Rent car at port or airport?

[KruisingKaren]

We will be flying into Fort Lauderdale two days early and renting a car.  I'm looking for opinions about whether it would be better to:  A) pick up our rental car at the airport, return it there and take a taxi to the port, or ,B) take a taxi to the port when we arrive in Fort Lauderdale, pick up a car at the port and drop it off when we go to the port on embarkation day.  It's six of one, half dozen of the other, but embarkation day can be stressful for me so I'm wondering if it might be better to return the car to the port rather than the airport - no taxi ride would be required on that day.

Opinions?

 

Thanks!

Karen

[iancal]

In our experience it is often more expensive to rent from airport locations.  We always grab a cab when we arrive in FLL since it always at night and we have be travelling all day.  We just want to get to the hotel.  We typically drop it off the night prior to embarkation.  

[summer slope]

Is Uber allowed to pick up at the port?

[CruiserBruce]

My first question would be, do you really need a car? 

 

My second thought is to do some research on the Florida Departures board. Tons of info on rental cars, Uber/taxis and so much else on what to do and how to do it.

 

Generally, after reviewing what your plans are, maybe you only rent for one day, picking up and returning the car near your hotel.

[BSinPNS]

Most FLL rental car companies permit you to pick up at the airport and drop at their port location.  Check the various locations.  Avis location is very near the port with a shuttle bus run.  We always drop all but the carry ons with the porters at the ship and then drop the car carrying only our carry ons.  Beats humping all the bags onto the shuttle and off.  

[KruisingKaren]

Good information! 

Cruiser Bruce - we will be driving to visit family so we will need a car.  I didn't know there is a Florida Departures board, thanks for that info.

iancal - you're right.  I forgot about the extra tax they charge when renting at an airport.

BSinPNS - picking up at the airport and dropping off at the port sounds ideal even though we'd have to pay the airport tax.  Thanks for the tip about dropping off the non-carry-on luggage first! Smart!

Karen

[TrakHack]

We will be picking up a car at FLL and dropping it off at the cruise port.  With a scheduled boarding time of 3pm and luggage in tow, this made the most sense for us.

[iflyrc5]

You can pickup from Dollar at the airport and drop off at the port.  This does not show up on the Dollar site but if you call them after making your reservation you can change the drop off - they charge a few dollars to do that but worth not having to get the cab to the port.  They have a shuttle to the pier.

[mdjohn5]

We have done Dollar Rental at FLL several times.  We rent the car at the airport and they have a location right at the entrance to Port Lauderdale for returns.

 

On departure day,  I usually drive into the port with the rental car and drop the bags at the ship.    We then swing back out and return the car.  They have a shuttle that will take you to the ships,  but I find it easier to navigate the shuttle busses if the bags are pre dropped and we just have our backpacks.  The little shuttle busses can get cramped with luggage and people,  so if you just have carry-ons you can usually get on the first shuttle regardless of how busy it is.

 

I think a few of the other car rental companies have port locations,  but Dollar is definitely the closest.

 

Most of the car rental companies treat Florida as one big location,  so you can rent in one and return at another without extra one-way fees that a normal one-way car rental would cost you.

 

 

[RedneckBob]

Also Alamo and Budget have locations at port with free shuttles to ship. Suggest pickup car at airport and drop off at rent a car port locations.

[whogo]

1 hour ago, mdjohn5 said:

On departure day,  I usually drive into the port with the rental car and drop the bags at the ship.    We then swing back out and return the car. 

I would leave my spouse at the terminal with the carry on bags and return the rental car by myself.

[mcrcruiser]

In Ft Lauderdale we always rent from SIXT  car rentals . They are a huge German based car rental company & they have no drop off charges when dropped with in  the same state . SIXT has a car rental in Ft Lauderdale .Check to see if they have a airport location to get the car  .Once finished with he car ,drop off  at their FT Lauderdale location (not the airport ) & they have a free shuttle bus to the cruise terminal 

[mdjohn5]

I forgot to mention,  if you do the bag drop at the ship before you return the car,  make sure you have your passport handy.  You get stopped at the entrance of the port and they want to see ids. 

 

The good part about the security stop that is they can direct you to your ship,  the port is kind of big if you have never driven through it before.

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

In Ft Lauderdale we always rent from SIXT  car rentals . They are a huge German based car rental company & they have no drop off charges when dropped with in  the same state . SIXT has a car rental in Ft Lauderdale .Check to see if they have a airport location to get the car  .Once finished with he car ,drop off  at their FT Lauderdale location (not the airport ) & they have a free shuttle bus to the cruise terminal 

 

I f I understand correctly, Florida doesn't allow drop off charges, so NO car rental place would have them. Hertz also doesn't have them, from our experience.

[summer slope]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

I f I understand correctly, Florida doesn't allow drop off charges, so NO car rental place would have them. Hertz also doesn't have them, from our experience.

Not true.  There is no state ruling against those charges.  wish it were so.

[iflyrc5]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

I f I understand correctly, Florida doesn't allow drop off charges, so NO car rental place would have them. Hertz also doesn't have them, from our experience.

In January 2018  with Dollar we had to pay about $5 extra to pick it up at the airport and drop it off at the port.