Rent a Car or Car/Taxi Combo?

[Marthasor]

So here's the plan! We are flying into LAX and spending 3 nights at the Loews Hollywood to do some touring around the Hollywood area (I will need a car for this part of the trip!). We will then drive to Anaheim and stay at a Disneyland hotel for 5 nights before heading back to LAX for our flight home.

Here is my question - should I rent a car for the whole time OR should I cab it to Loews, rent at their Hertz counter for three days, drive to DL and drop off the car at the Hertz close by, then cab back to LAX?

I think cost will be about the same either way. I will only really need a car for the Hollywood portion of the stay and I'm a little nervous about driving back and forth to the airport, but maybe I don't need to be? I'm kind of leaning toward the rental car/cab combo. What do you think?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Rent a car and keep the car...MUCH less hassle.

A car from and to LAX is gonna be much cheaper than a Hertz one way

Driving LA isn't really scarey at all.

 

[Geemo]

It's been years since I've used LAX. I prefer SNA and LGB because they're close and small.

I don't think rental car companies are in the terminals at LAX like SNA and LGB.

Picking up and returning a rental car at LAX might take sometime with shuttles. Not to mention having to fill the fuel tank with in 6 miles of the drop off location.

I think I'd get a rental car at your first hotel area and return it once you're at DLR. That way the taxi can do all the driving to and from the airports.

Have a fun trip.

Geemo

 

[goldmay]

Personally I would get a rental for the entire trip just because of the convenience and the one-way reservation/cab fees. I live about 20 miles from LAX and my last taxi going there cost ~$60, so Disneyland to LAX would probably be over $100. Having the car the entire trip also gives you a chance to visit other places if you feel like it.

 

[jasy]

I would also recommend just picking up the car at LAX for the entire trip. Most car rental companies charge extra for dropping off at a different location than you picked up.

Yes, you will have to take a shuttle to the car rental lot but they come frequently and there are numerous gas stations nearby.

However, all that being said if you're comparing costs I would take into consideration parking fees, if you're paying $20 a day and you're not going anywhere that adds up fast and it might be cheaper to go with your taxi/car rental plan.

 

[AngiTN]

We are looking at doing something similar but in San Diego instead of LA. We'll fly in to San Diego, rent a car, drive to John Wayne Airport, return the car, get transportation to Disney, get transportation back to John Wayne and fly home. We'll be at Disney for 5 nights and I did not want to pay rental fees and parking to park a car there when I know we won't be using it.

I was able to price out the one way rental through Orbitz and while some rental companies really charged a lot to do that, some did not. I would suggest doing the same and see what the price differences are in your case. It may not be so bad.