Car rental help?

[minnie-mouse]

I just went to national car rental's website to price out a full size car for a week in April in Orlando --and it quoted me $600+! Is that right? It seems so high, no? I really was hoping for a lot less than that!! Any suggestions? :(

[Itchy]

Depending on the time of year, demand, and location of rental it can be high.

Are you looking at renting from the airport or at the disney property. The airport will be higher.

Do you have any % discounts from car insurance, Costco, Sams Club, or AAA. These can helps as well.

I would check with all of the bigger rental agencies as you maybe less likely to get stuck.

Hope this helps..:mickey:

[faline]

Orlando car rental prices have been rather outrageous over the last couple of years. Still you can occasionally manage to get deals. I often do not rent a car as we don't use it very much (hardly at all) but I was able to get a decent price (not great but decent) for an upcoming trip. Have you joined any of the car rental clubs? Are you on their e-mail lists for specials?

[Dopey's Girl]

You are also looking really far out. Generally, I find the best deals 3-4 weeks out.

[Lindsey310]

I just went to national car rental's website to price out a full size car for a week in April in Orlando --and it quoted me $600+! Is that right? It seems so high, no? I really was hoping for a lot less than that!! Any suggestions? :(

They are really high I agree but why not try Alamo or budget? I think my dad just got a low quote (and booked it) from budget. If they are still high, keep checking, you still have a little ways to go :thumbsup:

[Gator]

That seems a bit pricey. You should sign up for these car rental agaency emails. You can get good deals that way.

[natstroop]

I sent you a pm with info.

[jnfr2424]

This year's fares are really high last year we paid $70 for a week during Thanksgiving and this year the lowest we can get is $225.
Check [link removed] see if you qualify for any of the coupons: American Express, Visa, Master Card and see if that helps

[MargaretMessler]

Also consider getting transportation to your resort (ME or another shuttle option) and renting at an off airport site, sometimes that can make a difference in price. We've used Budget, which has a location in one of the off property hotels near DTD, and at the time it was significantly cheaper than renting from Budget at the airport.

[natstroop]

I just checked Avis for a week in April...picking up at the Hilton near DTD and returning to the airport. It was $285 for a full size car. And that didn't include any coupons...which should be available a few months beforehand. Good luck!

[mrte62]

Make a reservation now and keep checking for better deals. We did this for our trip at the end of October of this year, just like we did last year.

10 days prior to leaving, we were able to rent a Jeep Liberty for $121 ($206 with all fees, taxes) unlimited mileage two drivers 7 days with Budget.

Prior to that we held a reservations for $275 with Dollar for a mid-size car.

This year we had the same issue. A few weeks ago got the same deal as last year. This time 8 days, SUV with unlimited mileage. All in (fees, taxes, etc) $204.

The closer you get to your trip the better your chance for a deal.

[MargaretMessler]

For those who make a reservation and then up going with something (or someWHERE) different when they find a deal closer to your trip, are there ever any penalties for cancelling the original res?

[faline]

For those who make a reservation and then up going with something (or someWHERE) different when they find a deal closer to your trip, are there ever any penalties for cancelling the original res?

Always keep an eye on the terms and conditions of your rental when you book it. Typically, though, there aren't any penalties for cancelling a car rental reservation.

[natstroop]

For those who make a reservation and then up going with something (or someWHERE) different when they find a deal closer to your trip, are there ever any penalties for cancelling the original res?

I make resies with several different car companies at first, and then weed out the ones that don't have good discounts the closer it gets to my trip. I never reserve with companies that require a credit card, so there are never any penalties.

[VWL Mom]

As others have said, you need to keep checking. What started out as a $400 rental with Avis for our November trip is now a $156 (midsize all fees incl) with Enterprise.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Thanks for reminding me that I needed to cancel a couple of dates that I had reserved! Someone else had posted rates on Budget that were fantastic. The cheapest I had seen prior to this was about $400 for the week in October that I was hoping to go. With the tip on here, I got a mid-sized SUV for $202. And when I changed the dates of my trip, I was still able to get the same rate in December. It didn't go out as far as next April though. The best thing to do is keep checking the different websites and if possible sign up for alerts on rates. And you can usually make and change and cancel ressies with no penalties.

I also joined Nationals Emerald Aisle for free via a link on another website. It's normally $50 to join. PM me if you want or need this info. That other website will also give you discount codes for a lot of the different car rental places.