I’m planning on taking a great American cross-country road trip this summer, but, being a true FatWalleter, don’t want to pay too much while doing so. I’m a New Yorker, planning on flying out to California and then driving my way back home.

I looked at prices for a monthly rental from CA to NY and, well, they were quite frightening, especially since a standard rental cost was about a third of the price.

So, here I am at FatWallet looking for some advice:

One thing I was thinking was that I could find an inexpensive, but reliable vehicle in California, drive it back east, and then sell it once I got back. But, the DMV is confusing enough within my state, so I have no idea how I would do such a thing. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Or, what other options might be good for saving money? I notice that a round-trip rental is about a third of the cost, so if I’d be willing to drive both ways across country, that could be an option. Of course, then I could just take my own car. Or, if I don’t mind planning on what days I’ll spend in which places, perhaps it would be cheaper, say, to rent a car from San Diego to Las Vegas, return it, get a car to drive around Vegas, rent one from Vegas to Tuscon, get one to drive around Tuscon, and then rent one from Tuscon to the next place and so on.

If anyone’s had any experience with any of the above or has any suggestions, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Renting a car at USAVE in FT LAUDERDALE, FL airport next week….

Very cheap deal. Just wanted to check if there were any gotchas people experienced here?? or a better deal:

Economy

(TOYOTA YARIS or similar)

4 day(s)

$9.00

$36.00

Rental Rate Charge(s)

$36.00

LOCAL TAX

6.00 %

$3.07

Surcharge

$8.12

ENERGY RECOVERY FEE

$3.96

VEHICLE LICENSE FEE

$7.00

AIRPORT FEE

$3.95

$ 62.10USD

Can anyone suggest me an good car rental service provider company in vegas ?

Hi,
Planning to visit las vegas in june with parents visiting from india. this means, i would either need a 2 bdr condo kindaa thing or 2 rooms for 4 days. What are the various options available for this.

I looked at VRBO
site for signature rental, but they are still around 100/- per night. Is there similar site that I should look at it, and open for any pointers and suggestions. Someone mentioned that there is 29$ per night special promo at Aria, but I am not able to find that.

I am also looking to make a trip to hoover dam and grand canyon, are there any good nearby places to visit?

Suggestions and advise welcome, thanks in advance.

Hello,
I’m trying to find out the cheapest rental car along with insurance from rental car company. Currently I don’t have the car & insurance.

Period: Apr 17 to June 9th

Austin, TX – 78729

Tried only few sofar.

All of the quotes are without insurances

Avis: H749900 1,356.24

Alamo: 2,552.23

Budget: D509500 $2,079.76

Hotwire: $1,347.78 (Booked for now)

Is there any better deal I can find?
Can I break this into one month & remaining days to get better deal?
Won’t I get deals for insurance? Or can I buy the full coverage somewhere else? (Damage waiver, liability & accident insurance)

Thanks.

How often does Hertz check (international) CPD code memberships? And what if they cannot verify my membership: will I be charged an extreme high rate or will they forfeit the discount (e.g. 10%).

I reserved a standard car from Alamo online but instead I got a mid-sized car. I did not notice this until I drove away. How shall I handle this?

I am looking to rent a car in California in a few weeks. Unlike many other states, rental car companies in California are not required to carry the state-minimum liability insurance. So it becomes a problematic for people like me (especially NYC people) who do not drive regularly and do not carry auto insurances.

It seems like the rental car companies in California offer two types of liability protections:

(1) Rental Liability Protection (RLP) Primary insurance protecting you against claims made by third party for bodily injury and/or property damage sustained while operating the rental vehicle, up to the required financial responsibility limits of the state in which the vehicle is rented. RLP does not cover all situations that may arise while operating a rental vehicle.

(2) Supplemental Liability Protection (SLP) – Provides coverage for 3rd party automobile claims for the difference between the primary liability limits provided under the renters own personal policy and a maximum combined single limit of one million dollars for bodily injury and/or property damage but does not cover all situations that may arise while operating a rental vehicle.

I understand the value of #1 for those that have auto insurance as the rental companies’ insurance will kick in before their own insurance.

But for people like me who does not have auto insurance, can I just get the supplemental liability protection? Since I do not have any other insurance, would that just turn into a primary one? (like how traveler’s insurance turns into primary if you do not have your own health insurance while abroad)

I need to rent a car from Enterprise in the Dallas area for 50 or 51 hours. They really gouge you for exceeding the 48 hours. At 51 hours it becomes a full extra day.

Question: Do they charge you based on the times you reserve, or the actual time you have the car?
I wish I could rent a half day…

48 hours = $69.17
49 hours = $81.77
50 hours = $92.77
51 hours = $103.76

FWIW, all of the usual coupon codes make the rental MORE expensive, so I didn’t use any…

On top, some Avis Sears deals show even lower rate, if you choose to “PAY NOW”

I’d love to hear:
1. Great Avis or Budget rate from Sears location
2. Highest coupons that can stack on top of this double-discount

Looking for the cheapest car rental from LAS from 6/7 to 6/11.

The cheapest I’m seeing right now is $114.25 from Budget. From Avis the cheapest was ~$120. Does anyone know of a cheaper option? Thanks!

===UPDATE===

Was able to find a better deal off Alamo via Costco.com for $8x.xx for 4 days!

We haven’t given in to getting a transponder yet, and have been told if there isn’t one that in Florida cars are “Toll-by-Plate” without one. A picture is taken and a bill is sent to the owner, with a $2.50 service fee added… or so I’m told.

How’s one get around in Florida with a rental on the road without a transponder??

Does the rental agency send a bill with some exorbitant fee added for a dinky toll?

Is there any manner at Alamo to use a second coupon code? (Some of the rental companies allow this – depending on the code). They have a single box, but I don’t know if I am missing something as to how to trick it in to using a second one.

I’ve been researching a bit on travel blogs, etc., but I’m looking for further opinions on what people enjoy doing in Puerto Rico. My sister and I are going in three weeks and will be staying in Old San Juan for one week. We will be using public transit (no rental car). Some things we’ve considered are El Yunque and the Bio bay in Vieques. Does anyone have any suggestions of fun, inexpensive (or at least relatively inexpensive) things to do .. things you’ve enjoyed or things we should avoid?

We will have 4 days / 3 nights (fri-sat-sun) starting out in Albuquerque for March 9th weekend. We have a rental car. I know there’s snow but we’re not interested in skiing. Can anyone recommend places to visit, see, experience? We’re open to sightseeing, good places to eat, neat museums, etc. So far we have the following itinerary:

Start off in Albuquerque and Driving to:

Friday – Roswell New Mexico
–UFO Museum

Saturday – Carlsbad Caverns National Park
–Carlsbad Caverns

Sunday – Alamogordo
–White Sands National Monument

Monday – Back to Albuquerque for Fly Out

Should I make time for Santa Fe or stop in Las Cruces? What significant places to visit/tour are located there?

Going with the family (one 9-year-old and one grandmother, so 4 total)to St. Louis during April Spring Break (4/6-15). Hoping to make St. Louis to Memphis to Nashville and back triangle in 8 days. We already have the airline tickets, but being a FatWalleter I’m interested in any special tips for saving some bucks or any hidden attractions one might miss. We’ll probably do the standard Arch, Graceland, Lorraine Motel & Grand Ol Opry. The Shiloh Civil War battlefield is something we’ll do also and my Mom wants to see the Loretta Lynn Museum (it’s on the way from Memphis to Nashville). But we’re hoping to squeeze in some more things.

As for savings, I’ll probably hit restaurant.com for the areas and see if anything is of interest (and passes muster with TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.), plus I’ll sign up for some hotel cards. I’ll probably use a Travelocity-type site for the car rental and the lodging, unless you think booking directly is better. We do have AAA, so in a pinch that will work in a lot of circumstances. But is there any other angles I should be investigating.

I noticed the NRA convention is in St. Louis for the back-end of our trip so I might need to book the 4/14 stay early. But, in general, should I book hotels early or wait until closer. Same with car rentals for that matter. As you can probably tell, it’s been awhile since I’ve been on a big trip so a tad rusty on these things.

Thanks for an advice.

PICKUP: FLL @ 10AM 3/19/12
DROPOFF: PBI @ 7PM 3/25/12
AGE: 24

I have been searching prices for a little while now and the cheapest i am able to get is ~300$ (for a compact) using hertz with corporate code 1221692. I am trying to find it for a little less. ANY help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

This was covered many months ago, but I thought it might be a good idea to provide an update.

If you’re returning a rental car in Orlando, and are filling up the car near the airport, be sure to look at the pump price first.

There are two gas stations very close to the airport that charge close to $6 per gallon and unfortunately some people don’t realize how much they’re paying until they are done pumping the gas, because they didn’t have the common sense to check the price.

There are many other stations only a few blocks away that charge normal prices that are at least $2 less per gallon than these two stations.

This has been going on for years.

Sun Gas
5600 Butler National Dr, Orlando – SE, FL
Cross: S Semoran Blvd

Suncoast Energys
5928 Butler National Dr & S Semoran Blvd

This one is actually near the outlet mall and is currently charging $5.89 cash price…
Shell
8788 Vineland Ave near Apopka-Vineland Rd

i got a ford edge for $247.91 TOTAL
for a week in mia in may – june. now i have to figure out if i want this or the Avis deal. i also applied coupon code MUWZ023 which is supposed to get me $25 off, but fine print says no coupons so it may not allow it.

https://www.budget.com/budgetWeb/html/en/deals/wendie.html?&ICID…

Nationwide Offer

economy or compact – $17/weekend day or as low as $119/week
intermediate SUV – $22/weekend day or as low as $139/week

terms and conditions:

Offer can be reserved now for pick-up between now and June 15, 2012.
Offer valid at participating corporate owned Budget airport locations in the U.S. (excluding but not limited to New York metro area; Martha’s Vineyard and Hawaii).
Offer valid on the following car classes: economy (class A), compact (class B) & intermediate SUV (class F).
Weekend rental period begins Thursday at noon and car must be returned by Monday 11:59 p.m. or higher rate may apply. A minimum one day rental is required. A Friday night keep is required.
To use this offer, reservation must be booked at least 24 hours in advance of pickup.
Use offer code (BCD) D454300 to take advantage of this offer.
Offer is subject to vehicle availability at the time of rental and may not be available on some rates at some times, including some online rates at Budget.com.
Offers may not be available during holiday and other blackout periods; rate surcharges during peak periods may apply. Blackouts include, but may not be limited to the following:
February 1-5: Indianapolis, IN (08084);
February 9-15, 2012: Portland Intl Airport (PDX), Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM), Seattle-Tacoma Intl Airport (SEA), and Seattle Downtown;
February 9- March 18, 2012: Denver Intl. Airport (DEN), Eagle County Airport (EGE), Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Aspen-Sardy Field Airport (ASE), Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN), Boise Airport (BOI), Idaho Falls Municipal Airport (IDA), Pocatello Regional Airport, Idaho (PIH), Magic Valley Regional Airport, Idaho (TWF), Friedman Memorial Airport, Idaho (SUN), Bozeman Airport, Montana (BZN), Bert Mooney Airport, Montana (BTM), Helena Regional Airport, Montana (HLN), Albuquerque Airport (ABQ), Reno-Tahoe Intl. Airport (RNO), and Denver Downtown;
February 1627, 2012: Arizona;
February 2226, 2012: Orlando Intl. Airport (MCO), Daytona Beach Airport (DAB), Melbourne Intl. Airport (MLB);
February 1621, 2012enver (08052), Salt Lake City (08262), Reno (09921);
March 131, 2012: Sky Harbor Intl Airport (PHX); March 29 – April 2, 2012: New Orleans, LA (08515);
March 29 April 8, 2012: Florida and Arizona;
April 5 8, 2012: Florida (excluding Pensacola) (07834, 07927, 08236, 08237, 08239, 08240, 08241, 08242, 08244);
April 16 26, 2012: Raleigh (08983);
May 3-5, 2012: Louisville Dist (08043, 07585);
May 24-27, 2012: Indianapolis Dist (08084);
May 2428; 2012: NY OPS (8016), Boston OPS (08119), Indianapolis Dist (08084), Charleston Dist (08984).
Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other discount number, coupon, promotion or offer and is subject to change without notice.
Taxes, concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fee, and customer facility charges ($10/contract in California) may apply and are extra.
Optional items such as LDW ($29.99/day or less) are extra.
Renter must meet Budget age, driver and credit requirements.
Minimum age may vary by location. An additional daily surcharge may apply for renters under 25 years of age.
Rate surcharges apply during peak periods.
Fuel charges are extra.
Offer based on U.S. currency.
Offer applies to round-trip rentals only. Car must be returned to renting location.

All-

Posting to see if I could get some assistance with renting a “full size” car in Fort Myers, FL from (Picking up 3/8/12) (Dropping off 3/13/12).

I did some research on my own but the prices seem a little high and wanted to get others opinion due to my inexperience. I guess the prices could be higher than I am used to do to the area (resort type town / city).

Anyway here is what I found so far: (Will list National first since I have used them before in the past and am a Emerald Club member)

National:

Reg Price – 385.00
With Emerald Club # and Free Weekend Day – 312.00 (Cheapest I can find as far as codes, tried weekly codes but still not as good)

Budget:

Reg Price – 500.00
Continental Code – (I am a member of “One Pass”) 450.00
Southwest Rewards – (Also a rapid rewards member) 332.00

Hertz:

Reg Price – 586.00
Southwest (Only code I could find to work) – 488.00
Tried other codes for Hertz (like weekly off, weekend day, etc but kept receiving error message saying “site not participating in offer” or something like that).

Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated….oh and I am not dead set on a full size…just did not want to drive around in a “skate”…LOL

Thanks,
Michael