Has anyone ever rented a car to drive to WDW?

[ziggystardust]

My DBF and I both lease cars but would love to go on a road trip. I could probably pull of the mileage on my car, but unless DBF gets a new car before the trip (which is a possibility) we would be looking to rent a car.

Obviously each car is different, but I was wondering if anyone has done this, and if anyone has had any issues while driving. And if so what did the rental company do.

I guess I'm just full of questions!!!
Thanks in advance

 

[ducklite]

Most rental companies in the Northeast don't give unlimited milage. A friend recently looked into renting in VT to drive to Orlando, they only gave 1000 free miles, she would have needed about 3000.

Between rental costs, milage, and gas prices, it's probably going to be less expensive to fly.

Anne

 

[safetymom]

Just check with your rental agency. Some do not allow you to take them out of state. I used to rent a car for vacation when I lived in PA and went to the beach in MD with no problems at Hertz.

 

[Poohs Pal]

DD and I always rent from Hertz. We are AAA members and I'm a gold club. We have always had unlimited miles and no problem taking the car out of state. Susan

 

[Blondiex46]

I am in PA and when driving to DW I always rent. always with unlimited mileage, just keep checking in with the rental companies. Check Travelzoo.com and breezenet.com for deals.

 

[Lewisc]

Read the fine print carefully. NOT SURE IF IT'S STILL TRUE but at one time using PL or Hotwire to rent a car from the nearest airport to where you live was one of the best ways to go. You got a competitive rate with unlimited mileage. Anne is right, many of the NE agencies either cap your mileage or limit your rental to your state or possibly adjacent states. Don't just rely on an "unlimited mileage" statement. Unlimited miles won't help you if your contract prevents you from leaving NY.

 

[kilee]

In the last 5 years we've rented cars at least 12 times to drive out of state. Twice to Disney. Also to the Smokey Mountains, Virginia Beach, ect. We are in NY. The biggest thing is checking w/ each rental car company you are considering. While they sometimes get a bad rap (and yes the MCO terminal can be a nightmare) we almost always end up with Alamo. Other than longs lines and a one time insurance misunderstanding (they did reverse the charge in the end) we've never had a problem.
Look around until you find a company that will rent w/ unlimited miles. Those extra miles will make the rental fee out of this world otherwise.
We've done everything from minivans (there are just 3 of us) to a malibu. My favorites for that long of a trip though is the minivan-- gives more room to take a nap. Next preference would be a full size car. Really look around for discount codes too-- they can save you up to 50%.

 

[Uncleromulus]

We took several trips from PA to WDW renting a car from Enterprise. Unlimited miles, no problem.

 

[ncbyrne]

I rent cars for long car trips all the time. I live in north New Jersey and unfortunately most of the "specials" offered by all the large chains are void in the "Metropolitan NYC area". Most often, you will get the best prices, with unlimited miles if you rent from an airport location. I always pick up at Newark Airport. Airport car rental agencies are open 24/7 (not the case with local companies), and they have a much bigger selection of cars. I have also found that some of the codes found on mousesavers.com and rentalcodes.com apply to locations all over the country, not just FL.

 

[csmommy]

DD and I always rent from Hertz. We are AAA members and I'm a gold club. We have always had unlimited miles and no problem taking the car out of state. Susan

Same here & I live in NY. We always rent, even our insurance agent said why put all that wear & tear on your own car.