best time to get good rate on rental car

[HOGFAN]

as in 2 weeks before trip or couple days before?
does the time of day you go online to book affect rates? Like midnight as opposed to 5 o'clock in the p.m.?

 

[HOGFAN]

as opposed to in terminal counter? it certainly seems cheaper to catch a shuttle to a lot, but how much time do you lose?

 

[miss missy]

as in 2 weeks before trip or couple days before?
does the time of day you go online to book affect rates? Like midnight as opposed to 5 o'clock in the p.m.?

Its a seek and find really.

I usually do good about 60-30 days before. Most Co's have so many cars at one price and then it goes up for the next so many... etc. When someone cancells, that may make the next person online get a good rate, but the second person will get the higher rate. It really is luck of the draw mixed with how busy or slow your trip dates are for the co.

That said, the best advice is to try the rates when ever you get a chance. Book one right away at the lowest you can find, then if something comes lower, book that and cancel the other. And so on. p.s. I dont know if this works with prepay.

Never used the shuttle, so not sure on that.

 

[minster22]

In the past (and I emphasize the "past" since so much has changed with rental car rates this year!!) I have gotten the best rate about 2 to 3 weeks prior to our trip. I have pretty much used Alamo at the airport most of the time. My last trip in May 2009 I used Dollar (they had the best rate) and got the worst rental car I have ever had so I would hesitant to use them again. I would have to get an unbelievable rate to ever consider going in a shuttle to get a rental. I love getting off the plane and going right to the kiosk then the garage to get my car. I check rates like a crazy person (several times a day starting about a month prior to our trip) . One thing I have discovered is with Alamo the rate is sometimes better picking it up on the hour as opposed to the half hour.My best rate ever....$62.00 for a week , mid-size car with Alamo, all taxes Sept 2008.I will be ecstatic this year if I can get my rate down to under $200. Right now I have $246.00 with Alamo which I booked in May for October 2009.Good Luck....

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Last October, I found the best rate just a few weeks before our trip. It was significantly lower ($50-60) than what I kept finding before. I went ahead and booked the cheapest rate I could find for our August trip and hope that I'll find something better in August.