<p>We are heading down to Orlando in 2 weeks for college/family visits (very behind on the car rental issue…didn’t think we’d need one, at first) .</p>
<p>I’m in sticker shock over the prices the car rental companies want for just 5 days (minimum about $490!).</p>
<p>Just wondering if anyone had some good info on a cheaper place to rent? (I’ve checked out a few Budget, Dollar Car, etc.) but there don’t seem to be many options…</p>
<p>Thanks for any thoughts!</p>
<p>In some towns the retail car dealerships have short term lease options on used cars.</p>
<p>Have you tried naming your own price on Priceline? I did that last year & got a fantastic price! I put in $10/day, and when it was rejected, the system came back with an offer of $14/day (which I took).</p>
<p>Also … go to mousesavers (dot com) & click on “need a rental car?” You can click on various companies to get the latest discount codes. Then you can go to the websites for the companies & see what the price is using the best codes.</p>
<p>Did you check Alamo? I plugged in for 5 days later in March, asking for the price on a mid-size car, and it came in under $300. Also, do you have any organizations you belong to, such as AAA which gives a discount.</p>
<p>I agree with Alamo - we’ve always had the best luck with them in Florida (not elsewhere). Sometimes AAA does help. But rental prices have gone up in recent years. Also make sure you compare one week rentals - the companies’ systems should already do that but you never know!</p>
<p>I just had to rent a car from Enterprise in FL because my car was in a wreck. Price for a standard car was a little over $25/day (insurance co. paid, but I started on my own). Brand new car, well run office based in a local hotel.</p>
<p>I recently had the same problem in Florida and found the answer to be Priceline. Cheapest price I could find for a mid-size car for late February was almost $800. I bid $25 on Priceline and it was accepted. I paid $264 (including tax) for the 8 days. The thing I like about Priceline and car rentals is that they only use 5 car rental agencies and all are reputable. We ended up with an accepted bud from Alamo. I may be going again in a couple of weeks and will do the same.</p>
<p>There is a cheap car rental company in several of the Fla airports (E-Z Rent-a-car) but the best trick is to check the prices on Hotwire, and then bid 20% below that on Priceline. Works like a charm. As long as you arent going at a peak tourist time you should be ok. However, spring break could be a little iffy, so you might want to take care of it soon.</p>
<p>I just had the same issue in Orlando. I just kept waiting. The prices with some of the companies started to drop.
We ended up renting from Enterprise for 1/3 what the original prices had been. I think I booked it only 2 days before we left.
I would just keep watching.</p>
<p>mom60 brings up a good point–
If you don’t want to lock in with Priceline or Hotwire, do some websurfing and book a car or 2 with different companies. Then keep checking back every few days. If the rate drops, just modify your reservation, and eventually, before your trip, cancel any reservations you won’t be using. Also, there are lots of websites with links to discount coupons for different car rental companies. It may take a little time and energy, but you will find good deals, and can probably apply a coupon or two.</p>
<p>Awesome information, thanks so much! </p>
<p>I knew there had to be a few tricks (of which I was unaware!).</p>
<p>Appreciate you all sharing those tips!!</p>