Car rental question - how big of a car?

[QVCshopper]

Hi - My family is flying into Tampa in early Nov because the Orlando flights from Philly are through the roof for our dates and have yet to go down.

My husband and I (despite being near 40) have yet to ever rent a car. We have 3 kids -- age 2 (in a toddler car seat that I may bring), 8, and 9. What size car do you think we need?

I'm hoping we can squeeze into a full-sized car, as that would be cheaper than renting a minivan or SUV. We probably will mostly take Disney transpotation while at the park, except for me driving back from the Wine and Dine half marathon, since our hotel doesn't have transportation.

We are looking into renting via Costco for just under 7 days through Alamo, but I am interested in other deals as well. Thanks for your help!

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Hi - My family is flying into Tampa in early Nov because the Orlando flights from Philly are through the roof for our dates and have yet to go down.

My husband and I (despite being near 40) have yet to ever rent a car. We have 3 kids -- age 2 (in a toddler car seat that I may bring), 8, and 9. What size car do you think we need?

I'm hoping we can squeeze into a full-sized car, as that would be cheaper than renting a minivan or SUV. We probably will mostly take Disney transpotation while at the park, except for me driving back from the Wine and Dine half marathon, since our hotel doesn't have transportation.

We are looking into renting via Costco for just under 7 days through Alamo, but I am interested in other deals as well. Thanks for your help!

Fitting in a full-size depends on your stroller and baggage. Back row of a full size can handle 3 kids without problem. The trunk is the issue. If your stroller and baggage are large, you could have a problem. But I think the people will fit fine.

 

[QVCshopper]

Thank you! A good point to think about. We usually pack light, but still need stuff for five people.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Keep in mind that car rental companies define the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, and Nissan Altima as "full-size" cars. These are all nice cars, but they are quite a bit smaller than the "full-size" cars some of us remember from earlier decades.

My concern would be the trunk size.

Back when our kids were young, we would get a Ford Crown Victoria or Mercury Grand Marquis because these cars had trunks big enough for two adults and two kids. These cars are no longer manufactured.

It depends on how much luggage you bring and how big the bags are.

 

[jkelly86]

I agree with the posters above. A full-size car isn't what it used to be!
Have you tried the Budget code x474200 for a mini-van? That code still works at TPA. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[sam_gordon]

We are a family of 5. When we rent, we get a full size car. BUT, we don't have to deal with a stroller. We usually end up filling the trunk pretty full and wouldn't have room for a stroller.

We generally have four checked bags (one large, two medium, one duffle), one carry on suitcase, and 5 carry on backpacks.

I think you're going to need a minivan or SUV.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

What size car are you taking to the airport and how tightly will it be packed.
Will your stroller fit in the car front, or can you use a small umbroller for the airport and rent for the parks?
I think Apple still has free rental. I know last we rented one it was amazing to not have to lug it.

 

[QVCshopper]

Thanks all. I'm good at packing light. I can get us all in 1 big suitcase and 1 carryon suitcase, plus 2 backpacks and a purse. That's our usual packing arrangement because managing anymore at an airport with 3 kids is too much to handle. We will probably be bringing a larger umbrella stroller, but could switch to the small one. I might check out some of those cars, I'm not really a car person. We usually drive an Odyssey, but like I said, we are fairly light packers.

 

[QVCshopper]

I agree with the posters above. A full-size car isn't what it used to be!
Have you tried the Budget code x474200 for a mini-van? That code still works at TPA. Good luck and have a great trip!

Thanks for posting this code! I entered it and it's offering $330 for a Dodge caravan, which sounds pretty great. Might just go ahead and book that...

 

[jkelly86]

Great! If you join FastBreak (free to join), you can bypass the counter. Also, you should be able to stack a coupon (for instance, I can usually add a $25 off coupon from BJ's) We have been very lucky with our mini-vans from Budget at TPA. (They have had extras like Navi and DVD player...) I hope your family has a great trip!

 

[QVCshopper]

Great! If you join FastBreak (free to join), you can bypass the counter. Also, you should be able to stack a coupon (for instance, I can usually add a $25 off coupon from BJ's) We have been very lucky with our mini-vans from Budget at TPA. (They have had extras like Navi and DVD player...) I hope your family has a great trip!

Thanks again! You're awesome! And I truly appreciate the help on this thread. We really had no choice with not flying into Orlando like we usually do. Flights were well over a thousand difference in price for our dates between five round trip tickets, and they never went down. Maybe we will drive to some of the parks even, that would be a real treat!