Transportation question for TravelSheryl

[Brer boy]

Our family is combining a WDW vacation and cruise on the same trip. We fly into MCO for the cruise, which departs out of Port Canaveral. We arrive one day before cruise departs. I decided to add a 4 day WDW vacation after the 4 night cruise. My question is since I will rent a car for the four days at WDW and the one day before the cruise, wouldn't I be fine renting a car through Priceline for the whole 9 days @ about $15/day since transfers will run about $130 anyway? It makes sense to my financial thinking, but wanted to run it past your expertise. Thanks.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

don't forget to add the cost of parking the car in to that figure as well plus the 5.95 processing fee and the extra taxes and charges fl adds.( 15 x 9 = 135 +5.95= 140.95 + 20(txes etc)= 160.95 )and then if you have to pay for parking while its parked when you are on the cruise....... add all of those up and then get the actual ttl of how much it is for transportation to and from port canaveral lus the cost of transportation from the airport to your first night, then port canaveral then from port canaveral to disney then from disney back to the airport. put the 2 figures next to each other and see which is better financially!

 

[TravelSheryl]

Unless parking at the port is really expensive, it would seem to me that renting for the 9 day period would be your best option. There's also the convenience factor in there. If you rent a car twice (your alternative), then that's time wasted for the drop off and pick up, as well as an extra stop to fill up. If it were me, as long as the total cost of renting the car for 9 days (adding in parking at the port) isn't greater than about $30 more than your alternative, I'd go with the 9 day rental. And it may even turn out to be cheaper.

You didn't mention what size car you plan to rent, so I'm not sure if $15/day is a reasonable expectation through Priceline. I'm thinking if there are at least 4 in your family, a 9 day trip will require at least a full size for the trunk space, and I'm not sure $15/day will get you a full size.

 

[Lewisc]

Sheryl is on target.
Take a realistic look at your luggage. Depending on your family you may need a premium car or a mini-van. Full size cars really don't have large trunks. The car rental agency assumes small-medium size suitcases for their charts. If the car you reserve isn't large enough (particularly with a Priceline reservation) you are at the mercy of the car rental agency and will pay substantially more than if you had reserved a larger car. If you have 4 in you family and you get a 5 pass. car you can put one person in the middle and stack luggage in the back seat.

 

[Brer boy]

Thanks for the replys. Regarding car size, our family of four always rents an economy or compact. We pack very sensibly and never have a problem with room. That is why I estimated $15 for car at MCO. We recently got an economy for Honolulu through Priceline for $14/day.