1 Day Rental

[Morebeer]

Hello:

 

After looking at all the shuttle options I decided to rent a car from Avis for a 1 day price of $115 tax included. I pick up the car at JFK airport on 6/1/13 and return to a Avis location on West 43rd St the morning of 6/2/13. We fly into JFK around 3pm on June 1st and have been put up at the Extended Stay America (LaGuardia) hotel in Whitestone NY that night by our timeshare company. June 2nd we board the Carnival Splendor at the Manhattan cruise terminal. After looking at the shuttle prices for the 3 in our party from JFK to the Extended Stay Hotel June1 then from there to the cruise terminal the morning of June 2nd seemed like renting the car for the 1 day at that price of $115 and dropping it off just a short distance from the cruise terminal wasn't such a bad deal. Any comments or suggestions otherwise are most appreciated. Thank You in advance for your thoughts.

[njhorseman]

If all you're using the car for is transportation from JFK to the hotel and then from the hotel to the port, it should be a few dollars cheaper to take a taxi or car service from the airport to the hotel on the first day, and then another taxi from the hotel to the cruise terminal. It will also be more convenient...no waits at the car rental counter at the beginning and end of your rental and you'll be driven directly to the cruise terminal rather having to make your way there after dropping off the car.

[138east]

What "shuttle" options did you look at? I agree with njhorseman. A cab will hold three people and should be cheaper and much more convenient than driving it yourself. If you've never driven in NYC, you may not enjoy the experience - it's not going to be anything like driving in Arizona. Your GPS may not take you the best route, but a cabbie will know how to go depending on the time of day. Sunday morning is the least traveled morning of the week, so a cab should be able to get you from Queens to the port quickly across the 59th St Bridge (free).

[Soundview77]

I found a taxi fare calculator......

 

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=NY

 

......and did some rough calculating. If I did it right, the total taxi fare for both legs of your trip (JFK to hotel then hotel to pier) would be about the same cost as you renting that car. This is with a metered taxi and traffic moving normally. I think it's the same price for up to 4 passengers.

 

I would rethink the car rental option. If you don't know your way around Queens and Manhattan, and are not used to aggressive drivers, you will have a very stressed start to your trip.

[greatam]

Please forget the rental car option. VERY bad idea for someone NOT familiar with NYC.

 

About once a month, I fly into JFK from the West (either PHX or LAX-I am based about 1/2 way between each).

 

I generally stay at least one, if not two nights at the La Guardia Plaza (Crown Plaza), La Guardia airport location.

 

I have driven JFK to LGA a lot in a rental. I am VERY familiar with NYC.

 

I have also taken a car service from JFK to LGA about every other trip when one of the company pickups is available the following day. You darn sure aren't saving any money in the rental. Just the cost of gasoline alone and the hassle to either pay for a fill up in advance at the rental company or trying to find a gas station is enough to make you think twice. I am going to make a guess that pre paid fill at Avis in Manhattan will be in the neighborhood of $4.20 per gallon.

 

I don't know about Extended Stay but there are a LOT of hotels and motels in the area that CHARGE for parking. La Guardia Plaza is $20 per day with in and out parking. The Hampton Inn next door is free BUT their parking lot is VERY small (about 15 cars only). If their lot is full, you either have to find street parking (NOT easy and subject to all kinds of rules and regulations) or you have to pay to park in the lot at the La Guardia Plaza.

 

Taxi/car service from JFK to LGA is about $50 + tip. Taxi/car service from LGA to Manhattan is about $40 + tip (over the 59th St Bridge). So for just about equal money as what your rental will cost, you can have no fuss, no muss, get in the car and let someone else drive. No dragging luggage up the street to the cruise terminal, no fighting for a cab from Avis on 43rd to the cruise terminal.

 

I REPEAT-PLEASE forget the rental car. You are NOT driving Sky Harbor to Scottsdale or downtown PHX. Just getting in and out of the rental lots at JFK is confusing.

[138east]

The Extended Stay web site says parking is $10, so add in that cost to your car rental.

 

Gina - good point about the annoyance of refueling the car as well. Folks from other parts of the country just don't realize how much of a liability a car can be in NYC.

[Morebeer]

Looks like I made the wrong choice going with the rental car based on the hassle, traffic, gas cost, and motel parking fee. So appreciate the comments and thoughts coming back my way. Believe I have the right to cancel don't believe i made a non refundable reservation. For shuttle service I looked at taking the NYC Airporter bus from JFK to Laguardia where the Extended Stay Hotel has a free shuttle. Believe the fare for that shuttle between airports was $39 for the three of us. Then looked at I think originally Super Shuttle from Laguardia to the cruise terminal Sunday morning but have read negative comments about them there in New York. Think I also looked at the car service Dial 7 from Laguardia to the cruise ship Sunday morning seemed fairly reasonable. Appears from the comments I received about the rental car option taking cabs may just be my best bet. Thank You everyone once again for all the feedback. Will certainly recpricate if anyone's ever coming to Phoenix although things will be warming (hot) up soon.