Car Rental from LAX, Terminal 1

[AimKo]

Hi all

I am a WDW vet, but work is sending me out to California in July, so I'm taking the family along and checking out DLR for the first time!!!

We are flying Southwest and I need to rent a car to get between work things and fun things. Can anyone tell me what car rental companies have cars right at the airport (Terminal 1)? We are flying in super late (which will feel even later because of the 3 hour time difference) and I'm trying to minimize hassle of grabbing some shuttle to a far off car rental desk.

Thanks!
Aimee

 

[SMD]

All rental cars at LAX are off site. You can catch a shuttle outside your terminal, but be aware that terminal 1 is first in the loop and that the shuttle will stop at all the other stops before exiting the airport. You could either do a shuttle/private transfer to your hotel and rent the car there in the morning or if it's really late stay at an LAX area hotel with a free shuttle and rent your car in the morning at LAX.

 

[AimKo]

UGH...thanks for the quick reply even if its not what I wanted to hear!

Looks like we'll be in for a long night!

 

[TechGuy]

IF you can, make your reservation for the car online, join the "frequent renters" program for your company of choice and have all of your paperwork and car selections made online before you leave home. This way you can walk up to the counter, show your ID, get the keys and you are into a car. If you wait until you get to the counter, it feels like a 45 minute paperwork fest. Online rentals typically ensure the car you want to rent is on-lot as it's reserved. Walk-ups get whatever they have available at the walk-up price they have. Online reservations will frequently be bumped into a larger/nicer car at the lower price if they are out of the lower priced cars, sometimes so they can re-rent the lower priced car to walk-ups, at a higher price.

Do you need a rental car? If you are just doing DLR and your hotel, you may find you don't want one. Sometimes you are paying to rent and park a car you not using.

Also, compare the cost of renting in Anaheim vs. LAX. Sometime the local rentals are cheaper, sometimes the airports are. Depends on what days you need the car.

 

[atmail35]

If you don't need the car right away, consider getting to your hotel and renting one from the Alamo which is near Earl of Sandwich and across from DLH when you need it.

I found a decent deal through Costco. Like TechGuy said factor in parking, rental rates and see.

 

[Hofmanns4]

Do you have to fly into LAX? SNA(Orange County) is much easier to fly into and get rental car. We just went last week and got car from Dollar at the terminal for 3 Days for $71. I have done SW to LAX and the rental car shuttle is a pain and seems to take forever. But, if you have to do LAX since this is a work trip, oh well, at least you get some Disney time

 

[AimKo]

Thanks for all the input guys. I absolutely need a rental car later in the week, but I don't need one the whole time. Maybe I can set something up with Alamo to pick up just the night before I need it and drop off at LAX!

Is it hard to get a taxi to the DLR area hotels from LAX? Crazy expensive? Since we are getting in really late, I'm looking for the path of least resistance to get us into a hotel the first night!

 

[SMD]

There are taxi stands at LAX. It will be $100+ to Anaheim.

 

[bumbershoot]

The shuttle process isn't bad at lax. You're not going a million miles away. I'd rather do that than have a long and expensive cab ride.