Why is renting a car SO expensive????

[annabug]

Hi everyone!
I have never rented a car before while visiting Orlando. This trip (April 2014) we are staying off site and need to rent.

For one week Im getting rates of 380$ or more for a full size vehicle!!!

What the heck????? Is there a secret to getting a lower rate???

Please help!!!!!

TIA Annabug

 

[Siriusblack]

Try again in 2 months. Check some of the discount sites like Priceline and Hotwire. We have found the prices usually drop the closer you get to your trip.

 

[DebbieB]

Hi everyone!
I have never rented a car before while visiting Orlando. This trip (April 2014) we are staying off site and need to rent.

For one week Im getting rates of 380$ or more for a full size vehicle!!!

What the heck????? Is there a secret to getting a lower rate???

Please help!!!!!

TIA Annabug

Is it around Easter? Rates will be high then.

Check mousesavers for discount codes.

http://www.mousesavers.com/transportation-for-disney-vacations/rental-car-discounts/

 

[Mousemom234]

Take a look at this thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2878667

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

Check every day. And try every company. We were at Disney this weekend and our car broke down. I had to rent a car to get home.....1.5 away....budget was about 240 for week pick up sat.....however the car rental place was closing in 45 minutes so had no time to get there without paying $50 for taxi.....so I tried to pickup Sunday...the rate was $541... OMG double the price! Then looked at Alamo and snagged a cadi for $241 with up Saturday from car care center at Disney for a week. They were open 1 hour later then budget. Good luck!

I got these rates 15 minuets before I rented the car.

 

[Huff]

I've been using Hotwire lately and its much cheaper. I don't care if the car comes from Hertz, National, Avis etc. since you do not know the vendor when buying thru Hotwire. But I've always gotten a great deal for the type of car I wanted. My next trip will require a one way rental from Panama City to Orlando Airport. Most agencies best deals were around $50-$60. Hotwire was $26 per day. A great rate for a normally high priced one way rental.

 

[teambeaman]

Do you have a Costco card? I've checked dozens of sites and they always give us the best deal. Also, if you do have Costco, book it and then check back every few days. Our rental for a week started at $260 for a mid size and decreased gradually until our final price if $175 for a full size 2 weeks before our trip. Good luck!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Take a look at this thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2878667

That's what I was going to recommend, too .

We have a mid-size SUV rented for 15 days (for August though, not April) for $533 total, including all taxes and fees. Not a bad price for a large vehicle this far in advance of our trip.

As other posters have said, continue to watch regularly and every company. Subscribe to the April car rental thread that will be on this board (there's generally one for each month) as folks tend to be super good about posting the great rates that come their way so others can also take advantage of the good deals.

Just be prepared to book, rebook and cancel a few times between now and April!!

 

[webworm]

Hi everyone!
I have never rented a car before while visiting Orlando. This trip (April 2014) we are staying off site and need to rent.

For one week Im getting rates of 380$ or more for a full size vehicle!!!

What the heck????? Is there a secret to getting a lower rate???

Please help!!!!!

TIA Annabug

Your best option especially during peak travel times is often bidding on priceline. I just scored a full size for $17/day or $221 inc taxes with Avis for 8 days during peak Christmas Holidays. Everything else was over $400 even with discount codes.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You are looking WAY too early. the closer your trip the cheaper it will be.

 

[annabug]

THANK YOU everyone for your replies and suggestions, I really appreciate it !!!

So I currently have a reservation Via Costco travel for Enterprise, for a full size car for $380

I also checked Priceline and Orbitz, the prices were the same or higher!

Should I keep the reservation and just keep checking? They didn't take any payment info, I just have the car reserved under my name.


ANd yes, I am realizing now that I am looking to far in advance. I guess car rental is one of the things that gets cheaper the closer you get to the date? Unlike Disney cruises!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

THANK YOU everyone for your replies and suggestions, I really appreciate it !!!

So I currently have a reservation Via Costco travel for Enterprise, for a full size car for $380

I also checked Priceline and Orbitz, the prices were the same or higher!

Should I keep the reservation and just keep checking? They didn't take any payment info, I just have the car reserved under my name.


ANd yes, I am realizing now that I am looking to far in advance. I guess car rental is one of the things that gets cheaper the closer you get to the date? Unlike Disney cruises!!!!

Yes, keep the reservation (assuming you're willing to take it if it never drops) and keep on looking. Don't get locked into anything that's prepaid and not cancellable.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

If you are renting from Orlando airport (MCO) go to Priceline and put in your dates and check their prices. Do not do the bid your own price thing because you have to pre-pay that but just look up their regular Priceline pricing and if you look up EZ car rentals they are usually one of the cheapest. You can get a mid sized car for around $20 a day usually. Don't choose Advantage because even though they are pretty cheap they are not actually in the airport anymore. You have to take a shuttle to get there which is more of a PITA than it is worth to me. Book something through them because you do not have to pre-pay. Then keep looking for cheaper prices. I have never found cheaper prices than Priceline unless you find some really good discount code.

 

[njmom47]

Prices should drop closer to your trip, although since it is peak travel time they may not drop that much.

Try searching for coupon codes...AARP (if you're a member), sign up for the members club for the car rental places.

Sign up for email alerts. I get notifications when the prices drop.

Good luck!

 

[MiaSRN62]

The cheapest I can find for the week of March 29-April 5 is $389. And this is not even for the size car we really want.

This is a good 3 weeks from Easter?? I guess it's Spring Break time though? My daughter is getting married in WDW and we are debating driving vs flying in for the wedding. The airfare is GREAT!!!! The car rental is BAD

 

[Flight]

I have booked great rates for a rental car and at other times paid way to much.

But to answer your question as why the rates are high is that some people abuse the car because it is not their own. I have received rental cars with only a few hundred miles on the odometer yet the car is already a mess.

Any costs associated with that will be passed on to us the renters.

 

[PSUGuy]

Just as a test, pretend you're going in about 28 days, punch in the same days of the week you'll actually be there. At Dollar my Oct rental is just shy of $1,000 but if I look to next month it's $197 total for 10 days.

Bill From PA

 

[mieuxmew]

Sometimes my very best/cheapest rentals are booked way in advance! Make a cancelable reservation. Keep looking for a better rate. Once you book a cheaper rate, cancel the higher priced one. Sometimes the rates drop closer to your trip, but sometimes they do not! It is based on supply and demand. Orlando has a very competitive market which does help.