? for those who stay off-site and rent a car?

[Winston112]

When you stay off-site at a budget hotel and rent a car to get back and forth to the parks, doesn't the cost of car rental offset the amount you saved by staying off-site? Our situation is this: booked 7 nights and the Royal pacific (on-site Universal) for a total of about $750 (E-rate). I can get the Country Inn at Calypso Cay for $59/night and save some $$. But when I called about car rentals the cheapest I could get was $380 for the week. If I do this I'm not saving anything. Can someone please explain what I'm missing?

 

[emmalgin]

When are you going and what size? I have a mid-size rented at the end of April for $129/week with interamerican. Add $6 parking a day and I think it is fair.

Wouldn't the cab from the airport be almost $100 round-trip?

Then add to that you have to stay and eat at hotel or USF or WDW where the cost is 25% more on average and the cost to me starts getting expensive.

Calypso Inn has breakfast. I am on holidays and the idea of a cooler in the corner for breakfast throws me off. Though a kitchen is a different story.

 

[Winston112]

Sorry, forgot to say we are going in July. If we stay at RPH we were going to get Tiffany Towncar, which I believe is $75 roundtrip.
Thanks for the quick reply emmalgin.

 

[Thumper's Dad]

When we were there (late Feb., 2001), we had a rental car for 8 days. We flew into St. Petersburg airport, departed from Orlando and ended up with a minivan because they ran out of the mid-size car we'd reserved (and we refused to accept paying more than our reservation!). We rented through Budget, researched for discounts and I think payed no more than about $225. Of course, we REALLY need the car, since we were spending a couple days on the Gulf and going to Kennedy before WDW.

 

[Winston112]

Please tell me how to get a discount like that!!!!

 

[disney4us2002]

If you belong to Disneyclub you can get a bit of discount thru National. We're going in June and I think the reason our weekly fullsize rental is $135 total is because I reserved last July. It seems that for whatever reason the rentals post 9/11 have been insane. I was checking last week for a friend of mine going later in June and the cheapest even with DC was around $225 for a compact.

You might want to try priceline and make a bid. You don't get to pick which agency but the prices are usually reasonable if accepted.

Carla

 

[RobinLyn]

If you haven't already, check mousesavers.com for discounts on car rentals. Click on ground transportation.

RobinLyn

 

[LBYC-19]

Winston, have you checked out the Transportation Boards here on the DIS? Between mousesavers.com and these boards, you should come up with some good ideas. I've been amazed by some of the great discounts that have been on these boards over the past year I've been reading them.

We're going April vacation and I booked a our rental car a year ago with National (Emerald Aisle and Disney Club) and the best rate I got was $l78..it would have been a little cheaper had I done it on-line, not over the phone. Good luck!

 

[emmalgin]

Go to Interamerican. The website has a coupon and the prices are cheaper.

Also with National or other you can cancel in all likelihood.

 

[ncbyrne]

I have a minivan reserved with Dollar for $199 for the week (translates to $248 bottom line with taxes and the extra charges). I find that Dollar usually has the best prices. I got this using "GLOBE" as the code, and got this code from mousesavers.com

 

[goofymom/pop]

go to travelocity and register yourself...its free!!!! then do a search for rentals through orlando int airport. I would never pay the rates you got.....they are awful. I paid 175 last year for a mini van through avis. That was for seven days in May.....yikes...do some more research. Check you local entertainment books, look for coupons in the sunday papers...anything but the rate you got....bummer.

I booked two years ago through travelocity with a tiny little company located in the airport (important if you dont like to take shuttles) they were wonderful. No lines, fast service, no addons....If I can remember the name I will send it along to you.

Cindy

 

[DawnCt]

I have always done well with Budget and Dollar, my neighbors have gotton good rates with L&M. They are in the airport and are not a national chain, I don't think. Check Orbitz.

 

[Thumper's Dad]

Sorry I didn't answer your question sooner! To get the discounted rate we received, I shopped and shopped. Checked the internet, checked out Entertainment Club rates, AARP rates, rates AT the airport and rates away from the airport.

Also, remember that we flew into Tampa/St. Pete. We also had a friend in Florida take us to the airport, so we didn't go over into another "day" of rental.

Disney4us2002 may have something when pointing out the differences in the world these days and the effect that may be having on rental rates.

 

[tinaluis]

If you're dates are set in stone you may want to try Priceline. We got a full-size car from Avis for 2 weeks in May for $300 with all taxes included. The same car reserved directly through Avis was $595.00 plus tax. Priceline is non-changeable and non-refundable so make sure before you try and also read TravelSheryl's website, www.biddingfortravel.com for information on how to bid and what amount. It's saved us a ton of $$ each time.

 

[DCinNs]

Book as far in advance as you can & keep checking...WE paid $350.00txs in for a full size car for two weeks but received a minivan because they were out of full size...OH WELL IF WE MUST!! LOL. That was from Dollar in Tampa. The fellow who checked in front of me was offered $250.00 per week before takes for a Neon....the prices sure vary.

 

[WDW2002]

Winston112, I wondered the same thing. When I first began my research for out Dec trip back in June 2000, I priced an off site hotel ($50) and the price of the rental car ($35) and came out that it was more expensive then staying at all stars for $74/night. Even with the $80 round trip for Tiffany, I was still coming up ahead then staying offsite with a rental car.