Help! Anyone know of best place for car Rental Best Prices?

[blga]

Hello. I spend tons of time online & usually can find deals on miost travel needs, but I am really struggling finding a decent price on car rental in Fort Lauderdale. Our Party of 5 really needs a standard car at minimum. No economy car is going to hold 5 people & luggage. We will be in FLL for three days prior to the cruise in January. I have tried priceline & gotten turned down 5 to 6 times. The "rates" don't sound bag, but in the end after all the fees you end up paying about 52.00 a day for a regular size car like a stratus. Any hints or suggestions? ThanKs!

[eandj]

You are asking for a bargain in Florida in January. Prime season=higher rates.

Have you tried Hot Wire? I have received some nice rates there. If I were you I'd get a (cancelable) car reserved and then try closer to the date on Priceline and Hotwire and other discount sites. The rates will go down if there are cars available

There are also some discount codes you might try to help lower your costs. They've been listed more than once on this topic, so search for those threads.

Not sure you are correct in getting 5 people AND luggage into a Stratus. I'd upgrade that. Not enough room for all the luggage and carry ons etc. plus a full load of passengers.

Good luck.

[melika091900]

did you try expedia? orbitz? or travelocity?

 

or booking directly with like hertz or enterprise?

 

enterprise has vans for like 64/day

[Paleochick]

Hello. I spend tons of time online & usually can find deals on miost travel needs, but I am really struggling finding a decent price on car rental in Fort Lauderdale. Our Party of 5 really needs a standard car at minimum. No economy car is going to hold 5 people & luggage. We will be in FLL for three days prior to the cruise in January. I have tried priceline & gotten turned down 5 to 6 times. The "rates" don't sound bag, but in the end after all the fees you end up paying about 52.00 a day for a regular size car like a stratus. Any hints or suggestions? ThanKs!

 

I'm a BIG hotwire fan.

[98valkyrie]

Try this one

http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

 

It is a site called Bidding for travel. They report on the won (and lost) bids for hotels as well as cars on Priceline. You can see whether people have received the type of cars you are looking for and at what price. As usual, no affilation, just someone who has used the site extensivally.

[JunPOA]

I to am a hotwire fan too- but just the other day I found a btter price on:

carrentals dot com - you may want to check different days and times of the day as I got a cheaper price when I checked a few days later than the first try. Mine was for Miami in December. You do NOT have to reserve with a credit card. I used this company on several renatl cars last year during Hawaii island hopping.

 

Good Luck!

[Ar]

Blga

Try CarRentals.com

I find that they have good prices.

Arlene

[McDebbie]

We got a fabulous rate using our Entertainment book, got an SUV for $26 per day. And the car rental rates were good for all over the country, not just from where your book is located. Most of them expire 11/30/07 so you might have to pay for the new one but if you or one of your family members already have one you can get the new one cheaper. And they don't care if it was your or the family member that uses the coupon. Even the lady at the check in counter said they were great coupons.

 

But again, FTL in January is a trip, all bets off there.

[vbmom87]

With car rentals it seems like you have to check out all of your options. We have used hotwire for cars in Newark and have gotten great deals. However, in other locations, hotwire did not offer good deals. In San Antonio, National Car Rental was the best deal, and I had an entertainment coupon that helped more. For our Alaska trip next summer, we got a real bargain through Enterprise. I reserved the car the beginning of August. By the end of August, the prices had almost quadrupled. I also suggest getting yourself a cancellable reservation. Meanwhile, keep checking. Hotwire prices change almost daily sometimes, at least to Newark. Good luck.

[halfvass]

Don't know if you have heard of http://www.rentalcodes.com. If not, check it out. The problem right now is that most of the codes expire at the end of 2007 so you may have to wait a while until some codes for 2008 show up. You check codes by putting in the company. Out of Fort Lauderdale Dollar usually has the best deals, but it is worth checking all of them. I have found some great deals this way when family comes in to town. Also, if you can go through Costco, Sam's Club, or USAA, you can often find the best deals. Again, you have to check all the different companies offered through those sites because the "best deal" changes.

 

And, although it is the high season here when you need the car, I wouldn't get too panicked yet. Truckloads of cars will start rolling in here in mid-Nov and prices (and Priceline) will probably tumble!

 

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

Deb

[cruiserbryce]

we recently found a great deal for five days on Travelocity...I think was around $290...which IMO is great compared to what else is available and what we've paid in the past

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Don't know if you have heard of http://www.rentalcodes.com. If not, check it out. The problem right now is that most of the codes expire at the end of 2007 so you may have to wait a while until some codes for 2008 show up. You check codes by putting in the company. Out of Fort Lauderdale Dollar usually has the best deals, but it is worth checking all of them. I have found some great deals this way when family comes in to town. Also, if you can go through Costco, Sam's Club, or USAA, you can often find the best deals. Again, you have to check all the different companies offered through those sites because the "best deal" changes.

 

And, although it is the high season here when you need the car, I wouldn't get too panicked yet. Truckloads of cars will start rolling in here in mid-Nov and prices (and Priceline) will probably tumble!

 

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

Deb

That's comforting. I was starting to worry because we haven't gotten the rental yet.

[jkneern]

I usually use dollar/thrifty(same company) when if florida. We usually fly into ft lauderdale a day or two early, rent the minivan (5 of us too and luggage) can't fit into a car of any size. We drop the car in miami and get the shuttle to the port (free). I am paying 42.00 a day tx/fees included in February, I did have a promo code found it online. just have too look around but they are out there.

[royalcruz]

I just booked a rental from the BWI airport through Alamo and got to use both a coupon and AARP member discount. The costco member price was slightly higher. I checked about 2 dozen other possibilities before finding this deal. Hotwire was about $2 a day less, but required prepayment and doesn't allow changes if needed.

 

The next best deals were through Southwest.com to Budget and through AAA to Hertz.

[jes924]

I got a great deal through Dollar Rental Car. I searched online for a coupon code and got a minvan for $39.99/day, but they were offering

a similar deal for premium cars and suvs.

[lovely12no]

I use mousesavers.com. It's a disney world Fla site, but has lots of promo codes for car rentals that are applicable nationwide. I've used it and got phenomenal rates. Good luck.

[vmom]

Is anyone in the group 50 or older? We joined AARP which is open to anyone over 50 and have gotten some good discounts for car rentals and hotels through them.

[sandestination]

Hello. I spend tons of time online & usually can find deals on miost travel needs, but I am really struggling finding a decent price on car rental in Fort Lauderdale. Our Party of 5 really needs a standard car at minimum. No economy car is going to hold 5 people & luggage. We will be in FLL for three days prior to the cruise in January. I have tried priceline & gotten turned down 5 to 6 times. The "rates" don't sound bag, but in the end after all the fees you end up paying about 52.00 a day for a regular size car like a stratus. Any hints or suggestions? ThanKs!

Hi that is a good deal for 52 a day. Out of orlando through Hertz you get a 1 way from airport to peir. free shuttle from peir car rental to ship. Carnival transfers are $70.00 a person rond trip so if you have party of 5 transfers you are talking $350.00 Car rental is the best way to go.

[mrleo33]

Try carrentals.com I've had great results with them in Florida

[NoelsCat]

Go to Dollar Rental cars in FLL --

 

I got a mini van for five days in January for 197 including taxes...

 

Sometimes it's cheaper to pay the weekly rate than the per day rate...

[Jade13]

Hello. I spend tons of time online & usually can find deals on miost travel needs, but I am really struggling finding a decent price on car rental in Fort Lauderdale. Our Party of 5 really needs a standard car at minimum. No economy car is going to hold 5 people & luggage. We will be in FLL for three days prior to the cruise in January. I have tried priceline & gotten turned down 5 to 6 times. The "rates" don't sound bag, but in the end after all the fees you end up paying about 52.00 a day for a regular size car like a stratus. Any hints or suggestions? ThanKs!

 

$43.70 a day for Thifty Mid Size during Feb high season. We think that is a good deal as other are $98.00 per day.

[Jade13]

I usually use dollar/thrifty(same company) when if florida. We usually fly into ft lauderdale a day or two early, rent the minivan (5 of us too and luggage) can't fit into a car of any size. We drop the car in miami and get the shuttle to the port (free). I am paying 42.00 a day tx/fees included in February, I did have a promo code found it online. just have too look around but they are out there.

 

Right now ours is $42.00 (before taxes) for a midsize from Thifty at FLL airport and drop off at MIA airport. I thought I had either a AAA or corporate rate. This was price for Midsize or larger. We have 4 persons and think we could fit everything for 6 nights.

 

What is your promo code for the $42.00 with taxes? Also, do you know if the shuttle from MIA to port is shared or just with Dollar/Thifty?

[Jade13]

$43.70 a day for Thifty Mid Size during Feb high season. We think that is a good deal as other are $98.00 per day.

 

I checked and it is actually $42.00 after a discount is applied.

 

It looks like I have a "Wild" car promotion that was not explained to me. MouseSavers.com has lots of coupons/promo codes for Florida. I never knew there were Walmart Codes, Same Club Codes, Shaws supermarket codes, Costco and BJ's along with the usual AAA and corporate rates.

[Four4us]

We have a mini van for our group of 6 spring break 08 for 47.00 before taxes with discount. Picking up fll airport and drop a pom.

With Thrifty.

[lovely12no]

I love mousesavers.com. You should take a look. I've gotten Unbelievable 50% off deals. Take a peek.