JaneWhite

Hello -

It's been a long while since I've posted and I'm in a pickle. I'm trying to find a cheap rental car in St. Louis, MO and I've been searching for 3 days (pick up 7.1 and return 7.3 or 7.4). The cheapest I can find is $60/day for the smallest car. Seems rental car prices are through the roof. Anyone have any suggestions? I would very much appreciate it!

mlgb

This is kind of old news. Rental car companies sold off a lot of their fleet in 2020 when no one was traveling. Try Priceline, Costco and Kayak. Sometimes you can save a few $$ by not renting at an airport.

I was looking into a one-day rental here and it was around $120 with taxes!!!!

travelgourmet

There is a shortage of rental cars. During COVID, the rental firms sold off cars to generate liquidity. It will take quite some time to replenish the fleets and allow prices to drop.

Obviously, it is always good practice to comparison shop, but I fear prices will stay high for a while. There are anecdotal reports of people going so far as using U-Hauls in some markets.

FWIW, $60 is a bargain compared to what we are paying in NYC for the same dates.

janisj

Welcome back. IME -- if you can find a car (any car) for $60 per day jump in it ASAP! If you wait they may sell out. You should see what they are charging in more touristy regions. Heck, in Hawaii, Alaska and parts of the SW people have had to resort to renting U-Haul trucks because cars aren't available at any price.

schmerl

If you belong to Costco, check out their car rental prices. We have always found the best rates with them.

janisj

Costco often has great rates - they do a sweep for discounts and sales among all the rental agencies. But not sure how effective that is if there are no sales/coupons and/or no cars. But assuming they could locate a car, they can still be cheaper because additional driver and other fees are waived.