How to pay tolls in rental car???

[mickeyluvsjess]

I have an ezpass for my personal vehicle. We are traveling from Philadelphia to Orlando mostly I-95. Is there anyway to get a temporary ezpass for a rental car and also what is a Sunpass? Is that just for Florida?

 

[seashoreCM]

The EZ Pass you use in Pennsylvania won't work in Florida. YOu need to get a Florida transponder, the Sunpass seems to be the most popular one. There is another called Leeway that also works on Florida toll roads. None of the FL passes work in PA (or elsewhere in the Northeast).

Some rental agencies let you sign up for toll paying; there is a daily charge plus the tolls themselves. I think that is unusually expensive way to go.

You can pay cash and not have to worry about any electronic transponder. I suggest that whenever possible you ask for a receipt when paying cash and do not use exact change lanes.

At various stores in Florida you can buy a temporary Sunpass that sticks on the windshield. I'm not sure how far in advance you have to activate it before first usage.

Below Virginia there are no more tolls to Disney if you stay on I-95 and switch to I-4 just past Jacksonville and then do not go around the horn via Rte. 417 and do not go around the back via Rte 429.

 

[mickeyluvsjess]

thank you sooo much!!! this helps a lot !! This is our first time renting and I didnt even think about the tolls till last night

 

[onyx8]

Bring your EZpass in the rental car and use it on the way to FL. You will need a Sunpass for FL.

 

[dioxide45]

If you don't travel to Orlando or Florida often, I would just stick with paying cash.

 

[Alexander]

Just pay cash and ask for a receipt. The FL highway department has been notorious for billing people for missing their tolls even if they've been paid.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

The FL highway department has been notorious for billing people for missing their tolls even if they've been paid.

Not true. Has it ever happened? I'm sure it has. Are they notorious for doing this? Not at all. Most people who receive bills are those that were in the open road tolling lanes and didn't realize it and drove through a toll without paying. It is easy to occur if you're unfamiliar with the area and not watching.

BobK/Orlando

 

[msjprincess]

I would use my own EZPass and pay cash in the states that don't take EZPass.

 

[Alexander]

Not true. Has it ever happened? I'm sure it has. Are they notorious for doing this? Not at all. Most people who receive bills are those that were in the open road tolling lanes and didn't realize it and drove through a toll without paying. It is easy to occur if you're unfamiliar with the area and not watching.

BobK/Orlando

Well considering you are in Orlando, and probably haven't rented a car in the area...it has happend ALOT! Most likely the error was on the rental car agencies part, but somehow they were informed that people were not paying their tolls (which would be the FL highway dept.). I was one of many who received a bill after having paid the tolls. There are many threads on the transportation board where people were charged after they had indeed paid the tolls. Some were even charged for exits they were no where near!

 

[seashoreCM]

At some Florida toll locations (and also some toll locations in other states) you must take what looks like an exit ramp to pay your toll if you don't have the appropriate electronic transponder.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Well considering you are in Orlando, and probably haven't rented a car in the area...it has happend ALOT! Most likely the error was on the rental car agencies part, but somehow they were informed that people were not paying their tolls (which would be the FL highway dept.). I was one of many who received a bill after having paid the tolls. There are many threads on the transportation board where people were charged after they had indeed paid the tolls. Some were even charged for exits they were no where near!

I have been flying down to the Central Florida area several times a month for the past six months due to a family issue. I rent a car every time and I take the toll roads to my fathers.... This has never happpened to me.

So I did a search.... Where are the "many threads on the transportation board" ? I found a few threads where folks admitted they didn't pay. (Didn't realize the tolls were exact change etc) but..... I didn't find this

I pay cash, I don't get receipts and I have never had a problem and am probably there a lot more the most folks right now.....

 

[Tara]

Well considering you are in Orlando, and probably haven't rented a car in the area...it has happend ALOT! Most likely the error was on the rental car agencies part, but somehow they were informed that people were not paying their tolls (which would be the FL highway dept.). I was one of many who received a bill after having paid the tolls. There are many threads on the transportation board where people were charged after they had indeed paid the tolls. Some were even charged for exits they were no where near!

I don't think so. First, I think you are overestimating reports of toll issues on these boards. Second, these boards, believe it or not, represent a minuscule portion of the Disney visiting public. Third, Disney visitors represent a small percentage of drivers on Orlando toll roads. To suggest that such toll challenges are common, let alone that Florida is "infamous" for them, is preposterous.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Well considering you are in Orlando, and probably haven't rented a car in the area...it has happend ALOT! Most likely the error was on the rental car agencies part, but somehow they were informed that people were not paying their tolls (which would be the FL highway dept.). I was one of many who received a bill after having paid the tolls. There are many threads on the transportation board where people were charged after they had indeed paid the tolls. Some were even charged for exits they were no where near!

Yes, I'm in Orlando but have rented cars locally a number of times. I've got 3 Sunpass/E-PASS units in my household (not E-ZPass) and with thousands of transponder toll transactions under my belt, there has been 1 error in 8 years. And I do look at my statements.

I don't doubt something happened to you. I don't recall your individual story. But it's VERY, very rare. And I have never heard of people being charged for exit ramp tolls that they were not even near!

BobK/Orlando

 

[snowy76]

OP, I would use my own EZ Pass for the northeast leg of the trip. Slap a little velcro onto the windshield to hold it in place or have the passenger hold it up as you go through so you can be sure it was read.

AFAIK, EZ Pass is not really looking to see if the pass is attached to the car that it's registered to UNLESS the tag doesn't read correctly. However, if you're using the pass on a different vehicle class (using a car's EZ Pass on a tractor-trailer, for example) then you might have some 'splainin to do.

For the Florida tolls, bring a roll of quarters.

 

[Donut23]

I would use my own EZPass and pay cash in the states that don't take EZPass.

95 to Disneyworld - very few tolls at all. Just use cash, you will use less than a roll of quarters.