Who knows. You all "can" fit in the car. All you have to do is ask and then opt for whatever.

IMHO when you walk in and they see 2 reservations they're going to ask which you want. If you make them pull out the sedan, try to pack the whole thing and then make them pull out the other car - I doubt they will be so enthused with you they will give you the mini-van for the same price.

You are also assuming they will have both vehicles - which they may not. What if they only have a sedan? That's what you reserved and you have no complaint.

I would reserve what you really need and stop playing games.

Can you cut down on the amount of stuff you're taking?

Do you need a cooler?

What size suitcases are you bringing?

I would say that UNLESS they are out of full size and OFFER you a minivan you won't get upgraded to one without paying a minivan price or close to it. Minivans a re a special animal with a lot of rent a car companies - Budget, I believe makes you pay a deposit to reserve one.

Also, it's no guarantee as far as I know that you will get the exact car you say - usually a class of cars could be several different makes. Fr ex the Impala has a HUGE Trunk compared to a car like the Camry, which are both considered full size.

I'd cut down on stuff if you can,or else pay for the minivan. Or you could TRY when you get there , "We reserved both cars but we have more stuff than we thought we would. Can we get a break on the minivan?:"

Cars are expensive to rent at the Denver airport and I actually think you got a great rate on both cars

Sign up for the special deals offered by the car rental agencies. I got an especially good rate at the last minute from Budget at the Denver airport. Make sure you sign up as a preferred member of whatever rental agency you are using. The Budget preferred renters have a separate pickup area and there is no waiting in line.

When you arrive and they pull up both your reservations, I cannot imagine that they would give you the minivan for the same price as the sedan. Have you thought about bringing one of the canvas car top carriers?

That is a fabulous rate for the sedan. Are you using a special discount code? I would rent that car unless you are bringing golf clubs. I would have everyone pack their clothing in a duffle or an unstructured suitcase like the ebags weekender. You would easily fit 4 of those in the trunk of a sedan along with a cooler. I would think you could get 4 regular carryons in the trunk.

I actually have been upgraded to a minivan from a sedan, but that trip I actually had 2 sedans reserved and they asked if we would take the minivan. It worked for us with 6 adults--and that was a big savings

Stuff: yes, we have lots. With 4 of us, we'll have 4 carry-on sized bags, 4 personal sized bags (camera gear, laptop, etc) and one extra suitcase (clothing layers, tripod, hiking boots, a few specialty needs from home). And yes, we'll need a cooler and room for groceries once we get there.

Price: yes, they are both great rates! I've been checking prices on Expedia about 5-10 times a day, every day, for about 4 months. Most days nothing moves, but every 2-3 weeks something will drop for few hours, sometimes even a day. Alamo offers an additional 10% off for being an "Alamo Insider" so between the stalking and the extra 10%, we've scored deals!

But when the sedan dropped to $350 (I did have it for $395) DH really freaked out. I feel like we need the van (not just to hold the stuff, but for comfort and accessibility to the cooler and to organize an overnight bag each day en route) but he feels the $350 is too good to pass up.

Unstructured suitcases!! That would help! ...but we only have one duffel type bag. When we take driving vacations from home we can stuff our trunk pretty good with XL ziploc bags, but flying this trip is a whole different animal.

nytraveler, I agree... I so don't want to play games! So draining emotionally and takes time! We were hoping to just go to the Alamo kiosk and be on our way. Stopping at the counter would add lots of time.

Thanks to you all for helping me think through this!

(next stop, Expedia to check van prices! haha)

"And yes, we'll need a cooler and room for groceries once we get there. "

But, once you get there you won't have the luggage in the car - it will be in the room/cabin/whatever. Get a collapsible cooler. I have two - they work just as well as a rigid one. They are heavy/padded/insulated fabric and fold flat.

This isn't mine - but gives you an idea http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Bags/California-Cooler-Classic-Insulated-Cooler-Bag/6448969/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw=

And are you sure you need an additional full sized suitcase?

By "once we get there" I mean out West in general, not to a specific location. We land in Denver and then stop off in Casper, WY to get food/supplies at Target, Sam's, and Walmart, and continue on to Cody, WY for our first night.

The first 9 nights of our trip we'll be in 8 different hotels/cabins/rooms so we'll never get to fully unpack. I'm hoping to do the opposite of what you suggest actually... leave the luggage in the car (or van?!) and just take overnight bags in each place.

I have considered trying to leave the extra bag at home (even though we upgraded our AmEx card so we can check a few bags), but I would just need to buy the stuff once we got there. ...like the collapsible cooler (check!) If we get the car, I figure the cooler could go between the kids on the floor at least.

Great thinking though! (aren't you the packing teacher?

Pack the layers and the boots and the few special items in the cooler.

Mark

Well, if you're not planning to pull an "oh, my gosh, it doesn't all fit" ploy at the rental office - how are you thinking to get the minivan for half the price???? They're not just going to hand it over - esp at the ariport when they have a large number of renters going in and out

You can probably get a terrific price in exchange for a bit of inconvenience; just don't get the car at the airport location. Rent from the nearest non-airport site. (Different agency, of course.)

That's not realistic. The Denver airport is something like 30 or 40 miles from Denver, which s why car rentas there are so expensive. The cst to get everyone and all this stuff into the city will more than erase any savings. Plus, these are very good prices. Did you price an SUV? That can often be cheaper than a minivan.

But the obvious answer here is to take much less with you. Take the gear you really need but cut bulky clothing in half and simply do laundry. And bite the bullet and make more stops for groceries.

"The cst to get everyone and all this stuff into the city"

So send the driver (1 hour roundtrip, plus rental office time), while everyone else collects baggage, has a meal. (IF the costs are a bargain. I've had visitors do this when airport rental costs were crazy.)

I agree that the ~$36(?) per day for a minivan seems unusually low for an airport rental.

I agree with Doug - More stops for groceries.
What vehicle are you driving to the airport to fly to Denver?
Carry along a collapsable cooler and a few blue ice pre-frozen.
Limit the amount you take with you to the airport to 160 lb.
Buy anything you need along the road between the Denver airport and your vacation spot.

DO NOT LEAVE ALL YOUR BAGS IN THE CAR overnight!!! Really, really not a good idea. Take less and bring it into the room with you.

We have left things in cars and vans many times at motels, and especially in remote areas. The car has an alarm. For the most part those bags will be in the trunk I imagine. I wouldn't do it at a big city motel, but sometimes we have just had to.

It looks like you've done enough traveling to figure out that you need these things, even if some of us don't see it.

Bottom line, you have to go with what you feel you need and pay for it. Rent the vehical you feel you're going to need just to be certain.

You don't want to be at the airport car rental sorting through stuff that won't fit because you wanted to save some money. What if you have to leave stuff? That's not going to save money.

Having someone go into town to rent a car and bring it back? Well as Doug points out, it's a long way into town from the airport. Seems the cab ride was around 80 bucks.

$264 may be enough to buy a nice meal, but it will also be just enough to buy you seven days of daily comfort and a relief from the current stress you are experiencing.
You are going to spend a huge amount of time in this vehicle over your vacation. if a mini van is what you need, pay the price.

Keep in mind that mini-vans often sell out, especially in places like colorado. there may not be any if you try to upgrade when you arrive.

Also, all your "stuff" is visible in a van. I don't care what the odds are for getting a break-in. If it happens to YOU, you are really going to wish you'd spent an extra what --4 minutes?-- carrying it into your hotel.

Can you give us more detail on your itinerary? Fly to Denver - then where? How many days will you be driving more than 5 miles out of your 17 days? Would a 1 or 2 day rental of the larger vehicle and a 7 day rental of a mid -size car work?
Do you have a refrigerator and cooking privileges where you are staying? How close is the grocery store?

that was my point lcuy - if they get a van it's not like having a trunk.

nytraveler, not so much a game to play, but rather a chance to take. We’ve been offered upgrades several times with no asking on our part (convertible in San Fran... awesome!), so I know upgrades are sometimes given. IF available. And sometimes they were willing when we did ask, but not available. I’m just trying to sort out if it’s worth the chance this time.

The off-site prices were no better. I know we have fantastic prices. It’s just a matter of which to choose and if the cost difference can be made up elsewhere in the budget. I only glanced at SUV prices but they seemed about the same as a van (and less MPG).

Tom, we’re driving our Durango SUV to our airport, so plenty of room there.

More stops for groceries... great idea if Yellowstone and Tetons had a Super-Target (and I’m glad they don’t! )

Take less stuff. Yeah, well... haha! I guess we’re creatures of comfort and I hate to be cold, so no flip flops this trip but hiking boots, jackets, gloves. We’re only taking 3 days worth of clothes (and those awesome Purex laundry sheets someone suggested in another thread!). Then there’s the 2 (maybe 3?) cameras, lenses, tripod. Kids need the laptop for school. We need flashlights for hikes after dusk (and bed bug searches). A powerstrip for all the phone/camera/laptop chargers. A sound machine for white noise so we can sleep. We normally can do all this in our 4 carry-on bags but with this trip being colder and longer, a few extra things were necessary.

lcuy, I think you’ve hit it. Except it’s not seven days, but seventeen! There’s a nice price on comfort. I’ve wanted a van from the beginning knowing this is a long trip, but this trip budget started adding up really quick and our finances changed a bit so we’re trying to see where to cut back. It’s all a matter of choice. We’re begrudgingly paying $295 for a lakeside room in the Tetons (justifying it by the kitchenette we’ll have for meals) but then the next 2 nights making up for it by only paying $90 for a house in Panguitch near Bryce.

I should have stopped checking car prices once I got a good one on the van! Then the temptation for a $350 sedan wouldn’t be so... well, tempting.

I would never leave valuables in the car overnight, but I guess the risk of a break-in is still there even if it is just luggage with clothes.

Soft duffles for the clothes, let the kids put their feet on them and/or use as pillows or in between?
Put a teen on the roof, a la Mitt?

I don't know where you live, but for a seventeen day trip I would just drive the comfortable Durango and not worry about whether you get what you want.
There are nice 12 volt coolers which work quite well.
For a trip to Yellowstone/Tetons I would also price flying to SLC and renting the larger vehicle there.

Tom, in 17 days we’ll be driving 3300 miles, so we’ll be doing LOTS of driving, with 2 all-day drives. The first day we’re just going to get enough groceries for snacks and a few meals for the first 3 days, then we’ll have another grocery stop in Salt Lake City on the way to Panguitch to get us through the next 5 days til we have civilization again in Breckenridge. Our stops are basically Yellowstone, Tetons, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Moab, Breckenridge. This late in the game I don’t think we could get better prices if we split up our rental.

TEEN ON THE ROOF!! That's it! Soft duffels are probably about the only hope we have.

You know, is your Durango really that much bigger than a regular sedan in useable space--although I know you can pile it higher in the back.
you need to be SURE you are getting a truly FULL size sedan. I begin to think that the person who suggested that the $264 was worth it for the spread out has a good point. We took a 6 week trip west with 3 kids, did some camping and did some pretty close planning. One thing was, everyone packed in soft duffels, and they "compressed" as clothes got worn, and the laundry bag got larger. If you could put a couple of kids' soft duffels in a HUGE duffel (which we use for ski trips), you can cut down on amount checked.
This sounds like such a great trip. I think I'm gonna come down on the side of the van--let everyone have some space. If you divide that amount by 17, it ain't much.
Our trip was really memorable. Yours will be also.

Hi, 4sharie,
a couple of thoughts:
1. We just got some amazing prices using the Entertainment Book Coupon AND going through the Entertainment Book Website to book a week for a Dodge Grand Caravan for $300. Since we'd rented a previous Budget Rental on our same trip, they even knocked it down to $270. This was in Washington DC last month. Try that.

2. If you can rent for a week and not be penalized for turning a vehicle in early, that may be better than by the day.

3. When we went to Colorado in 2008, we went during the Democratic National Convention and vans were $750 so we ended up renting at the airport at Colorado Springs. We were told that normally they would cost much less. I know that was four years ago now, but I can't help thinking you need to keep calling and looking for a coupon.

I would not try to do it upon arrival though, for all the reasons cited above! And with many hours of driving, your family will be more comfortable in a van. (Yes take your stuff in at night.)

By the way, if you do rent the Grand Caravan, don't think the headlights are on just because the dash lights up at night. It was a great vehicle for us, but that was very misleading.

Yes - but if you don;t reserve a minivan - what if you get there and they don't have one at all?

Thanks for the extra tips and thoughts. Yes, I think we're going to have to decide before we get there.

6 weeks...ahhh, nice! I've dreamed of a 3-4 week trip, but finances and patience have limited us to 2 1/2.

What's more likely is that if you have reserved a minivan and one isn't available, you'll be offered a full-size SUV, which generally costs more.

The reason you are offered "upgrades" isn't really because you're being upgraded and offered a benefit by the car-rental company. It's because they don't have sufficient stock of certain vehicles and have to offer something to you.

I used to rent often from a very busy Hertz outlet in North White Plains. I'd always reserve an economy car, but by the time I got there, they'd almost certainly be out, and I'd be offered an "upgrade" to some monstrosity like a Lincoln Town Car. I'd usually settle for a compact SUV, but I'd still suffer from the poor gas mileage. Let's just say that the "upgrade" was never to a Prius.

Minivans are often in short supply, so I won't be surprised if you are offered something else, but you're probably not going to be offered a minivan from a full-size car at any price. You're more likely going to be offered some larger gas-guzzling vehicle. But in this case, it seems to me that's what you might actually want since it offers so much more interior and storage space. So I'd definitely reserve the minivan in this case.

As you and lots of others have pointed out, your prices are about 50% less than any other regular prices I've seen quoted for these dates. So good luck.

Yeah, the more I think about this upgrade thing, the more I realize I AM playing a game... THEIR game. So they're out of the vehicle someone has reserved (but they don't tell you that). They ask you if you want to pay $20/day to upgrade to something larger. You decline and say you'll stick with what you have reserved, and then they GIVE it to you anyway. You come away feeling like you just scored when really you were just played.

Yes, I'm tempted to play their game, but in this case we're going to play the "better safe than sorry game" and keep the minivan rental. If we check-in online (something new to us), skip the counter and go straight to the vehicle, shouldn't there be a van??

No, there's still no absolute guarantee even if you check in online.

The car rental company may literally be out of vans for the day. That often happens if someone is late returning or decides to keep it for an extra day or week. And of course the companies overbook on the assumption that some people don't ever arrive or never cancel a reservation even when they have no intention of using it, as you had suggested you might do with the full-size car reservation.

Has anyone here ever been offered a mini-van as an upgrade? In all my years, i have never been given that option, no matter how few cars they have. The one time we reserved a minivan (in Vegas for a 4 week road trip) we had to wait about two hours till someone returned one.

Another time, I was in San Diego, and a family of 5 that had reserved a minivan was told they were out of them. The clerk wanted to give them a big Luxury sedan. He kept saying, "this is a really special car, you'll love it". They kept arguing that they had reserved the minivan two months in advance, and that they were going to be camping. They refused the sedan. Eventually the agent called around and found another office that had a minivan for them.

There is never a guarantee of any specific vehicle unless you pay a lot extra for a specialty car (as in renting a sports car etc from a specialty company).

I have arrived late at night and been offered - granted at the price I reserved - all sorts of monstrosities from a gigantic station wagon to a huge SUV to a tiny box on roller skates (Ford Focal??). Once I ended up with a Mustang convertible - and was that car a dog. The 3rd day the hand brake got stuck and it took 2 bellman from the hotel pushing together to disengage it. (I was ready to call a cab to the airport - and just tell Hertz to go get their stupid car at the hotel.)

Even if you ask for what you want - you may get something else. Better to arrive early in the day and at a large airport - where they will have more cars.

I've been stuck with SUVs when I wanted a compact. I can't stand driving SUVs they're embarrassing.

Take this opportunity to show your kids how DOWNSIZING YOUR LIFE can pay off big-time (horseback riding! yeah!)

The trip sounds A W F U L ! All that stuff in and out and out and in of 8 different hotels in 9 days. I don't know what you can lose but LOSE it. Everybody goes every-other-day without underwear, how's that for a start? Two mini coolers down at foot-level instead of a full size cooler?

Does a mini-van really have all that much more room for luggage? I mean, without stacking it all on the unused seats where everyone walking by your parked van can see that it's a goldmine? I think I'd rather have everything hidden away in a trunk.

But anyway, the minivan is only $15 a day more...and can't you just hear yourselves saying "boy am I glad we sprung for the van!" like twice a day every day? Find some other way to save 15 bucks a day like no stopping at Starbucks or whatever.

I'm going to go back to your extra bag. Make that a duffel--when your hiking shoes are on you, it gets smaller. Use it's interior space for your dirty laundry, and if you have used duffels for everyone, they get smaller--the extra bag does grow, BUT things compress in duffels. Believe me, it really works for a long car trip like this.
The duffels we have come to love are the ones with the drop bottom. We used it on a trip to France--we could put some "good clothes" we needed for a reception there and they stayed in good shape/pressed, and undisturbed by getting into the top daily. Another packing hint is to put socks/underwear in net bags to keep them together and separate. I have even used produce (onion) bags (new and clean, thank you) for this.
But truth be told, everyone should be able to pack their stuff, including boots in their own duffel.
As for everyone worrying about getting stolen out of the car, when you go to a sightseeing place for the day en route, your stuff is in the car. Yes, theft happens, but locks on the car can be a great deterrent, along with the alarm system.
I don't know the gender or size of the teens, but a bit of personal space is a good thing for them usually!! LOL

If the Op is going to start hoping for an upgrade with an alarm, she's never going to get a vehicle!

Haha lcuy!! I'm going to reply more later. Just been out running errands for 2 days.

I am not asking her to do that. I pretty much assume most cars have them now. You must have had some bad experiences with thefts from cars! LOL
I have driven in the west a good bit with a car full of 'stuff" that is impossible to unpack overnight--and no alarm. We have camped (as the OP says they are going to do--at least in a cabin) and left things in the car. We have left things in our car in the middle of French towns.
I HAVE had things stolen from my car in my driveway, because it wasn't locked.

Actually, I've never seen a single rental car with an alarm, and I don't think they are commonly available.

It might just be me, but I couldn't justify spending $295 for a lakeside room with a kitchenette by saying I'll save money on food with the kitchenette. I'd just get a regular room and eat sandwiches for that day if there's a big price difference between kitchenette/non-kitchenette. You're probably going to eat one meal on the road anyway if you're switching rooms every night so that makes it even harder to justify a kitchenette at that price.

But as to your original question, I'd go with the minivan for 17 days.

I know we've discussed on/off-airport rentals from Denver before - are the prices you quote including all taxes/fees? I'm flying out this week and the airport rentals finally match the price of the downtown locations so I'm going with an airport rental to save time and get mileage points with my airline. But even then my car is as much as yours but for half the time.

To Doug. Neither did my own car have an alarm. Just an FYI, as is yours. I thought maybe now some did. My bad, but...

We've never been denied a minivan when we've had one reserved, so reading stories of "it happened to me" was very eye opening!

re: leaving stuff in car... we will try to take everything in on nights when it's practical, and take our chances on the other times. Sort of cut our risks in half? haha If cars have powerlocks/remotes, doesn't that arm them? After having a Durango for 12 years, I just realized a few months ago that locking it with the remote arms it, but pushing the lock switch on the door does not (which is what I used to do to avoid the loud beep). I had no idea it even had an alarm.

tracys2cents, AWFUL... well, hard, yes! I'll give you that. We're going into this with eyes wide open and a good sense of humor!

Gretchen, duffel, yes, definitely going to try that. Teens are a 6 ft tall 17yr old son and an average size 13 year old daughter. Yes, they need their space! We're sure hoping the minivan will have captain's chairs in the 2nd row! do they even make bench seats for the 2nd row anymore?

WhereAreWe, the $295 lakeside room decision was a lot more complicated than just kitchenette vs none. Jackson hotels are expensive and we had to weigh staying IN park to see the sunrise on the Tetons vs being in Jackson. We're paying about $100 extra for in-park lodging than what we could get in Jackson, and THEN comforting ourselves a tad by making a couple meals. We do feel unsettled by the $295 room though. ..especially reading reviews how tired the place is, but it's the VIEW we're going for.

Yes, the $350 and $617 are taxes and fees included. Weekly rates are only $94 and $199. We're paying for 3 extra days, but also getting a 10% Alamo Insider discount. Can't complain.

Sounds good. Our Tahoe arms the alarm with the door lock. The reason I am sure is that our passenger side door doesn't lock with the driver side door lock, so the door is open. AND when I go to open it, the alarm goes off!!
Your planning and asking is going to pay off, I am sure. Have a great time. When we took our 6 week trip our kids were 14,12, and 10. We did spend a week at a ranch in the Tetons. Be sure to go up and see the Gros Ventre Slide area. It is the largest land movement ever recorded--boulders the size of houses. It dammed the river, and then that broke years later, and wiped out the town of Kelly (I think).

Traveling heavy: some suggestions

If you know where you are stopping on the trip, and you sound pretty organized, you can UPS or Fedex a lot of your lightweight but bulky items to yourself to pick up on arrival.

Janisj's soft cooler will help a lot, especially if you get some that nest so that you can double them for really hot weather.

Buy a soft roof bag for <$40. Throw it away when you fly home. It has cost you, what, $2.30 or so a day as compared to the cost of renting a van. Google is your friend.

Buy only enough food for a day or two at a time instead of stocking up for the whole trip at Walmart. How much more can it cost? They have food in all kinds of places. Eat at local non chain cafes; breakfast for less than $5 with coffee refills.

Order food online and have it shipped to one of your stops.

And on an on.

The rooftop carrier is an idea. Just be sure it will attach to the type of gutters the car has. And the roof, without damaging it--for a return on a rental.
Our soft side coolers work very well without doubling.
I still like the van. It is a lot of driving and the van is a good heavy car for easy riding. And the price is really good, as we have all marveled at.

Just this past week, my parents arrives at Portland, OR airport and had a reservations with Hertz. They were shocked to find about 30 people line before them. Hertz did not have a single car available. I often find myself in a rental that isn't anywhere close to what I actually rented. I would think the mini van might be something they would hold, but I don't know that I would count on it.

If there is one person in your group that could fly an earlier flight, catch transportation, and rent off sight-that might be your best bet.

I could easily fit everything I needed for a 3 week vacation in a car for 4 people. Worse case scenario, stop and do some laundry.

Go with the mini-van. For all that driving, comfort wins over money.

You will be glad you had the van.

We definitely considered shipping a box to our first location but opted to use AmEx to check a few bags for free. We'd still have the stuff in the car either way ...except for that first long day of driving... hmmmmmmm. I must rethink this.

but the van is the one that sure feels right overall. Not just for the stuff, but for the comfort and features. Even DH is more relaxed about it and has pretty much let the $350 one go, mentally at least. We still can't quite bring ourselves to cancel it just yet since we still have 2 weeks to decide.

Spiro, 30 people and NO cars? The stories are getting better and better. Not. Please tell what ended up happening. Very interesting idea about someone flying out sooner though! I think we have the first flight of the day though.

True story. I just picked up my compact car at the Denver airport from Budget. The woman at the counter asked if I was going to the mountains, when I said yes she asked if I wanted a free upgrade to a minivan. I almost laughed at her because I immediately thought of this thread. So, I guess it does happen....but this is a first for me after about 10 trips to Denver so don't count on it.

That is soooo not funny!!! (okay, yes it is!!)

PS I've decided NOT to share this with my husband. It would be pouring salt in the wound. haha

My parents got a car 2 hours later and Hertz knocked off $100. They originally said that they would give them a $50 certificate for the next time they rented. My mother threw a fits(usually this would be my dad). I guess it worked for her. Sometimes it pays to be nice, sometimes it pays to get upset. I always try to start out being nice though.

The Hertz and Avis lines are the reason I never rent from them. The one time I did (Avis, because of a good price on Hotwire), the line and time to rent was excessive. Whenever the agency has a bus to take you to the offsite, you know there's gonna be a long line.

<<<The woman at the counter asked if I was going to the mountains, when I said yes she asked if I wanted a free upgrade to a minivan. I almost laughed at her because I immediately thought of this thread>>>

You should have said "no, but will you hold it for this person I [know] who'll be next week?"

It was funny, mostly because of this thread but partly because I wondered what she was thinking - I was by myself so I sure didn't need the extra room, and it's not like a minivan is the vehicle of choice for mountain driving.....

Okayyy, here we go!!! We leave tomorrow morning! I just checked-in online for the $614 van (and canceled the $350 car). They offered an "upgrade" for an SUV for $800something, but I declined and kept our van. I was able to add me as the additional driver, link our flight, and give our credit card.

Keeping fingers crossed all goes well and we can bypass the counter, go straight to a van, and get out of there!

Let the adventure begin...

There's certainly nothing wrong with a minivan for mountain driving--we have gotten them several times for ski trips even. It's a comfortable heavy car--more restful for long mileage, in my opinion.
the SUV probably wouldn't have as much room, really. And I drive a Tahoe.

Glad to see everyone is dying to know how we enjoyed our van! (kidding!!!) Online check-in worked as promised, and we got off the shuttle and went straight to the row of vans and had our pick. There were about 10, mostly Grand Caravans, but there were 2 Town and Country vans with DVD players, leather seats, rear camera, touch screen audio panel, so we picked one of those. It was fantastic.

I happened to have AAA batteries so we powered up the remote and wireless headphones for the kids. Stopped at Super Target for groceries and also picked up some $5 DVDs (so I joked to DH that our $614 van actually cost $634 since we bought DVDs for it! I meant to bring some "just in case" we got lucky with a DVD player, but in the hustle of packing never got around to it).

We LOVED having the van. So much room, comfort, and convenience. We put 3340 miles on it. Oh, and since Alamo Insiders lets spouses drive free, I took a few spins in it and DH sat in the back with DS and watched Batman. Nice break for him and I enjoyed driving in the wild, wild West!

Glad you did it! Well worth it, wasn't it?

My favorite mini-van story is a ski trip to CO when I rented a mini-van. DGS was about 4. On the last day, all the skiiers went to the slopes for a half day, and the rest of us stayed at the cabin to finish the work. Went to the slopes to pick up DGS and DS at noon. They get in, and I'm still in the driver's seat. DGS says, "Daddy, when will YOU get to drive." DS = Well, I'll drive another time. DGS "Oh, so Baba gets to drive now and you get to drive the cool car." Just in case you think they don't notice!! LOL

Thank you for coming back to tell us 4sharie. I've often wonder if people ever get the car they think they will. Maybe the trick is to get them out of the airport.

Yes, totally worth it! Funny... we passed so many Impalas and made so many "what if" comments! It all worked out, even if we are broke now from this trip. haha

Yeah, mini-vans, not so "cool" but surprised a 4 yr old would pick up on that!

Bugs me when people don't report back. On the rare occasion I have something to offer, it's always nice to know how things end up turning out.

You did good. You asked, and you "received". For your big kids, you really DID do GOOD. Couple hundred dollars--lots of comfort!!
As for my 4 yo DGS, his dad had just gotten a "cute car"--a Cooper, and believe me, those little ones notice. Maybe yours didn't say anything, but grandmothers have the "ear"! LOL

So glad everything worked out well for you. There's a lot to be said for comfort and entertainment in a vehicle!

Wow. Just reading up. How did you manage to get a minivan rental for 17 days for $617 at the Denver airport? Please, I need tips! Thanks.

Maria_so: >>How did you manage to get a minivan rental for 17 days for $617<<

The OP might see your post --but she hasn't posted on Fodors since last September.

This is how she did it:

"Price: yes, they are both great rates! I've been checking prices on Expedia about 5-10 times a day, every day, for about 4 months. Most days nothing moves, but every 2-3 weeks something will drop for few hours, sometimes even a day. Alamo offers an additional 10% off for being an "Alamo Insider" so between the stalking and the extra 10%, we've scored deals!"

Check Costco Travel rental cars for your dates. For Denver, be sure to check the distance over 15 miles because the airport is a bit away. Choose the airport rental agencies when the options come up.