Orlando car hire

Flower_of_scotland

Hi looking for some advice.

First time going to Orlando on April 4th until April 25th. I have searched for car hire but am finding it very confusing trying to get the best deal. There will be 5 of us, 4 adults and 1 child so I was thinking a 7 seater maybe more comfortable for us. Only 2 adults will be driving. I would appreciate any advice / deals anyone could find for us that would be an entire package deal. I don't want to have to buy extra insurance etc when we get there as I have read of people getting stung at airport for extra money.

Thanks in advance for any advice

steve1500

We used Alamo last year, their, all inclusive deal, so no hassle when we got to the pick up.

DevilsAdvocate1

We used Alamo Brits last year. They do say that you've had to buy the book Alamo Brits to get the special offer, but they've never asked for our copy. Plus you can check in online before you go, so you avoid the queue when you arrive in Orlando (you go straight to the garage with your paperwork which you print off at home).

Also try the dibb website as it is all about Disney from a British point of view. (https://www.thedibb.co.uk).

Enjoy your trip. We love it there and have been 4 times.

hnisc

In terms of Sat Navs and Booster Seats is it better to bring your own? What are the rental prices like?

Caz3121

hnisc wrote: »

In terms of Sat Navs and Booster Seats is it better to bring your own? What are the rental prices like?

the rental prices will vary by company....you should be able to find the information on charges on the websites

markelock

we take our own booster seats, and last time I bought a sat nav (from walmart, approx. $100), which was cheaper than renting one


You can buy additional tyre/battery insurance in the UK. Just google it, some if underwritten by AA I'm sure


another +1 for Alamo, cheapest price, great service, got a service light, swapped out straight away for another mid-holiday.

70sthrowback

I have flown to Florida 3 times in the last 4 years and used Budget, found them really great, plus quite often they do cashback deals on Quidco. The price included everything, apart from the sunpass (toll road) which is extra based upon your usage. It also included spouses as an extra driver for free.

One extra I would recommend is paying for fuel up front, which basically means you get the tank full but can return it empty. The price they charged per gallon was considerably cheaper than any of the gas stations near the airport. Of course you lose money on anything that is left in the tank, but I thought it was worth it to take the stress out of that journey.

With regards to satnav, we hired a dodge grand caravan which is a 7 seater and fitted 4 adults and 2 kids plus luggage with not too much of a squeeze. I got asked about satnav and I said no, as I have navmii on my iPhone. I was then told satnav was standard on the entertainment system on these cars anyway, so it made no difference whether I had paid or not. So maybe worth asking the question, doesn't it come as standard on these cars anyway?

I think a lot of these rental companies are very similar in t&c's, but I have heard they can charge very different rates on the sunpass charges, so may be worth looking into.

headpin

Another Alamo vote. They're probably also the best for the toll pricing with the capped per rental cost fee, plus tolls at posted cash rate. Or if not doing much driving using toll roads, then you may be better using the cash lanes, although beware that there are a couple of toll plazas that are unmanned and only accept the correct change (75c from memory) in quarters.

If using Alamo There are two stages to going straight to the garage. You need to do on line check in and then skip the counter. There is a specific way to achieve this and you will need the Alamo reservation number (not the number of whoever you made the booking with if going through a broker or tour company). Suggest you visit the DIBB site and look at the transportation and car hire forum for instructions:

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=860575

Cannot comment on child seats, but buy a Satnav (or GPS as they are called in US) from Wallmart, Target or similar when you get there. It will cost less than renting, unless you get a deal. You then have it if you go again or otherwise sell on eBay on return.

Enjoy,

Westin

Yet another Alamo vote...and I'm off to Orlando tomorrow and have already done my online checkin with Alamo. So easy and I have always found them competitive on price.

shaun_from_Africa

As already mentioned, hiring a satnav from the car rental companies can be extremely expensive. I've just done a quick check and for three weeks in April, Alamo want about $180 (£125).
Provided you don't need it for your initial drive from the airport to your accommodation, another option is to buy one online and have it delivered so that it's waiting for you when you arrive. (after checking with your hotel to make sure this is okay).
You can get one from Amazon for less that 1/2 of what you will pay to rent one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HEGP40E?refRID=5EYBY883FDXVV4K35R0Z&ref_=pd_cart_vw_1_1_p
or as others have suggested, Walmart is one of the best places.

glenandemm

were going in april too and checking all the sites inc alamo, we actually found virgin atlantic car hire the cheapest which was suprising as they use alamo and you get fully inc insurance, looking at some of the other sites you needed to pay extra for some of the little insurances!