Anyone ever rented a car for 3 months?

[HFC1969]

Just thought I would ask..

My mom and her girl friends are considering being snow bird for Jan-March...

Her room mates are all excited.. but no one wants to drive a car down... I said have it shipped.. she grumbled...

Just curious if anyone ever rented a car for long periods?

 

[undertheradar]

Would be much less expensive to drive a car down. Long term renting is expensive and there are regulations that control maximum rental length.

Perhaps you could drive the car down and fly back?

 

[richmo]

A couple thoughts:
- This is one case where the AutoTrain actually makes sense. (Not sure where you are though)
- Some people hire a college kid they know to drive it down...the kid gets to stay in Florida a little during their winter break and you just pay to to fly him/her back

 

[Ranger111]

Would make more sense to check with local car dealers, see if you can get some sort of short-term lease.

Know that you probably would not be dealing with the local Ford or Honda dealer (although you could try), but more likely Fred and Ethel's Car Sales and Ballet Studio.

 

[jsilvers]

I haven't had reason to check if they're cost-effective, but the major car rental companies do offer multi-month deals - for example, https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/productservice/index.jsp?targetPage=longtermmonthlyleasecarrental.jsp.

 

[4under4]

Also, check the terms of your credit card rental insurance if that is what they are going to use. I had to do long term rental for work at one time, but the insurance was only good for 30 days. So every 29 days I had to "return" the car and rerent it.

 

[nkereina]

My grandparents did a month long car rental through Hertz about two years ago, they are snow birds as well. It was just under $800 for a month. Personally, I don't think it's a terrible price because it avoids the hassle of having it shipped and the hassle of driving it down. But not sure how it compares cost-wise to either of those options. You may have to return it and re-rent it due to 30 day limits as well, not sure.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I rented a minivan from a month, the cheapest was Enterprise, at PHL airport, to my surprise. DD had a double knee surgery, and I drive a VW Beetle, it was impossible to even get her home from the hospital otherwise. It was less than $800 a month, but I forget the cost, maybe $600.

 

[BigTigger]

We rented for six weeks twice when in Orlando for mid-December to late January periods the last two years (2013 and 2014). I was their the first two and then the last week and my wife was there the whole time and used it in between. I used Enterprise as they allowed the second driver for free and their contract and my primary rental insurance through my AMEX card were in sync on covering loss of use and other damages (my program window was 60 days for maximum rental term, but as a PP said, check the details of your plan. Enterprise will swap the car on a changeover date for free usually if you need to have two rental terms). The cost was just under $650 both times. The bonus was that as I was enrolled in their frequent renter program I earned a few free rental days I used on other trips.