Trouble With Logistics of Rental Car to SD Zoo for 1 Day

[dina7]

Has anyone ever done this? We are staying at Ayres Hotel on Katella Ave. We only want to rent a car for 1 day to go to San Diego Zoo. Has anyone ever done this?

No car rental companies near Ayres Hotel, so thought we would take ART bus to front of Disneyland & walk to a rental co. on Harbor Blvd. When I did a search it says there is an Avis on Harbor, but when I look on Avis Site, it won't come up. Then I'm noticing some of these rental companies close before 6:00, so that would make it hard to return car in time. Any suggestions?

 

[SMD]

Usually you can do an after hours drop and the car will be considered returned at the time they open the next morning. So if you rent at 10am, and they open at 9am the next morning, you're within the 1 day rental period.

 

[bcla]

Gray Line runs a shuttle for $48 per adult (kids under 15 free). They pick up at most hotels in Anaheim with advanced notice. It doesn't include admission though.

http://www.grayline.com/tours/anaheim/san-diego-zoo-transportation-only-5911_1/

They have a plan that includes admission and "priority entrance" for $95 for adults and $73 for kids 3-11.

http://www.grayline.com/tours/anaheim/san-diego-zoo-5911_13/

The bus might make sense if you don't want to pay for parking when you return to your hotel and don't feel like driving. There's a tiny combined discount for the adult admission package, but for kids it's only $36 for one-day tickets.

 

[Geemo]

When I have checked in the past, I noticed some of them open earlier than others.

Once you find the one with the best hours and closest for you, give them a call and ask about an "after hours" drop off.

Geemo

 

[bumbershoot]

Sd zoo is (and should be) a looooong day. I wouldn't want a shuttle that might curtail my day. I can't remember where the Ayres is. But there's alamo/national on katella at alpine inn, there's an Alamo at downtown Disney.

No matter where you rent from you could take a taxi there. Eases the transport worries. And don't worry about returning it that night. They will have after hours procedures if you are concerned about paying for parking, or just keep it until the next morning.

I cannot imagine a day at that ginormous zoo that would have you back to Anaheim at any reasonable hour. Remember there's a longish trip there and back. My brother can make it in 1.5 hours but it takes me two by following closer to the speed limit than he does. And the city traffic on either end. Know that rush hour traffic hits sd for miles before and through the downtown area, and that is what you hit to get to the zoo.

 

[MYD714]

We are renting a car from Alamo in Downtown Disney. They have an after hours drop off, so we don't have to be back before they close. We chose an economy size car (or whatever level is the second smallest), and it was about $30 a day. We are choosing to pick up the car at 5pm the night before we need it, so we're paying $60.

 

[tarheelalum]

The zoo here is great but its big. You will be walking up and down big hills all day. A trip to the zoo is no quick deal. Spend the whole day and really enjoy it.

Tip: The last three times I've been there, around 1130 they have fed the mountain lions their giant meat bones so they come up front to chow down.

Food: A 5 minute drive through balboa park from the zoo is my favorite place to eat in that part of town. Hash House A Go Go. Great food with massive portions. Breakfast all day and great sage chicken. Really everything is great. If you have 4 people sitting down to eat you really only need to order two plates. The portions are really huge. I highly recommend. Only street parking but its not that tough to find a spot. Safe part of town.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hash-house-a-go-go-san-diego

Traffic leaving San Diego on the 5 freeway in the afternoon can be very bad. Especially downtown and around La Jolla and Camp Pendleton. Try the 163 freeway up to the 805 then onto the 5. That might be a better route than just leaving the Zoo and getting on the 5. The 163 goes right through Balboa Park where the zoo is so it will be easy to get on. But all of the freeways can turn into a parking lot if a wreck happens or somebody dumps a lazy boy chair onto the freeway. So just try not to rush and take your time and enjoy the day. San Diego is a very nice place to visit.

 

[nikkislaght]

we have rented a car on a number of occassions.. without trouble..
we have rented from Hetrz on Katella
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/location/ANAC14
and Enterprise .
http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?gpbr=3230&bid=004&cnty=US
I know Enterprise will do both a pick up from hotel and drop off.. in fact they dropped us at Disneyland when we returned our car..