Can You Rent and Return to Dif. locations?

[DisneycrazedX6]

Hi!!! I am flying into Tampa then driving to Disney. I will need to rent a car at the airport but can I return it to the hotel? I plan on using Magical Express for our trip back,since we will be there two weeks. Thanks for any information.

 

[safetymom]

I doubt you will be able to do that without a hefty dropoff fee. Try making a reservation online with the different dropoff site and see what it does to your cost.

 

[NotUrsula]

Actually, a lot of the companies don't impose the dropoff fee for differing locations within Florida, or at least, they don't make it a large fee. I've never paid more than $50 extra when I've needed to drop off at a different location within Florida. (I've also noticed the same pattern when flying into and out of different airports within California.)

Obviously, you have to make your reservation to be set up this way, and as always, your experiences may vary. Still, it isn't normally the sort of exhorbitant drop-off fee you find when you try to pick up in one state and drop off in another.

 

[Bob P]

Hi Disney crazed,

You need to check with the car rental companies. I suggest you keep trying until you get one that will not charge you! We often pick up a car at the Dolphin and drop it off in Fort Myers with no extra charge.

Good luck,

Bob

 

[zdad]

We are flying into Tampa as well. Have a ressie with Avis for a minivan. Avis is my companies corporate account so, that the best deal for me. The ressie details a 10.4% "Concession Recovery Fee" which I'll asume is a drop off at other location fee. That fee does not show up on a local Orlando rental I have later in the week. For a one day rental the fee is of no consequence. I suspect all other rental car companies are fairly similar.

You can drop virtually every name brand rental company car off at a hotel in or near Disney. National & Alamo are at the Car Care Center. Avis is at the Disney Hilton. Hertz runs a shuttle to an off property site they have in Kissimmee.

You should have not problem with a one way rental from Tampa.

 

[golfgal]

Alamo doesn't charge for a one way from MCO to Disneyworld, I don't know about from Tampa, but it would be worth checking out at mousesavers.com and use their discount codes, too.

 

[gw_lit]

The ressie details a 10.4% "Concession Recovery Fee" which I'll asume is a drop off at other location fee. That fee does not show up on a local Orlando rental I have later in the week. For a one day rental the fee is of no consequence. I suspect all other rental car companies are fairly similar.

The Concession Recovery Fee is a fee that you pay for the "privilege" of picking up your car at an airport rental location... kind of a charge for a "capitve audience". If you rent from a local rental branch (i.e. not at the airport, or having an airport shuttle usually), then you'll avoid the Concession Recovery Fee, which can add up on longer rentals.

That being said, as others have stated, there generally isn't a one way or drop off fee for rentals among Florida locations. If there is a one-way or drop off fee, it should be specified as such in your rate quote.

 

[zdad]

Thanks GW. I am now smarter. Just a lot of big words to disquise another tax.

 

[Lewisc]

At one time it was illegal to charge a drop charge from one FL location to another. Even now the drop charges aren't that common.

FOR NON-FL one way rentals you have to really shop. Some agencies charge a drop fee. Some don't charge a drop fee but black out all the discounted codes and you may wind up paying more than if you paid a drop fee on a discounted rate. Some will limit your free mileage.

 

[manning]

Compare the rental rates (different drop off point vs same location) to be sure the rates aren't higher.

 

[lazarru]

We rented from Avis a couple of months ago, picking up in Orlando and dropping off in Tampa. There were no additional charges for doing that, verifyed when I had rented through customer service as well as through pricing.

 

[lazarru]

We rented from Avis a couple of months ago, picking up in Orlando and dropping off in Tampa. There were no additional charges for doing that, verifyed when I had rented through customer service as well as through pricing.

 

[gigi1313]

we always rent (national or alamo) at mco and drop at the dolphin (and on our return date we rent at the dolphin or car care center and drop at mco) and there's never an add'l charge...

 

[dvc guy]

I have been renting at different locations within Fl for over 10 years and never paid a one way fee. Sometimes they will not apply coupons on a one way, depends on the company. I have 2 one way rentals booked over the next 10 months.

 

[agnes!]

I have rented many times within the state of Florida, picking up at one location & droppping off at another. It is my understanding that it is against state law to have a 'one-way'/'drop-off' fee.

We have rented from Miami/returned to Orlando, rented from Tampa/returned to Orlando and rented from MK Car Care Center/returned to Orlando.
On our upcoming August trip I am thinking about picking up a National car from the MK Car Care Center location(no "Airport Concession Recovery Fee"!). I'd then drop-off at Orlando International after keeping the car for part of our stay, paying for a *week*...no nasty extra day charges. *But* get a towncar service for the initial trip from the airport to our WDW resort. Believe it or not this will be cheaper than renting a car for our 8 1/2 days. (I'll admit, not *much* cheaper, but still ) My idea of a treat is being met at baggage claim, taken to a grocery store to pick up some snacks & such, being at my resort within an hour of deplaning & then picking up a rental car later in the stay for freedom when we need it. Hey, our DD is 12 & I *like* having a car for that occasional trip to the Urgent Care Clinic.

To the OP: If you're thinking of renting from somewhere else & then returning to a location in/near WDW, I think MouseSavers has (somewhere in the Rental Cars section) the various company locations in/near WDW. If you rent from National or Alamo(sister companies), you can get a complimentary shuttle from your WDW(on-site) resort to the rental location. The two closest are at the Magic Kingdom Car Care Center and at the WDW Dolphin(at least I *think* it's the Dolphin...)

Just check out MouseSavers for all sorts of hints/tips/codes if you're thinking of renting a car when you're visiting WDW.

Hope this helps,
agnes!