One Way Car Rental Question

[happily single]

I'm thinking of renting a car and driving home from Disney as the SW prices are sky high for our return trip (not that going down was any better). When I plug in my dates the price for one-way is $716.00!! For a Corolla!!!!

In April I rented a full-size for less than $200 for the entire week! Is it simply more expensive because its one-way?

 

[rwdavis2]

Yes, the one-way makes it more expensive. Some of the franchises are privately owned with their own fleets of cars so they need a way to get the car back to Orlando. That's my guess anyway.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

The major rental car companies do not have "drop charges" on rentals within Florida. But once you take a car elsewhere you're going to pay dearly for it except those two times of the year when rental companies are practically giving free rentals for taking cars northbound or southbound to help seasonally move their fleets.

The given reason is that they have to hire someone to return the car to where it belongs. As a practical matter, the car just gets rented to someone else where the car was dropped. That's why so often the car you rent has a tag from some other state. It's a gouge. Best recommendation is to input your rental information into a travel agency website like Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia and compare all rental companies at one time. Maybe, just maybe you'll find a deal.

BobK/Orlando

 

[happily single]

Whew!!! Southwest came through with a great deal on the trip home. So no need to worry about one-way rentals..but thank you for your explanation. I thought that's what the deal was, but was hoping rates would drop