Rental Car for a First Timer;

[stlsports4ever]

Hi everybody! I am brand new to this site and this will be my first ever time going to Orlando. We are going to be staying at Bonnet Creek Fairfield and we are going to need a rental car. Should I just book a rental car through travelocity or does any of you have a better idea. Any help would me a lot. Thanks

Mr. Mike

 

[mommy*RN]

Hi everybody! I am brand new to this site and this will be my first ever time going to Orlando. We are going to be staying at Bonnet Creek Fairfield and we are going to need a rental car. Should I just book a rental car through travelocity or does any of you have a better idea. Any help would me a lot. Thanks

Mr. Mike

Welcome to the DIS!

The best bet with rental cars (to get a good price) is to experiment with codes. You can find a lot of codes at www.mousesavers.com (click on transportation link, then click on rental cars). Then just experiment. They have codes for Alamo, National, Thrifty, Budget, Dollar, etc. You can even get a free membership to National's Emerald Aisle.

If I think of anything else I will add it to this message! When are you traveling?

 

[stlsports4ever]

I did just that and found a few rates. It does seem really simple.

Mr. Mike

 

[mommy*RN]

Just keep checking every few days...sometimes the rates can drop drastically prior to your trip. I subscribe to both Alamo and National and they send me "Hot Deals" emails to alert me when they update their site to allow later dates. Usually they apply for people travelling in the next 2 weeks from the date they sent the email...

 

[mommy*RN]

Sorry - I just thought of something else. Depending on the size car you want a LOT of DIS'rs are getting GREAT rates using www.priceline.com. Here you can enter your own price and they will try to match it. I've seen people getting rates of $13/day on full-size cars! The only downside is once your price is matched and accepted you cannot cancel it. Plus you have to pay for it immediately and it is non-refundable. I plan to try it closer to our travel dates...that's when the good deals pop up. You can also see what www.hotwire.com is quoting. I've heard of people getting good rates with them...but they are like priceline - once you accept their offer it must be paid immediately AND is non-refundable and you can't cancel it...

I hope this helps! Let us all know if you find a great deal!

 

[cjnix29]

Something else you might want to try is going to the company's websites themselves, they list specials. Also I think some people have been getting good rates through the southwest site. The most important thing is to keep trying, and keep trying the same codes. I have seen differences of $100 in one day using the same code!

 

[Mobly]

Check out L & M car rental. It is right in the airport (where some you need to be shuttled) and they have always been great with us. They are by far cheaper than any other rental and we have never had a problem.
www.lmcarrental.com
Also, in the past if you pay with a Visa and decline the rentals insurance and something happens, Visa will help you out. Don't know if that still works but it did a few months ago.

 

[kkleiner]

We rented with Dollar in April and signed up for their 'dollar express' program for free, before we rented. You rent with that program member number, and you bypass ANY lines that are there - like a fastpass! Highly recommend this.

Watch for their codes on mousesavers.com.

2 times in a row that we have gone to Orlando, the Alamo line was HUGE - I don't recommend them at all.

 

[stlsports4ever]

I found out that priceline had some good deals as well. Thanks for all the info.

Mr. Mike

 

[makelab]

I found out that priceline had some good deals as well. Thanks for all the info.

Mr. Mike

full size for 1 week (august) was going for $14/day, 142 after taxes and fees on priceline.

 

[cynic957]

Also, in the past if you pay with a Visa and decline the rentals insurance and something happens, Visa will help you out. Don't know if that still works but it did a few months ago.

You have to investigate your particular credit card to see what it offers with CDW. Can't just say all Visa's cover it - they don't.

 

[mommy*RN]

Also, in the past if you pay with a Visa and decline the rentals insurance and something happens, Visa will help you out. Don't know if that still works but it did a few months ago.

I thought I read something that credit card coverage only kicks in and covers what your auto insurance might not. I agree with the pp that you need to call your cc co and make sure they offer the coverage. We also called our car insurance rep who advised us that we have complete and total coverage on a rental car because we have full coverage on our newer car. We go through State Farm. No matter what, check before you go.

Good luck!

 

[seashoreCM]

The three top things to do in order to get the lowest car rental or lowest anything:
Shop, Shop, and Shop.

If you find something cheaper after you booked, you can cancel what you got and book the new one.

All the credit cards that offer rental car coverages, except Diners Club, pay only what your own insurance does not pay, for example the deductible. Also not all credit card programs cover loss of use, i.e. the time the car is in the repair shop or diminution of value i.e. how much less the rental company expects to get when it is time to update the fleet and sell off the old fleet as a bunch of used cars..

DIsney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm