Any off site car rental agencies around JFK?
 

My husband and I are visiting family on Long Island for Labor Day weekend and then heading back to the city for a few days on Labor Day. The prices for rental cars that wknd. is outrageous. Any car agencies just off site at JFK? Unfortunately the Budget office right by we're staying in the city is closed for drop off on labor day so I think most small locations will also be doing the same.

If you arrive before 5pm (careful...planes can arrive late!) ....there's an Enterprise office in Jamaica and another one in Valley Stream. Prices seem high though. Some of the Enterprise offices in Manhattan are open on Labor Day but the hours seem a bit odd (3pm to 8pm?)

There's an Avis in Rockville Center about 12 miles from JFK, $40 taxi ride. Avis has a $20 weekend coupon on their website. They're open on the Monday for return (til 4pm I think) but from there you'd have to find transportation to your hotel. (Returning the car into Manhattan is $700 more.)
I think the Avis is right by the Rockville Ctr train station...if not Avis will drive you there. The train will get you into Penn Station and tickets run about $10pp.

All offices are going to be very expensive that weekend and there is a real chance that either they will not be able to reserve a car for you or they let you reserve one and turn up to find they have no cars.

This often happens in NYC on summer holidays since so many families don't own cars but do head to the beach, country or mountains for long weekends.

I have twice seen people having to wait 2 or 3 hours for a car while extra cars were driven in from PA.

I would reserve immediately and pick up the car as early as possible to make sure you get one - and have better chance of getting the typeof car you want.

Unfortunately, you have waited until the very last minute to try to find a rental car on one of the busiest driving weekends of the entire year. Consider yourself lucky if you find a car to rent and make price secondary. Depending on where your family live, it might make more sense to simply go to the LIRR station in Jamaica and take the train out to them and forego the car. That's what I'd do.

Thanks for the advice, I did not think I was going to need the car or I would have booked long ago, unfortunately my family just notified me that I need it since they have plans on some of the days we want to do other things. The best rate I found was with Alamo so I went ahead and reserved it. It's unfortunate I'll have to return it to JFK before making our way to midtown for the city part of our trip, but it is what it is.

Although we haven't done it at JFK, we've had good luck using Priceline for car rentals.
Costco is another option.

At JFK Alamo is serviced by National Car Rental. you will need to take the airtrain (free in the airport) and get off at Federal Circle and to down to the National counter. you will probably need to take a shuttle over to the car rental site to pick up the car. But they are open 24/7.

If you are a member of the AAA, bj's or Costco or any other organization that will give you a discount, see if there is any difference in price. don't cancel your reservation until you make a new one at a lower price if that works out.

How accessible is Uber on Long Island? Car use will be limited so we may spend less going that route.

How far out on the Island are you going? Can you take a cab there and rent at a location close to your family? One way drops in NY typically incur a drop charge so you would be better off dropping where you pick up and taking the train to the city.

If you say where on LI you are headed it might generate more answers to your questions. I would imagine that UBER is pretty easy to access out here on the island but again, where are you headed?