full. If you run out of time or forget to do so, we will fill and charge at the current pump rate plus a $15.00 service fee.
• Any additional rental gear.
• We do allow towing with some of our vehicles by advance permission only. Maximum allowable towing is 3,000lbs. Exceeding this amount voids our rental agreement.
• Damage repair. All of our vehicles are very well maintained, clean, and safe. If they are returned in a condition other than the way they were received, there will be charges involved. Broken windshields, dented bumpers, flat tires, etc. Even if the damage was not your fault, you as the renter, are still responsible. All final charges are subject to audit.
• Damage to glass and windshields is a common problem in Montana. We will always try to be as upfront as possible with repair/ replacement costs, and if damage does occur we charge wholesale repair/ replacement pricing (unlike other car rental agencies who make a significant amount of money on windshield repairs). Damage to glass will be charged directly to the renter at the end of the rental. All applicable documents will be given to renter to seek reimbursement from their insurance agency. If we have to deal with your insurance agency for reimbursement, we will be forced to charge Loss of Use for the duration the vehicle is being repaired and is in un-rentable condition, as well as the retail cost for replacement/ repair.
• Extra cleaning/ cigarette stink/ stain removal. If you return a car exceptionally dirty, smelly, or stained you will be subject to additional cleaning/ repair/ replacement fees.

Smoking or vaping of anything is NOT allowed in our vehicles. A minimum $400 cleaning fee will be charged if you smoke in our cars.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Travel plans change. We will always try to be as fair as possible, but we are a small business, therefore cancellations without a decent amount of notice will adversely affect our business. You reserving a car means we are effectively taking inventory off of the shelf to sell to you. By cancelling, you are leaving us with unsaleable inventory, which equals loss of revenue.

• Cancellation outside of 14-days from your arrival date, your deposit will be refunded in full.
• Cancellation less than 14-days of arrival date, your 15% deposit is forfeited.
• If you decide to shorten your reservation, you are liable for your unused days. Example: you reserve a car for 9-days and decide to shorten your reservation to 7-days last minute, you still need to pay for your 2-unused days. Think of it this way: if you order a steak at a restaurant and only eat half, you are not going to ask for a refund on your uneaten portion, correct?
• Cancellation stinks. If you stick to your original reservation, your rental with us will be the best rental car experience you have ever had. If you are the kind of person that is likely to ask for a refund on a half-eaten steak, we are probably not the right rental car company for you. We will always try to be as fair as possible and we ask the same of our renters.

INSURANCE:

• We are just like any other rental car agency. You will be required to sign a Rental Agreement which states that you as the renter are the primary responsible party for any damage that may occur during your rental period.
• It is the renter’s responsibility to know their insurance coverages.
• We encourage all renters to verify their personal auto insurance policy will act as primary coverage in the case of an accident. This should be about a 1-minute phone call to your insurance company.
• If renter does not have an auto insurance plan that acts as primary coverage on a rented auto in the US, we require the purchase of our offered Rental Collision Protection insurance for an additional $24 per day. This policy is for collision only (which is defined as a vehicle-against-vehicle accident), with a $500 deductible and $20,000 maximum payout. Renters also have the option to buy other, third-party primary insurance through American Express (best) or other travel insurance companies (second best). Regardless, the renter is responsible for having insurance coverage that will act as the primary in case of an accident.
• For more in-depth info on insurance, check out our FAQs: Car rental insurance explained.

TOWING:

We are the only rental car company that allows towing with our rental cars in the Bozeman area. Towing trailers less than 3,000 pounds is allowed only with advance permission and may require an additional fee. Towing is also only allowed with some of our rental cars. Renter waives certain rights when towing with our vehicles and assumes full responsibility for the rental car.

COMMERCIAL RENTERS:

We are happy to rent you one, or many, of our vehicles for production shoots or other commercial use. However, a Certificate of Insurance naming Explore Rentals, and verifying Primary Coverage for the commercial entity renting the vehicles, is required. Using one of our Sprinters, or any, of our rental vehicles for Commercial Use (i.e. transporting paying guests as a tour guide in Yellowstone) voids our rental agreement, and will most likely void your personal auto insurance policy. Unless you have a commercial insurance policy that covers non-owned autos, this places 100% responsibility on you personally if something happens to the vehicle during your rental period. If you are unwilling to provide a COI, or do not know what it is, we are not interested in renting a vehicle to you for commercial use.

Explore Rental’s office is typically open 7-days a week 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Below are protocols of what to expect for various situations like how to pick up or drop off after hours. If you have any questions or would like to amend your reservations, please give us a call at (406)922-0179.

Rental car FAQs:

Do I have to return the car full of gas?

Yes, otherwise, we charge the at-pump fuel price to return to full, plus a $15 fee for our time to go fill it up.

What is the mileage policy?

175-miles per day are included with your rental. Additional miles are charged at $.35 per mile.

Do I have to clean the car before I return it?

No. Unless it is a huge mess. Excessively muddy/ dusty/ covered in Cheerios cars will be charged additional cleaning fees. We bill out at $100/ hour. Use common sense and everything will be fine. If you return it a hot-mess, do not be surprised if you incur additional fees.

Can I list additional drivers?

Yes, however, they must be a minimum of 21-years old and possess a valid driver’s license. You may list additional drivers when you are filling out the electronic rental contract. Note: at the end of the day, the primary renter will ultimately be held responsible for all damages. 

Can I take the car into Canada?

Yes, our rental cars are allowed to go into Canada.

Can I put luggage or skis on the roof of the car?

Only in one of our roof boxes or racks. Strapping luggage to the cross rails is a terrible idea. Never before has a renter been able to successfully do this without causing severe and expensive damage to the vehicle. Average repair cost has been $1,400- and we will hold the renter entirely responsible. We offer rental Yakima roof top ski boxes, bike racks, and ski racks for this specifically.

Can I tow with the vehicle?

Yes, with some of our vehicles only, and with advance written permission only. We allow towing only with our rental Suburbans and trucks with a maximum of 3,000lbs. 

What to do if something goes wrong.

406-580-8309 is our after hours emergency cell phone. Make sure you leave a voicemail, we will get back to you. 

I locked the keys in the car.

Well that stinks, but not the end of the world. You are the responsible party. Generally, calling AAA or a locksmith will be the fastest and easiest solution. We are able to bring you a second set of keys, if necessary. We bill out at $100 per hour for this service. If you do damage to the vehicle trying to “Break In” you will be held responsible for all repair costs. You are fully responsible for the replacement cost of the keys as well as our time to get the key replaced. 

I hit an animal/ got in an accident.

First, make sure every one is OK and the vehicle is safely out of the way of traffic. If you require emergency services, dial 911. If you do not have cell phone coverage, try to flag down another driver and ask them to call 911 on your behalf once in cell range. If the vehicle is in a safe and drivable condition, you can continue on and report the incident and damages with Explore Rentals and your insurance company later. If it is not-drivable, you will need to get the vehicle towed Crash Champions in Manhattan, MT. This will be at your cost, but will often be reimbursed by your insurance company. RCP insurance purchased through Explore Rentals does not cover towing expense. It is often worth calling your insurance company to arrange. If you are in Yellowstone you will need to contact the National Park Service, (307) 344-7381. Outside of Yellowstone, as long as no other vehicles were involved and no property was damaged, you can fill out a Montana Highway Patrol report later. IF another vehicle or property was damaged you must contact Montana Highway Patrol (406) 587-4525 or 911 to file a report immediately. If the animal is still alive, these contact numbers can also help with humanely dispatching the animal. Once everything is safe, you can contact Explore Rentals for additional assistance. Our after-hours cell phone number is 406-580-8309. Please make sure to leave a voicemail if we do not pick-up. Someone is on call, but we will not answer unrecognized numbers after hours. We will do our best to accommodate and make the rest of your trip easy. We are usually able to give you another rental car to finish your trip.

I got a flat tire.

Although this is unlikely, it does happen. First things first, pull over to a safe location, away from traffic. Most likely you have picked up a nail or similar object on the road. This stinks, but it is the renter’s responsibility. The least expensive and fastest option is to put the spare on vehicle and drive to the nearest tire repair shop. User manuals are in the glovebox, or if a Sprinter in the storage area above the passenger. Sadly, Chevrolet stopped printing manuals in 2023, so you will need to search online. Pretty much every small town in Montana has a guy that can patch tires. This is usually about $30 to repair, and gets you back on the road safe and fast. You must alert Explore Rentals of this event. If the tire is unrepairable, please contact Explore Rentals. This also is the renter’s responsibility. Hopefully we have a used tire on-site with similar tread depth we can use, as the Subarus require all tires to be of same pattern and tread depth or you risk blowing up the CVT transmission. If  we do not have a tire that can keep the set matched, we will try to be as fair as possible with the cost of tire(s) replacement. Renter’s are not authorized to replace tires on our vehicles without permission. Our Subaru Outbacks will incur severe transmission damage if a tire with more than 1/32″ of tread depth difference or a different tread pattern tire is used. The renter will be held fully accountable in this situation. Any questions, just give us a call and we help can straighten out.

The car broke down/ something has gone wrong.

We go to great lengths to make sure all of our cars are in excellent operating condition. However, things do happen: extremely unlikely, but of course not impossible. The most common problem is a dead battery in our Subaru Outbacks. 99% of the time this is caused by the interior light on the roof of cargo compartment being left on. It is a very bad design from Subaru; the switch can inadvertently get bumped on. Easiest thing to do is to ask any Montanan for a jump- pretty much everyone has jumpers in their car. In the model years the Outbacks have had battery issues, we have included a set of jumper cables underneath the plastic mat in the trunk area. Other common scenarios is the “Low Oil” light comes on the Subarus. Every Subaru burns a little oil. Please add liter of 0w 20 full synthetic oil. Save the receipt and we will reimburse you. 5W30 for the Suburbans- but that almost never happens. Sometimes windshield wipers give out mid-trip. Buy another set and save us the receipt, we will reimburse you. Same for ice scrapers. The other odd foible that we have had with the Outbacks, and occasional Suburbans, is an evaporative leak causing numerous dash lights to go off. Usually the check engine light, ABS light, and traction control light will be on. Most likely (99% of the time) this is due to a loose gas cap. First thing to check is if the gas cap is tight. If it is, the warning lights will typically clear with 6 engine cycles (starting up, running a little bit, shutting off and cooling down). If the warning lights persist, please contact Explore Rentals. We have been very fortunate with very few instances of cars actually breaking down. Please contact Explore Rentals if something does happen. We will do everything possible to rectify the situation.

I got a rock chip/ cracked windshield.

It stinks, but it happens. If you get a chip, best thing to do is get it repaired yourself in order to prevent the windshield from splitting. Usually about $40. This is what we typically charge if the vehicle is returned with a new, repairable, chip. If the chip has “legs” more than 1/4″, we are most likely not able to safely repair the chip and will need to charge for a new windshield. Windshields are like tires, and are the renters responsibility. We take photos of the windshield prior your rental (and encourage you to do the same) so if a split originates from a pre-existing chip, the current renter is not charged for a new windshield.

When in doubt, give us a shout! 

Frequently Asked Questions