Sixt Car Rental Sun Pass

[Scottk]

Hi,

I've booked a Sixt car rental for next summers trip to Florida using USrentacar - I'm flying in and out of MIA and been told there are sections of the highway on the way to Orlando that are auto-collect tolls only.

When I look into Sixt's policy they say you can arrange to use the electronic system by paying a prepaid toll that is $6.99/day with a maximum charge of $36.99/ week - which is over $100 for my 3 week stay. If purchased it has to activated for the entire trip. Or they suggest to not use this system and be charged a $5 penalty fee + toll for each auto toll booth used.

I'm not keen on either of these - my other alternative is to use one of the transponder systems that are available - mini-sticker or portable that start at $4.99+ tolls which will be about $70 cheaper.

Has anyone got any experience of buying the sun pass system locally after arriving in Miami or getting one in the UK and how did they find it?

Thanks

Scott

 

[bex7583]

i havent a clue what u are talking about but we are also planning on driving to miami /key west so im guessing this auto toll thingy will affect me also ?? i thought u just threw coins in ?

 

[Scottk]

I think this is a new initiative to move to all electronic tolling that's getting more widespread around Miami in particular and is slowly moving to the rest of Florida toll roads.

If you drive on these roads you either have to arrange the facility with you car rental company, mine is Sixt and are extortionate for this service, or pay the rental car fine for each no cash toll you pass through or have your own transponder.

This is not a big issue around Orlando yet but is for the Miami area.

See this from Sunpass website .


"Welcome to All-Electronic, No-Cash Tolling!
Driving on Florida's Turnpike in Miami-Dade is easier than ever now that the cash lanes have gone away. You don't ever have to stop to pay a toll.

Click on any of the links below to find the toll payment option that fits your needs."

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling

Anyone bought their own transponder?

 

[wayneg]

i havent a clue what u are talking about but we are also planning on driving to miami /key west so im guessing this auto toll thingy will affect me also ?? i thought u just threw coins in ?

Around Orlando/Themepark area you can use cash no poblem, further south around Miami they have a cashless system so you need to choose your car rental carefuly. I am collecting from Hertz in April from Miami, see below their costs, $14.75 max fee.
Hertz and Advantage offer this service for $2.95 per rental day, plus incurred tolls at the cash or pay-by-mail toll rate(whichever is higher) as published by the toll authority, if PlatePass® is used at any time during the rental period. The maximum service fee (excluding tolls) is $14.75 per rental month

This thread from earlier in the year might help http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2874234

 

[wilma-bride]

We flew into/out of Miami in August and we weren't prepared to pay for the SunPass for the whole 3 weeks we were there, just so we could use it aqround the Miami area. We just avoided the Florida turnpike (which is where the cashless tolls were) and we were fine. If you are driving up to Orlando, use the I95 instead. It is just as direct and no worries with the tolls then.

 

[ford family]

We have the portable transponder. I don't think that the mini sticker one can be moved from car to car.
https://www.sunpass.com/pdf/MiniWebPDF_E.pdf
It cost $25 from Publix, I loaded it with $20 using my US debit card and authorised it to top up when the balance falls below $10.
We stick it to the inside of the hire car at the airport, drive to our house and then go online to input the registration details of the hire car and the date and time we are relinquishing it.
Obviously, you then have to remember to take it off when you head back to the UK!!
The number of tolls that will not take cash is increasing and the deals offered by the car hire firms seem poor value for longer term rentals.
So far, it has worked very well, saving time and money.

ford family

 

[Clare D]

We hired through Alamo last August and we had to drive to Fort Lauderdale so had to go through cashless tolls.

Alamo have the transponders in the car so we were charged a maximum amount. On the way down to FL there were signs on the freeway warning that we were approaching the cashless tolls and advising that we could come off and buy the transponders from the service stations.

I know that questions have been asked about buying these transponders, the only thing I would say is that if you drive through a cashless toll will it automatically trigger the transponder in the hire car like the Alamo ones do?

 

[wilma-bride]

We have the portable transponder. I don't think that the mini sticker one can be moved from car to car.
https://www.sunpass.com/pdf/MiniWebPDF_E.pdf
It cost $25 from Publix, I loaded it with $20 using my US debit card and authorised it to top up when the balance falls below $10.
We stick it to the inside of the hire car at the airport, drive to our house and then go online to input the registration details of the hire car and the date and time we are relinquishing it.
Obviously, you then have to remember to take it off when you head back to the UK!!
The number of tolls that will not take cash is increasing and the deals offered by the car hire firms seem poor value for longer term rentals.
So far, it has worked very well, saving time and money.

ford family

Did you have any difficulties when you tried to use/load it the first time. I am sure I had read somewhere that you needed a US driving licence/address to use it and that's what put us off buying one on our last trip.

It really wasn't a big deal for us to avoid the tolls though. It really is only Miami-Dade county where the tolls are cashless.

 

[wilma-bride]

We hired through Alamo last August and we had to drive to Fort Lauderdale so had to go through cashless tolls.

Alamo have the transponders in the car so we were charged a maximum amount. On the way down to FL there were signs on the freeway warning that we were approaching the cashless tolls and advising that we could come off and buy the transponders from the service stations.

I know that questions have been asked about buying these transponders, the only thing I would say is that if you drive through a cashless toll will it automatically trigger the transponder in the hire car like the Alamo ones do?

It is very easy to get to Fort Lauderdale whilst avoiding toll roads and would only add about 10 minutes onto your journey, yet save (potentially) several $$

 

[ford family]

Did you have any difficulties when you tried to use/load it the first time. I am sure I had read somewhere that you needed a US driving licence/address to use it and that's what put us off buying one on our last trip.

It really wasn't a big deal for us to avoid the tolls though. It really is only Miami-Dade county where the tolls are cashless.

We used our US address and my UK driving licence number but, as the whole thing is web based, it should be possible to use any Florida address, even that of WDW!
There are cashless tolls in the Tampa area now and it is definitely trending that way. The time saving at the fiddly little tolls around MCO is a big plus as is being able to use the Sun Pass lanes at the airport carparks where the parking fee is deducted from your account. To encourage take up, places like the Sunshine Skyway charge more for cash tolls than on the Sun Pass lanes.

ford family

 

[wilma-bride]

There are cashless tolls in the Tampa area now and it is definitely trending that way. ford family

I knew that actually as we got caught out by one on our last trip. Presumably, it is still possible to avoid toll roads though as we managed to successfully on our last holiday (the only reason we got caught out in Tampa was because we had taken off the 'avoid tolls' setting while we were in Bradenton and forogt to put it back on when we drove to Busch Gardens).

I am tempted to buy the SunPass though as we are travelling more and more around Florida on our trips now.

 

[ford family]

I knew that actually as we got caught out by one on our last trip. Presumably, it is still possible to avoid toll roads though as we managed to successfully on our last holiday (the only reason we got caught out in Tampa was because we had taken off the 'avoid tolls' setting while we were in Bradenton and forogt to put it back on when we drove to Busch Gardens).

I am tempted to buy the SunPass though as we are travelling more and more around Florida on our trips now.

We are heading back to Bradenton tomorrow and the transponder is in our hand luggage, all ready to use!!

ford family

 

[wilma-bride]

We are heading back to Bradenton tomorrow and the transponder is in our hand luggage, all ready to use!!

ford family

Have a great time