One-way rental, TPA-MCO

[leebee]

I am planning a last-minute trip to WDW for April vacation, and of course airfare is crazy-high because I waited so long. I CAN get an affordable flight into Tampa, but would need to get to MCO. I can get a one-way rental from EZ Car Rental for under $30 for an economy car. I have a couple of questions:

First… if I rent from TPA-MCO, is a 4 hour window enough time? I will pick up the car as soon as I land (around 1pm) and go directly to MCO. I don't want to get hit with a late drop-off fee… or drop it off too early and get hit with a fee there, too (do they do that?)

Second… Is E-Z reliable enough to think that I won't get whacked with other charges? I will decline the insurance and bring a copy of my insurance card… or will I need the policy coverage statement, too? I will have my credit card for secondary coverage.

Third… Any other suggestions as to how to get from TPA to MCO affordably?

 

[pa disney fan]

I am planning a last-minute trip to WDW for April vacation, and of course airfare is crazy-high because I waited so long. I CAN get an affordable flight into Tampa, but would need to get to MCO. I can get a one-way rental from EZ Car Rental for under $30 for an economy car. I have a couple of questions:

First… if I rent from TPA-MCO, is a 4 hour window enough time? I will pick up the car as soon as I land (around 1pm) and go directly to MCO. I don't want to get hit with a late drop-off fee… or drop it off too early and get hit with a fee there, too (do they do that?)

Second… Is E-Z reliable enough to think that I won't get whacked with other charges? I will decline the insurance and bring a copy of my insurance card… or will I need the policy coverage statement, too? I will have my credit card for secondary coverage.

Third… Any other suggestions as to how to get from TPA to MCO affordably?

I am planning a last-minute trip to WDW for April vacation, and of course airfare is crazy-high because I waited so long. I CAN get an affordable flight into Tampa, but would need to get to MCO. I can get a one-way rental from EZ Car Rental for under $30 for an economy car. I have a couple of questions:

First… if I rent from TPA-MCO, is a 4 hour window enough time? I will pick up the car as soon as I land (around 1pm) and go directly to MCO. I don't want to get hit with a late drop-off fee… or drop it off too early and get hit with a fee there, too (do they do that?)

Second… Is E-Z reliable enough to think that I won't get whacked with other charges? I will decline the insurance and bring a copy of my insurance card… or will I need the policy coverage statement, too? I will have my credit card for secondary coverage.

Third… Any other suggestions as to how to get from TPA to MCO affordably?

 

[pa disney fan]

Please check the reviews for E-Z on Yelp. I have rented from there and it was VERY unpleasant. Sixt might be another company to check.

A couple questions to ask yourself: How much are you saving flying into TPA instead of MCO? Does the difference cover the cost of car rental/gas/tolls/time?

You can put your dates into Travelocity/cars and it will search all of the different rental companies for you and give you prices. Good Luck!

(Sorry about my previous non post...new boards mishap)

 

[leebee]

Thanks for the quick reply. It's going to save me about $300 to fly into TPA so definitely worth it. One way rental with EZ is about $40, over $100 with any of the "major" car rental companies. I'm just not sure about EZ, or getting from TPA-MCO, so figured this was the place to ask!

 

[bumbershoot]

Are you going to WDW, or are you going on a flight? Do you want to get to MCO to take magical express? If you're going to WDW and thinking of DME, you might consider trading some money for time, and go with an agency that has an onsite office. Go with Alamo or National, arrange to drop it at Car Care Center or at Swolphin, and you've saved yourself time.

A 4 hour rental is going to be the same as a 24 hour rental, so if you went with CCC or Swolphin (and there are other agencies in the WDW area I believe, with shuttles I also believe) you wouldn't have to stress about keeping the car 4 hours and 10 minutes.

It's worth pricing out.

 

[mackeymouse4eva]

I have done this several times in the past. I have always used Alamo & Budget. Both are on site directly at the Terminals at both TPA & MCO. That alone will save you time and both companies have kiosks to avoid counter lines and are VERY reputable. Both typically have high customer approval ratings. I would recommend both pricing for the number of hours you need and for a 24 hour period. Sometimes the computer systems give a lower rate for the 24hrs period vs 4 hours...not sure why, maybe a glitch, and not consistent. I don't know how big of a car you need but I have often rented an economy or mid size for $19-30. However it was not April vacation. I would say to keep checking back frequently and trying codes from Mousesavers etc. I have sometimes scored a big price drop even the day prior to rental...so keep looking!!!! Hopefully you can save the one you have & cxl with no penalty if something better appears. It's not a bad idea to consider renting with a company with an onsite Disney drop off BUT the rates are often much more than an airport to airport drop off. Plus I think most companies consider TPA & MCO in same zone and do not charge extra to drop at either. Good luck...hopefully you find a better rated company to rent from for the same cost! Oh and when I have dropped my TPA rental at MCO I was at Magical a Express in about 5min.

 

[nacho113]

As far as your first question, 4 hours is more than enough. The drive is aprox 90 minutes, maybe 2 hours if the traffic is bad on I-275 through Tampa (still lots of construction going on through Tampa)
And I would definitely consider a TPA to WDW one way if you can find a decent rate.
You will have the convenience of making a grocery run, maybe stop at an off site restaurant for lunch/supper before heading to your resort. You could even drop the car off at CCC on the way to the parks the next morning. Usually the rental price will be the same all the way up to 24 hours because they will just charge you the daily rate once you are past the first couple of hours. Try keying the rental in with different drop off times, I think you will find that you might as well just keep the car for the whole day and then it's available incase you have to do any last minute running around before you settle into your vacation.

 

[richmo]

Agree with the post before me. 4 hours should be plenty, assuming your flight is on time. I-4 is mostly 70 MPH speed limit between Tampa and Kissimmee, where you'll cut over to MCO.

Agree with others recommending Alamo/National/Budget/Dollar if possible. Much easier rental experiences. And keep checking the rental rates all the way up to departure day.