Dropping off rental car at MCO, pain or painless?

[dutch_girl_scout]

We are considering renting a car for the day we get off our cruise so that we can go to Kennedy Space Center before our late flight out. The rental would be either from Avis, Budget, or Hertz. We've never rented a car before, the picking it up part from the port seems easy. My quesitons are: How does the drop off work? Would DH drop me and the kids off with the luggage and then take the car back? Do we all go drop the car off and take some sort of shuttle? Which company is on site and which are off-site? Thanks for your help.

 

[copper68]

First off, make sure that you use a rental car company that has it's lot on the aiport property so that you don't have to take a shuttle.

It would probably be easiest to have your hubby drop off you and the kids by the check in counter, then he could go and drop the car off. When we have dropped the car off in the past it's been seemless. You pull in, they take a quick look at the car, gas etc. They print you out a receipt and you're done.

Right after that he can hop on an escalator and he will be up with you in 2 minutes. It;s actually very easy, and we have never had a problem.

 

[WillCAD]

Sure, you can do that, but it's not terribly nessecary.

The rental car drop-offs in the MCO garage are very close ot the walkways into the terminal. There are also rentable luggage carts near the drop offs if you need them, and the walk into the terminal is short enough to be pretty easy on everybody involved.

MCO is set up specifically to make it easy for you to jus drive right up to the rental car return, park, get your luggage out, and walk into the terminal, so don't worry about splitting up, you can all go in together.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Thanks for the replies. Are either Avis, Budget, or Hertz on site at MCO?

 

[ktglads]

Avis and budget are onsite. Hertz is offsite

 

[Bobb-O]

from orlando airport website - which was difficult to locate - seems they changed to that myflorida.com url - plus there are plenty of unofficial orlando airport websites.

On Airport
Level 1 (A and B sides)

Alamo 1-800-327-9633
Avis 1-800-831-2847
Budget 1-800-527-0700
Dollar Domestic: 1-800-800-4000
International: 1-800-800-6000
L and M Car Rental 1-800-277-5171
National 1-800-227-7368

 

[safetymom]

Hertz is offsite but there is always a shuttle waiting to take you over. I would go to the airport and do curbside check in with whatever agency you are using then return the car. The skycap would need to see the drivers ID before he leaves but it is very quick and easy that way.

 

[blitzkrieg048]

Budget's dropoff is pretty good. They meet you right in the garage and process you transaction right there. When done someone can assist you with your luggae back across the street to the terminal or you can rent one of those luggage carraiges for $3.

 

[dvc guy]

We have used Hertz off site and they are very quick, no more than 5 minutes back to the airport. I would go with the cheapest rate,

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Go with an airport onsite rental car company. It's so much easier.

 

[safetymom]

When we used National it took us longer to use them then it did to take the bus to the Hertz lot.