Gail-You would pay more for in teminal rent a car why?

[lkohawaii]

Gail - You mentiones on another post that you'd pay the wxtra $30 for an in terminal rent a car. Is that only in Orlando or everywhere? I was just wondering the reason for this? I'm thinking of renting from Thrifty which is off site in San Fran.and maybe even in L.A. I'm going on the Disney Magic in 2005 out of L.A.

 

[ducklite]

I'm not Gail, but I would. IMHO it's worth $30 for two reasons...

1. Not having to schlepp luggage on and off a shuttle,

and

2. It's faster to walk out to the garage, grab your car and go. Likewise on return you drive into the garage, get the printout from the attendent and in less than five minutes your in the terminal. You might wait over twenty minutes for a shuttle to show up at the off-site place.

Anne

 

[Disneymomma]

It is much easier to pick up and drop off when it is in the terminal. Saves a lot of hassle and your out of there within a very short period of time!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by lkohawaii
Gail - You mentiones on another post that you'd pay the wxtra $30 for an in terminal rent a car. Is that only in Orlando or everywhere? I was just wondering the reason for this? I'm thinking of renting from Thrifty which is off site in San Fran.and maybe even in L.A. I'm going on the Disney Magic in 2005 out of L.A.

It depends on the airport. LA is a shuttle to any rental agency.
Don't know about SF, but, if you check the agencies there, they will tell you if you need to take a shuttle or not.

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by lkohawaii
Gail - You mentiones on another post that you'd pay the wxtra $30 for an in terminal rent a car. Is that only in Orlando or everywhere? I was just wondering the reason for this? I'm thinking of renting from Thrifty which is off site in San Fran.and maybe even in L.A. I'm going on the Disney Magic in 2005 out of L.A.

I totally agree with Gail, ducklite and Disneymomma--it is sooo much nicer not to have to take a shuttle.
I believe in the case of Orlando, if you rent from an in terminal rental car company there is an additional airport tax that the locations off airport do not have to add on to your rental....

The last time we flew into SFO, I believe they were working on some sort of train or something from the terminal to the rental car facilities (it may be finished--I believe the last time we flew in there was April either 2000 or 2001).
(Your question got me to wondering if the train is finished, so I looked up the website and it looks like it is!
Way cool! )
link to SFO rental car info

As Gail says, it is a shuttle for all rental cars at LAX. We were just there in June. We had a 9 day rental for $140.00 (including all the other stuff they add in)!

The thing I dislike about the shuttle is the wait factor (you have to wait for a shuttle to pick you up) and then having to lug all the luggage up the stairs into and off the shuttle... Even with just a small carryon, I think it is a pain. (Wouldn't it be great to take a trip with no luggage at all? We've only ever done that twice with a couple of day trips...)
Also, the shuttles could be full and there never seems to be neat orderly lines, does there?... Our last trip to SFO (several years ago before the train was finished), we let 2 shuttles pass us and by the time the 3rd one came along, we managed a spot--standing room only. It was a little annoying to have been waiting and each time a shuttle came by, folks would walk right up in front of us and get on the shuttle. We ran into a similar situation at the Ontario (California) airport one time, too.

The return process to the airport generally seems a little kinder, but you still have to wait for the shuttle and you still have to contend with the luggage. Walking right out to the car at the terminal is much nicer.

-DC

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I believe in the case of Orlando, if you rent from an in terminal rental car company there is an additional airport tax that the locations off airport do not have to add on to your rental....

While they don't have the airport tax, they have one that is about the same cost, cannot remember the name of it, but, it is there. You can avoid that tax IF you take a cab to the rental location and don't use their transportation.

 

[dcfromva]

Doesn't the Disney Magic launch out of Long Beach?
I've never flown into/out of that airport, but I have heard that is very convenient to get into/out of...

Link to Long Beach airport map (It looks like you could walk to pick up your rental car, but I don't know for sure. )
-DC

 

[ducklite]

As an FYI, Las Vegas is all off site as well.

Anne

 

[safetymom]

I don't mind off airport locations. I use Hertz and there is always a shuttle bus waiting or within seconds. I am at their lot in a few minutes and driving away in my car in less than 10 mins.

Since I travel by myself I carry my suitcase on the shuttle to the lot but before I return the car I do curbside check in at whatever airport I am at. That way I don't have to return on the shuttle with my luggage.

Very quick and simple. I don't know that all off site agencies are as fast as Hertz but it doesn't make any difference to me that in some locations they are offsite.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I would also, it's so much easier.

 

[lkohawaii]

Thanks eveybody....being that we don't get off this island much we've always flown into LAX or Las Vegas. After reading these boards I've found out I've never had the opportunity to have in terminal pick up so I've been deprived the experience. I'll go check out SFO and if they have in terminal rent a car I guess I'll be experiencing that red carpet treatment.

 

[manning]

You may not have to haul the luggage onto the shuttle, but you have to either take it to the car or bring the car around.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by manning
You may not have to haul the luggage onto the shuttle, but you have to either take it to the car or bring the car around.

Very true, but, they have those cute little luggage carts or skycaps/porters to take the luggage to your onsite car.

I, for fun, priced out a rental with Thrifty for the same car types that I am renting from Alamo. I would save 17.20 less to go with Thrifty. This is my vacation and for 17.50, I will stay onsite.

 

[Dan Murphy]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=597168

 

[manning]

Very true, but, they have those cute little luggage carts or skycaps/porters to take the luggage to your onsite car.

Ah ha! the truth comes out. You devil

 

[ducklite]

Gail,

Do you mean the carts are cute...or the skycaps

Anne

 

[JennsBabySky]

Originally posted by dcfromva
Doesn't the Disney Magic launch out of Long Beach?
I've never flown into/out of that airport, but I have heard that is very convenient to get into/out of...

Actually, the Magic is launching out of San Pedro for the West Coast Itinerary.

Hope that helps,
Jennifer

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by JennsBabySky
Actually, the Magic is launching out of San Pedro for the West Coast Itinerary.

Hope that helps,
Jennifer

Jennifer,
Thanks!
-DC

Anne,
I was just looking at the latest pictures of your house--it looks like they are almost finished with everything. (It is a gorgeous house!) When do you get to move in?

-DC

 

[lkohawaii]

JennsBabysky- Yes, you're right the closest airport I think to the port is Long Beach and yes, the ship is sailing out of Port Of Los Angelos San Pedro. I think most of us paying a plane ticket to L.A. will visit Disneyland while it's celebrating it's 50th anniversary. That's probably why more people aren't renting cars or flying into Long Beach.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by ducklite
Gail,

Do you mean the carts are cute...or the skycaps

Anne

well, sometimes both.