Keep checking rental rates!

[wdwrich]

As mentioned before in this forum numerous times and by numerous posters (including yours truly), keep checking on car rental rates as your travel date approaches. As long as you make a standard reservation (not the pre-pay type), you can cancel without penalty and re-book as many times as needed.
I reserved an intermediate vehicle with Avis via Costco Travel a few weeks ago at $204 for a full week including all fees. I kept checking every other day or so since then, and have re-booked twice and the same car is now $152.

Good hunting!

 

[Disneyluv111]

As mentioned before in this forum numerous times and by numerous posters (including yours truly), keep checking on car rental rates as your travel date approaches. As long as you make a standard reservation (not the pre-pay type), you can cancel without penalty and re-book as many times as needed.
I reserved an intermediate vehicle with Avis via Costco Travel a few weeks ago at $204 for a full week including all fees. I kept checking every other day or so since then, and have re-booked twice and the same car is now $152.

Good hunting!

Thank you for the motivation/encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I can't get a good deal like some of you! I needed this!

 

[wdwrich]

Thank you for the motivation/encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I can't get a good deal like some of you! I needed this!

Yeah, a little effort in this regard can really save some $$.
Do you have a membership that offers discounts such as Costco or USAA? If not, check Mousesavers.com for codes/coupons that almost anyone can use. I usually find the best deals within about a month of my travel date.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Six weeks out and I'm really discouraged. I know typically at the three week is my best rate, but right now things are higher at $100 more then the one I have on reserve. $370 for a mid size or standard?????
We are flying into Sanford, but I never paid that even for a minivan.

 

[PSUGuy]

I've been tracking Dollar rates for Economy and Compact cars for months, looking at our time 'window'. Thurs at 9:30 am to the second Sat at noon. When booked a month or more out the rate is $412.28. Consistently, when booked a week to 10 days out it's $162.84. I'll be holding out until Oct 8th or so for a 10-16 to 10-25 rental.

Bill From PA

 

[ain0004]

We are 8 days out and I was able to get a standard size car with alamo for almost 9 day rental for 141.0 including tax! Using entertainment coupon and my annual pass discount. I doubt I will see it lower than that. But this is much better than what we paid in the summer!

 

[Lids]

When should I start looking for a rental? We are 11 months out so I think it is early. Family needs a minivan as there are 4 adults and 2 kiddies. Thinking a minivan should hold us all plus our luggage.

 

[wdwrich]

When should I start looking for a rental? We are 11 months out so I think it is early. Family needs a minivan as there are 4 adults and 2 kiddies. Thinking a minivan should hold us all plus our luggage.

I usually find the best deal available at about 4 months out, the check once a week or so until I get within 5 or 6 weeks of my travel date. Then, I check every other day or so. At any time if I find a better deal, I book it and cancel the previous reservation. I've re-booked and canceled as many as 6 or 7 times as better rates come along.

 

[Lids]

Thanks Rich

 

[WDWFan06]

I hope this goes for other places besides MCO. We are renting a car from Phoenix (road trip including Disneyland) to Portland and the rate is $800.00 for 2 weeks. Crazy!

 

[wdwrich]

I hope this goes for other places besides MCO. We are renting a car from Phoenix (road trip including Disneyland) to Portland and the rate is $800.00 for 2 weeks. Crazy!

It most certainly does. I've had success with this in several cities across the USA.

 

[leebee]

I've been tracking Dollar rates for Economy and Compact cars for months, looking at our time 'window'. Thurs at 9:30 am to the second Sat at noon. When booked a month or more out the rate is $412.28. Consistently, when booked a week to 10 days out it's $162.84. I'll be holding out until Oct 8th or so for a 10-16 to 10-25 rental.

Bill From PA

I think your rental might be too short for this to work, but sometimes I have saved money by booking two separate rentals (5 days and 5 days) rather than one longer rental. I am willing to take a leisurely drive to MCO to swap cars if it saves me $150, which it did one time!
(I think our dates just miss each other- we leave from MCO to go home at 10am on 10/16)

I hope this goes for other places besides MCO. We are renting a car from Phoenix (road trip including Disneyland) to Portland and the rate is $800.00 for 2 weeks. Crazy!

If this is a one-way rental, don't hold out much hope. The one-way drop fees are usually outrageous.

 

[richmo]

Totally agree...I have posted the exact thing too many times to count in the monthly car rental threads when I've gone.

People just need to be patient. Almost always, I see someone excited a couple months out about some pre-pay rate they took. I guess it saves planning time, but that prepay rate can often be cut in half by waiting.

I do encourage people to book something when they know their travel plans, even if it is months away, but you have to keep looking. Booking far ahead does sometimes work for the non-standard car classes, including SUV's, minivans, convertibles and so on. But for the usual classes, there is almost always a price war at some point...and it usually happens somewhere between 2 and 14 days prior to to the trip.

There are exceptions, of course. I'd be real sure to have something set up if going over major holidays (like Christmas and Easter), or renting a specific type of vehicle.

Another thing to be aware of thats a little more recent: I've noticed that you can't always modify your reservation with new info (sometimes they don't give you the better rate)...sometimes you have to make a new reservation, then go back and cancel the old one.

But, especially with the same agency, please do go back and cancel unneeded reservations. On an individual basis it might not matter, but lowering the demand lowers the price.

Keep looking and just say no to prepay!

 

[WDWFan06]

I think your rental might be too short for this to work, but sometimes I have saved money by booking two separate rentals (5 days and 5 days) rather than one longer rental. I am willing to take a leisurely drive to MCO to swap cars if it saves me $150, which it did one time! (I think our dates just miss each other- we leave from MCO to go home at 10am on 10/16) If this is a one-way rental, don't hold out much hope. The one-way drop fees are usually outrageous.

That's what I was afraid of so we went ahead and booked that rate even though it is so high.

 

[PSUGuy]

(I think our dates just miss each other- we leave from MCO to go home at 10am on 10/16)

I'll look for you among the sad faces headed for the gate, we land at 9:30 am on the 16th. Have a great time and please don't eat all the Fisherman's Pies at the Ireland kiosk.

Bill From PA

 

[Michael623]

I hope this goes for other places besides MCO. We are renting a car from Phoenix (road trip including Disneyland) to Portland and the rate is $800.00 for 2 weeks. Crazy!

I found Phoenix and San Francisco to be the most expensive US cities for rental cars and with the drop charge, ouch. Sorry to bring you down.