SueC

My family and I are having a reunion in Naples in March 05. Does anyone know of a company that does a pick up service at the airport, takes you to your destination and has the hire car waiting for you at the property you have rented? We are flying in from London and staying in Briarwood, Naples. What would be the best (or most convenient) airport? Thank you Fodorites.

Cicerone

Ft Meyers airport would be the best airport. Enterprise Car Rental used to have a program where they would bring the car to you, not sure they do anymore, take a look at http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/home.do.

Another option is for you to rent the car yourself at the airport when you arrive. Roads are good and well marked, you should have no trouble getting to Naples by yourself. The rental company can give you a map.

FYI, I live in Switzerland and if I inquire from a US car rental company for prices for renting a car in the US, I am invariably quoted a higher rate than if I tell them I live in the US. You would also most likely need a US mailing address to be able to reserve the car based on a US price. If you have friends or family in the US whose address you can use, or who can make the reservation for you, this might be cheaper. It is certainly worth trying to see if prices are lower with a US address.

gail

Just be sure if you follow advice from above poster you are listed as driver and not your family or friend (they will usually want to see and record your driver's license information) so that you will be insured as the driver of the car.

Cicerone

The reservation has nothing to do with the actual rental or the insurance. All those formalities are taken care of when you actually rent the car.

SueC

Thank you Cicerone and Gail for your answer to my message. Because there are four of us arriving in Florida we had hoped to perhaps get a minibus at the airport. That would enable all of us to enjoy the drive to Naples. I will certainly look at the enterprise website to see if they can help me.

Patrick

Having lived in Naples for thirty years let me mention something else. I go to London every year and I never fly in or out of the Ft. Myers (RSW) airport. Instead I fly in and out of Miami (which many of the flights do anyway and then you wait to connect to Ft. Myers). I'd suggest just being met in Miami with the car and brought to your place in east Naples. You will probably arrive quicker that way than doing a transfer somewhere (you can easily fly American or BA or others nonstop to Miami). And the additional cost of the van from Miami as opposed to Ft. Myers probably won't be all that much, in fact probably less than the additional cost to fly into Ft. Myers instead of Miami.

One company that does this a lot is Maxi Taxi -- 239-598-2600
I see they also have a website so you could probably get an estimate:
www.maxitaxi.com

Patrick

Oh, and by the way, from the Miami Airport to Naples, the Maxi Taxi van will probably come across the old Tamiami Trail -- through the Everglades, somewhat scenic and different, and lined with alligators. Have him stop at the smallest post office in the US at Ochopee -- it looks like an outhouse.

SueC

Patrick
Thank you so much for your reply. Very useful. I will certainly contact MaxiTaxi and see if they are able to help. Sounds just what we are looking for.