Best Price for Car rental?

[latheria]

Calling all you experts out there.

What is the best price you can find for a rental car from April 25th to May 11th for a minivan (for canadian citizens)? I come to a total of 800 something.

And for a car compact or higher from April 25th to May 12th.

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes some of there time out to search for us.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I think you will find this thread helpful.
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2970663

Also you are looking too early for a rental car. The best deals can be found a week before your trip because that is when the rental co. release their last minutes specials.

I never book my trips until the Tue. before we leave because after 9:00 a.m. is when the last minute deals are released. Last 6 trips I have taken I have not paid more than $100 for a mid size with Alamo for a weekly rental.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

I think you will find this thread helpful.
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2970663

Also you are looking too early for a rental car. The best deals can be found a week before your trip because that is when the rental co. release their last minutes specials.

I never book my trips until the Tue. before we leave because after 9:00 a.m. is when the last minute deals are released. Last 6 trips I have taken I have not paid more than $100 for a mid size with Alamo for a weekly rental.

This is bad advice, especially if you are looking for a minivan on SUV as many rental companies reach their maximum capacity for these types of vehicles early and then no longer offer discounts. For instance, for Easter Week, I booked six months out. Found an SUV for $246 for the week. I checked almost daily for a better rate from any rental company and never found a better rate. If I waited for the last couple of weeks, the best rate I could have found would have been over $1200 for the same week.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

The best rate I found was $687.58 using the KLM Code renting via National. If you use this code, you should sign up for KLM's frequent flyer program to ensure your eligibility. Good luck.

If I were you, I would reserve that now, and bid daily on priceline trying to get a better rate.

 

[Donna M]

I found that for this trip, Apr 19-29, the cheapest rate, at Alamo was had 3 1/2 weeks out; my price went from $207 to $334 full size. My best advice is to do the leg work; check prices frequently, hunt for discount codes www.mousesavers.com and check different companies. Good luck.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This is bad advice, especially if you are looking for a minivan on SUV as many rental companies reach their maximum capacity for these types of vehicles early and then no longer offer discounts. For instance, for Easter Week, I booked six months out. Found an SUV for $246 for the week. I checked almost daily for a better rate from any rental company and never found a better rate. If I waited for the last couple of weeks, the best rate I could have found would have been over $1200 for the same week.

I think I see the problem here...why on earth would you go "Easter" week? I avoid that
Like the plague. Robbery and Ruffian crowds.

But I do have a general question that requires some experience: the weekly rate for a block of days in may (just now - month out) is pretty good if I book noon on Monday one week to noon on Monday the following week...however it's more like a 4 pm return on the backend.

If I punch that in...it goes to about $100 more for the reservation. This is Dollar.

Now, nothing about the process worries me at all...I'm just looking at experience with short term "late returns". Obviously it would be an hourly/daily fee...but at what type of rate? If I book the flat week...the "daily rate" computes at about $20 a night.

Any thoughts? Should be pretty easy to "game this one"...even though I always have my guard up on dollar.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

I think I see the problem here...why on earth would you go "Easter" week? I avoid that
Like the plague. Robbery and Ruffian crowds.

But I do have a general question that requires some experience: the weekly rate for a block of days in may (just now - month out) is pretty good if I book noon on Monday one week to noon on Monday the following week...however it's more like a 4 pm return on the backend.

If I punch that in...it goes to about $100 more for the reservation. This is Dollar.

Now, nothing about the process worries me at all...I'm just looking at experience with short term "late returns". Obviously it would be an hourly/daily fee...but at what type of rate? If I book the flat week...the "daily rate" computes at about $20 a night.

Any thoughts? Should be pretty easy to "game this one"...even though I always have my guard up on dollar.

We went Easter Week because we were doing an RCI cruise out of Port Canaveral. Added two days on both ends for WDW and just did the parks from 8AM to 2PM. Very manageable under those guidelines.

As far as returning a car late, can't help you there. I would call Dollar corporate and ask if they have a written policy on how that is calculated. That should prevent some shenanigans on pricing if you return it late.

 

[Bullseye]

I just checked Dollar and it was $829 for your dates. But honestly you have to do your own legwork like everyone else does! Just go on the car rental sites and feed your dates in and see what you get. At this point you can find 'last minute deals" on most sites for your dates. Also hit Mousesavers for rental codes and there's surely a thread on Disboards for April rates that could be helpful. Right now for the next week should be you're best chance for a good rate. Good Luck.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I didnt give the dates nor request a conversion van...it's $132 for the week right now for what I'm looking for...

I wasn't attempting to "avoid" leg work. More just an open question about past experience...

But I appreciate the effort though, nonetheless.

 

[latheria]

Thanks for the answers. I am looking daily and adding different coupon codes. The cheapest I had so far was close to 900 so posting this thread has helped me save a few hundred! (If I find the same rate that was posted as the National website is now down)

Thanks again!

 

[iluveeyore]

For National, if you join their Emerald Club (free), you can reserve at a mid-size price, then choose whatever is in the Emerald Aisle that is larger (perhaps SUVs or minivans). Not sure of their availability at MCO, but maybe someone who has done this can chime in. Using my Emerald club ID, my KLM code (Flying Blue ID, free as well), I get $537 for Apr. 25- May 12.