Amtrak Question

[la79al]

I am looking at Amtraking to Florida with the two kids. We are arriving a day early to get well rested and do a little visiting before DH joins us for DW. My question is, we will probably be renting a car for our extra day. Are there any car rental agencies really close to the Kissimmee or Orlando stations or any other stations nearby? Our alternative is taking the autotrain so we have our own car even though we won't need it in DW. I would prefer not to have to take a cab or taxi or anything if possible.

 

[torinsmom]

I am taking Amtrak to Kissimmee and there getting a rental car from Enterprise. They will pick you up from the station. I have a coupon from the Entertainment guide for 20% off daily or weekly rates. I ended up with an economy car for the week for $142. Much less than the difference in cost for the autotrain, and only a little more than the cost of a cab+tip roundtrip. Also, if you have AAA, you can save on the train tickets.

Marsha

 

[LittleBear]

Hertz has a rental counter in the Orlando Amtrak station. We rented a car there in December 2005 and found it to be very convenient. They were a bit slow in filling out all of the paper work, but were very nice and helpful. Be sure to reserve your car in advance so they will know you are coming and will have the car positioned at the station for you.

When booking by phone, let the agent know you want to rent a car at the 'Orlando Downtown Amtrak'. If booking on their website, at the blank for rental city, fill in Orlando, then select, 'Orlando Downtown Amtrak'.

The Orlando Amtrak Station Hertz counter is in operation from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week. This site is for Amtrak customers only. The Hertz agents will meet delayed trains for Amtrak until 8 p.m. Hertz provided directions for getting on the highway to WDW and they were clear and easy to follow.

The Orlando Downtown Amtrak station is at 1400 Sligh Boulevard and their phone number on site is 407-872-0112.

We arrived and departed the Orlando Amtrak station during the day. It was very active with lots of folks coming and going. We saw large Mears buses and many shuttle vans too. There is a tent just off the platform at the side of the building with a grill serving hotdogs with all the fixings. The smell is fabulous, wish we hadn't already had lunch! We also found the gentleman assisting with luggage to be very helpful and so friendly both coming and going.

Hope this is of some help to you in making your decision.

LittleBear

 

[Suzyq9241]

There is a rental right there in the station.... I dont think its Hertz though I think it is eterprise .....
but be careful with enterprise because they double charged me and I fought with them for ever to get my money back....
I would call the station or call the rental car places to find out which one it is... Any way Good Luck with your trip

 

[torinsmom]

It is Enterprise, b/c when I called to ask about pick-up, the office I had chosen gave me the # and said to call and book there. FYI< if you are booking online, the one at the Orlando Amtrak station is listed on Colonial Dr.

Marsha

 

[LittleBear]

I don't have information about the rental procedure for Enterprise, but I do know that Hertz has a counter in the Orlando Amtrak station. I didn't see any other rental car counters when we were there in December. The staff from the Hertz Orlando Downtown HLE station staffs the Orlando Amtrak Station counter to meet trains #91, #97, and #98. They monitor the train arrival times and adjust their schedule accordingly to be there when the train arrives (whether it is late or early ). Hertz has their computers installed in the Amtrak depot and all paperwork is filled out at the Amtrak depot. This was very convenient for us.

A tip for those who decide to rent from Hertz at the Amtrak station: In order to save time, send one person to collect the checked bags while the other is at the Hertz counter getting the paperwork in order. Even if you have a reservation, the line at the counter does grow quickly as everyone rushes off of the train, ready to begin their vacation.

LittleBear