Car Rental Woes

[keerymom]

Hi everyone! I posted this on the Budget Board and they suggested you might be able to assist here.

My husband, 2 kids, and I are headed to Fort Myers (with a couple of days at Disney) from April 3rd to April 12th. We make this trip every year, but this is our first time going during spring break. We've always tried to avoid this time, but with DD in school, we tried to work it around her schedule.

I tried every day for almost 3 weeks, trying to find reasonable airline tickets and finally found some through USAir. Well, what I wasn't prepared for was the price of the car rental!!

We've never paid more than $300 with tax and fees for a full size vehicle. Well, after trying virtually every agency with every code from Mousesavers, the cheapest I could find for a MIDSIZE with tax is about $550!!

Has anyone found good rates for spring break? Do you think there's a chance they may come down as April nears?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks eveyone!

 

[sammielynn]

I feel your pain. We are going May 27 - June 5 and the lowest I can find for a compact is $197 for the nine days. I want something lower. Try dollar with the KISS2 or KISSE codes.

 

[szymon]

keerymom,

Dollar is showing $356.59 for your dates for a midsize.

faneagleshappy,

The Travelocity quote you gave was for Fort Myers?

Szymon

 

[radioclash2]

I got a good price with budget. I typically use Avis.
I'm renting March 30th to the 1st and again on April 5th for one day.
THere were much better prices for week long rentals
Did you try mousesavers for codes?

 

[Rpsemont]

Try splitting up your stay into two rentals, or if you can lice without a car on one end or the other, try different pickup and drop off days.

Last fall we did national for a two day rental MCO - WDW. Lived without a car for about 30 hours. Then did Dollar (which was a pick up at the Grosvenor - very easy drop at MCO - for a one week rental with the KISS code. I save about $50 over any 10 day rental price.

 

[Niagara2]

I find that it is much more expensive to rent in Fort Myers than Orlando. I am doing pretty much the same dates with pickup in Fort Myers and drop off at MCO and paying the highest I ever paid. If I find a deal I will pm you and if you find one, please pm me!

 

[Llisa]

I used Priceline for a rental in DisneyLAND a year or so ago - I got a full size car with unlimited mileage for $15/day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not saying for sure that you'll get such a great deal but it's sure worth a try - I got my deal through the part of the site where you "name your price". You do have to give credit card info and pay up-front for the rental but they only use the "big" rental companies, so you don't have to worry about being stuck with a wreck of a car. The only quirk I found with the site is that you don't appear to be able to do rentals with different pick-up/drop-off locations.

HTH and good luck!

 

[TDC Nala]

Try another company and see what you get.

Easter week may be a tough time to get deals on rentals.

I have two car reservations for the end of April, one is 5 dollars more than the other one but has airport counter bypass. I am trying to decide which I should keep.