Printable View
I've used Avis, Hertz and Dollar at various times and from various locations. Never had any problems with any of them and I think it's fair to say, we do tend to really hammer the cars, but have never had a word said to us about anything (including a busted gearbox in Toronto!) I don't recall the taxes though, I'm afraid, but I'll definately keep an eye out next time.
Last time I rented a car was from Avis here in town. I rented a Cadillac DTS for a wedding - one day rental. The rental was $99.00, the total bill was $106.75. No fees here, just normal sales tax.
Hi Cali,Quote:
Originally Posted by RoadTripper 912
Glad to say, I am one of them.
I have on three occasions rented from Budget - one day Rocklin CA > San Jose CA (2001); two days San Jose > LAX (2004). Neither cost was excessive - though right now I cannot remember exactly what they were... I recall the two day rental was around $86.
In 2004 I also rented a vehicle from Budget, Seattle, for 28 days, unlimited miles, which cost me a smidgin over $1000.00. That car went up the Sea to Sky Highway, to Prince George, Smithers, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Seward, Fairbanks all of the Alaska Hwy, Icefields Parkway and via Kamloops, back to Seattle.
An hour after picking up the car, I had a minor accident, and within hours the vehicle was replaced. I was not charged for the replacement, or the very very minor damage. And to top it off, I had been upgraded from a small car to a medium sedan at no extra cost.
It was a great deal, the service was excellent. Only complaint I have is that I was not able to rent for six or seven weeks, to have a bit more time for sightseeing.
Lifey who hopes to get back to Alaska in 2009
Interesting...Is there any final conclusion about the most inexpensive ways to rent a car?
A list of the cheapest states, taking into account both actual cost and all the taxes and Insurance?
The only final conclution is that there is no one sized fits all answer.
Even a state-by-state breakdown wouldn't do much good because many "tourist" taxes and fees on rental cars are specific to cities, metro-areas, or even individual airports.
You just have to shop around
I believe there is also going to be differences in cost based on what is going on in the area. If it's the high-tourist season, cars are probably going to cost more than if they're searching for customers. Since this varies from one area to another, month-to-month, and there may be local anomalies that increase prices for a short period of time (things like the big balloon festival in Albuquerque, for example) that means the prices will keep changing.
I think that where many people used to rent from one car rental brand, exclusively, more and more people are comparison shopping and will go with whatever company will give them what they want, for that particular rental. For some it's price, some vehicle type, and for some it's the level of customer service they recieve. Sometimes those priorities change from rental to rental. You generally go with Company A for business rentals, but will only use Company B, C or D for leisure rentals or vacation.
Car rental companies cannot bank on brand loyalty from their customers without providing the products and services to back it up.
You will also find widely varying levels of customer service from one office to another even with the same company. When I was living up in the Chicago area, I used to get great service from the local Enterprise office, but the Enterprise office down here sucks. I've switched to Avis here.
I worked for two rental car companies while in college and have rented many cars since in 10-15 states, but I have little loyalty. I go for the best price, sticking with bigger companies because I want the convenience of having my car replaced relatively easier in case of breakdown or such. I've typically rented for one day to one week, declining insurance because my own auto coverage and credit card offer protection. Rates vary widely no matter the company, based on supply and demand. At the rental companies I worked for, we would call all competitors each day to check prices and adjust as needed. Airport locations are often more expensive in metro areas, I've found. Unless there's a specific reason that I need a larger car, I always reserve the smallest car possible. More often than not, they don't have a compact available and I get an upgrade free. When I request a car, I try to make sure it has a trunk, so my bags and such are hidden.
When going to town knowing demand will be high, I try to reserve a car at two separate companies, provided I don't have to give my credit card number. I do that because one of the rental companies I used to work for (a huge chain) routinely overbooked people every summer weekend because every call that went to the 800 number would be booked, without knowledge of local car supply. That meant that, on many weekends, angry customers would stand in line for hours waiting for the few cars available and those yet to be returned.
When renting at airports, I tend to avoid Enterprise and other smaller companies because they're sometimes inconviently located away from the airport (you take a shuttle or call for a van ride). I don't like the delay. I also don't like that some of the smaller companies aren't open 24 hours at airports. If I take a late flight that is delayed, I stand the chance of the rental car company closing before I actually get to pick up my car, forcing me to pay walk-up prices at a competitor.
If money is tight and you expect to buy insurance from the rental company, I'd suggest you comparison shop those rates along with the rental costs. Some companies really stick it to customers on insurance, though their rental rates are lower. In the end, you might pay more than you would've elsewhere.
At one of the rental companies I worked at, all employees had to join the Teamsters, were paid relatively well and had insurance benefits even as part-timers, which is why I worked for them. I mention this in case some people are interested in supporting such business practices.
Hi,
I booked my car for 31/8 untill 25/09 and therefore I payed 585 € (around 820 $). I think this is a fair price. Above all the company told me that there are no extra charges at all. I did my reservation via www.eautohuur.nl and I will be renting with Alamo.
So fingers crossed, that I won't meet any surprises when I arrive...
Greetz,
Luc
Hey,
We have just booked our car rental through a travel agent. We collect the car at Phoenix airport and drop off at Las Vegas airport 10 days later.
The driver is under 25, and we were originally quoted as having to pay £120 (approx $196) of charges payable locally and an additional £350 (approx $570)surcharge for the driver who is 24 years old.
The rental only came to £317 (approx $516) with insurance included we thought it was quite funny the charges cost more than the actual rental of the car. So the total stood at £787 (approx $1,283) thats nearly more than double the cost of the original rental price on charges.
Luckily the agent managed to speak to the company (Alamo) and they have agreed to drop the under 25 charge for us since the driver has held her license for 5 years. We of course are waiting for this in writing, as it will totally cripple us moneywise if we turn up at Phoenix and discover we have to pay hundreds of pounds out extra.
I am concerned that we may have to pay an extra charge now for dropping off in Las Vegas. Would this charge of been presented to us when we got the quote and booked since the quote is based on us hiring in PHX and dropping off in Vegas? or will it be a nasty surprise at the start/end of our trip?
I would be cautious about those "Dropped fees" It's actually not uncommon for the surcharges to exceed the cost of the rental. I think you need to be prepared to pay the surcharges and perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised.
Mark
I'm really glad i found this site now, it has been really useful and i will definatly be phoning the agent as soon as possible I was there while she was on the phone to Alamo and def said they'd pass over the charge.. hmm. but like you say if we expect to pay the charges it may be a great end to the trip to have some extra cash to burn in Vegas and if we do have to pay we haven't lost anything really.
It is certainly a good idea to get the "no underage fee" deal in writing. Remember, most people in the US get their drivers license when they are 16, and you generally can't even rent a car with a surcharge until you are 21 - so that's 5 years of experience for most people. The underage fee last until you are 25, so again for most americans, that's a whole 9 years of experience before the fee goes away. Of course, the fee is tied to age, not experience, so you can be a 25 year old driver who got their license 8 minutes ago, and get a better rate than someone who is 24 and has had a full license for more than 8 years!
Regardless of the those things, the fees should be presented up front, and I would want to get everything I could in writing before landing in PHX. Once you have the car, your rental paperwork will spell out all of the costs, and you should know everything you'll have to pay before you drop off the car.
Not surprisingly, with many areas having big budget problems, governments are turning once again to tourists to fix their money problems.
Milwaukee will apparently see car rental fees jump by up to 800%, which now makes the taxes and fees 40% or more of the rental cost! Sadly, as this newspaper article shows, several other cities are also charging nearly as much!
Hi,
we are three guys form Germany doing a road trip in September starting in Los Angeles. We rented a car over a german internet site and got a voucher for Alamo Car Rental. We already paid to the broker and the voucher includes a collision damage waiver and a second driver.
It would like to hear some advice from you to avoid any additional costs Alamo might try to charge from us. We know we have to pay for the full fuel tank at departure, which is ok. However we are afraid they might try to charge extra services or insurances we did not take or were unaware of when signing.
bye,
fezboa
A voucher ?
The only way to get the right advice is to contact the broker, or Alamo directly, but have you not got a renal contract with all the details ?
You say you are starting in LA but are you finishing there ? If not "one way drop off fees" could be possible if not already stated/agreed upon. Are any drivers under the age of 25 years ? If so you could have "young driver fee's" unless already stated/agreed.
I can help a little here.
If traveling to Chicago, rent a car from Oak Park. Oak Park is just west of the City of Chicago and can be accessed from the blue line trains from either Midway or O'hare. The 2.25 it will cost to get from the airport to the rental company in Oak Park is worth it. Even though it's going to take 90 minutes. You can save 50-100 bucks on a week long rental.
Denver. You can save money on the rental by renting from downtown Denver. I don't remember who much I saved, but it had to be close to 100 bucks a week. A bus will take you from the airport to Cherry Creek Mall bus terminal. There's a few rental car companies right around the corner.
Las Vegas. If you're heading there, search online for Vegas specific sites like this one. I always get a car from the airport for 9-15 dollars a day. I don't remember the name of the sites, but they are out there. You can even save on hotels.
My main advice and this is how I've always done it. You should reserve a rental car first. Even if you only have a range of travel dates, reserve a car per week for your range dates. If you're going sometime between July and September, then you are allowed to make 8 reservations. Make the reservation(s) as far in advance as possible. Just remember to cancel all reservations that will be unused. This will keep the rental company(s) happy.
The 2nd thing is to always look for a lower price every week once you have your reservation(s). By reserving first and committing later, checking up for better deals will save you money based on the original reservation total. My example is the reservation I made in February at $181.00. Last week I found one for $165.00, and about an hour ago, I found another rental car for $139.00. So, From my stand point, I have saved $42.00 on the cost of my rental car. Just $15.00 in taxes and surcharge.
This is a good idea, booking your plane ticket and car rentals in advance can get you a much cheaper deal whenever you're on vacation.Quote:
By reserving first and committing later, checking up for better deals will save you money based on the original reservation total.
Adding to the rental car bit:
If you are a member of Costco, be sure to check out Costco Travel before you rent a car someplace. We were just looking to make a reservation for our November air trip to the Midwest. I checked different rental car sites, such as Enterprise's site, Hertz's site, and a few others. I also checked some other conglomeration sites, as we were looking for either a small SUV or a mini-van. The prices were outrageous! Then my husband remembered an article we had read, about Costco Travel, and decided to check that one. WOW! The end result was that we reserved a regular-sized SUV at $200 less for the week than any other site, including Alamo's itself. My husband made the comment, "That just paid for our Costco membership, for two years -- this year, and when it comes up for renewal in Feb."
But we will keep checking for better deals. Unfortunately, over Thanksgiving, that may be fairly useless. A lot of folks are flying over that holiday.
Donna
Try AARP Travel too, if you are a member. I've gotten great car and hotel deals from them. It's powered by Expedia.
I wonder if that will work with our Australian Costco membership...
We're planning on travelling to America for the first time in 2015 & I'd love to drive the west coast from LA to Seattle.
Still in early thought prior to planning phase though, so have a some time to research more!
Great advice though Donna, thanks.
Hi and Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum.
It might pay to check with your local store, but I recall being in the States when it was announced that Costco was coming to Melbourne. At the time, when visiting Costco in Boston with my son.They seemed to be of the opinion that the membership would be honoured in both countries.
Since those days I have discovered that my local grocer is cheaper than Costco, so have not bothered with a membership.
Lifey
Whether you save enough on anything with a Costco or Sam's Club membership, really depends on how you shop. For us, it's not usually the food that we save a lot on. Instead, it's things like motor oil, car tires (we haven't needed new tires on the truck yet), liquor, men's shirts, and a few other things. The car rental thing was happenstance and I'm glad for it. They are also good for tickets to things both local and far, like movie and theme park tickets.
My parents shopped in Canada's Costco stores when traveling with their USA Costco card, so it would surprise me if an Australian Costco card would be turned down!
Donna
but can you really buy a car and just drive it? I guess as a foreigner it is not that easy? anybody has some information on this topic?
As a non-resident, you would have a great deal of problems with the issues of a car. Buying one -- not so difficult. Any seller is going to be happy to take your money. Registering and licensing it?? Big problems! You need a permanent address in the USA. Insuring it? Same issues. We have at least one member on here who has jumped through many (expensive and frustrating) hoops to own her own vehicle in the USA while a non-resident. She will probably chime in.
Overall, unless you are planning to be here more than the usual 90-day visit, it doesn't pay to go through this hassle. By the time you conquer all the problems, it would be time to go home -- and then there's selling it at the end of your stay.
Donna
ah okay! thank you very much for this information!!!
Post number 1, so firstly Hello!
I'm just starting my planning of a road trip. I have friends in LA (Riverside) and will start and end there.
I'm sure i'll have plenty of questions over the coming weeks but this looks a great site for a lot of useful information.
First question based on this thread is: Do you know what I should expect to pay on tax hiring a car from Riverside area?
Thanks
Peter
Hi Peter, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.
Have you checked with the many rental car consolidators for a rental vehicle. From what we hear, members have used these with great satisfaction. Consolidators seem to be able to minimise and in some cases complete waive certain charges.
If you still want to know how much you would pay in tax, go through the booking process without paying, and you will see them there when you check of taxes and fees - they are usually itemised. You will then also see how the taxes vary at different locations. e.g. airport to off airport, or city and outer suburbs.
Lifey
Hi Pete and welcome to RTA !
I'm not sure about taxes [could be 8 or 10 %] but what I would recommend you do is to book your car rental via a European consolidator as they often offer the best deals and can take care of all the possible surcharges and give you an 'all inclusive price' including tax and Insurances etc. Always check the fine print and know what you are getting directly with the company you are dealing with. Rentalcars.com has worked well for us in the past but it's best to shop around.
I just checked for rentals in Riverside CA using the RTA booking site - a compact car (Ford Focus or similar) from Avis is $199.99 a week plus $16.00 taxes and fees.
Thanks for the advice an the welcome.
Hi, looking for suggestions for the best price comparison car rental sites.
We are picking a car up in Phoenix and going to San Francisco, 2 UK drivers and we need it for 12 days.
any help would be appreciated
Neil
Hi Neil.
It's best to shop around to see what suits your requirements and budget for the period of rental, but make sure it is inclusive of any possible one way drop off fees. We are from the UK and always seem to get the best all round deal from rentalcars.com
Thanks Dave, do you take the additional insurance with the supplier or will a separate insurance bought in the UK suffice?
I recommend a smaller and local place to rent from. When you go for the big names you will get big costs.
There are pros and cons about the "smaller and local place". I've done both.
Oft times, the smaller and local place will be pickier about how far you can take their vehicle. Most of our smaller rental places here in San Diego, for instance, will tell you that they have to stay in the tri-state area (CA/NV/AZ). Some of their vehicles are allowed to go into Mexico (Baja, Sonora), and others are not.
The vehicles are older. Both Rent-a-Heap type places as well as our local places have vehicles that are 5+ years old. With these, you have a bigger chance of having a breakdown. You're on your own for tire changes, and woe to you if you have to call them out for service and you're 350 miles away from the home (only) office.
Finally, their offices may have shorter hours than the big names. Forget it if you're flying in at midnight and need a car right away.
The pros are: that you may not get financially penalized if a neighboring car throws open a door and scratches your local/Rent-a-Heap. They're less expensive. You may have to take an expensive taxi from the airport to their office, but it probably will be offset by a lower rental charge.
Donna
Hi Vengile and welcome to RTA !
The general consensus for overseas visitors to get the best car rental deal is to book in advance using a consolidator.
Neil. We usually rent RV's, but when renting a car from rentalcars we just stick to their basic insurance cover, but that doesn't mean I recommend it. You would need to shop around and see what suits you and makes you feel more comfortable.
thanks Dave, not sure I would be happy with a local car hire place despite the possible savings and as mentioned I doubt they would be happy leaving their car in SF if I pick up in Phoenix!!
Will have a look at separate insurance, we do it for rental cars in Europe at a fraction of the cost the rental firms want.
In Tucson, back in 2001, myself and another lass from the hostel rented a small car for a day's sightseeing, and got a fantastic deal from a local shop. But I agree, I doubt that would have been the case if we had planned to drop the car elsewhere.
They probably would not have rented it to us.
Lifey