CAR RENTAL
 

Will be renting a vehicle out of Denver for about 2 weeks to be dropped off in Long Beach, CA. Do you have any tips about how best to proceed so as to spend the least possible in spite of the additional drop charge. By the way, can that charge be avoided any way? And where does one come across coupons or discounts of any sort?
Thanks

Are you renting and returning at the AIRPORTS in both cities, or can you get into the city to pick up or return your vehicle?

Advantagerentacar.com has some decent rates from Denver Airport to Orange County Airport or Los Angeles Airport.

If you're touring in both cities, renting for a week in Denver, then returning and renting a one-way vehicle for just a couple of days, then renting in Long Beach for the second week might save money. In other words, just two days of expensive one-way rental and the rest you're paying local charges. Not sure about your trip plan however.

Thanks. That's what I can't figure out from the web, whether or not the one-way charge is a one time fee or if it increases according to the duration or length of the rental.

Complicating any one-way rental with drop-off in California is that you need a "California car" - one that meets CA emission standards. I doubt this effects the rate you pay, but twice when we rented a car in the Southwest with drop-off in California, they had to hunt all over the lot for a "California car". This is not because you can't drive it in CA, but because they can not re-rent it in CA unless it is so equipped. Once they tried to "upgrade" us to a full-sized van with a faulty transmission in Las Vegas for California drop-off. I think they just needed someone to return that vehicle to California for them.

Gail--thanks for that great nugget of information. My CA rentals have all been intrastate--I never ran into that problem.

Yes thanks for the additional info. I'm discovering that some, (most?) companies do not even do one way rentals and the drop off charge is not negligeable. Live & learn.

You might do a HOtwire search also. One way rentals are expensive I think.

Hi, My trip is over and my rental was with Budget thry www.carrentals.com where I got the best rate at a considerable saving from all other options. Budget had a 45 min line upon our arrival in Denver, but everything after that was fine. Would do it again at that rate.

I recently registered at the Alamo.com website as I knew we would be renting a car from them for vacation and they frequently sent me ads for discounts. You might sign up at a few of the sites for the companies you might use. Ålso, if you're a AAA member, there is a small discount by renting through their website.

Definitely compare the different companies as prices can vary. Also, I would rent the smallest car that would possibly work as we have often been upgraded to larger sizes for free (but there's no guarantee.)

Also, drop offs and pickups at airports are often more expensive than doing so in town.

Hope this helps.

I agree with everything KathrynT just said. I realize your trip is over, but use her advice in the future. If you're a FastBreak member of Budget, you don't have to stand in line - just jump on the shuttle to the rental lot and pick a car. I'm sure other companies have similar programs. Also, we just returned from Denver, where we picked up a car in downtown and returned it at the airport. Because our rental originated off-airport, we saved about 40% off the rate we would've paid had we picked it up at the airport. It took a 45 minute bus ride to get to downtown, but I'd rather do that than stand in line for 45 minutes and pay 40% more.

OOps, I guess I missed the part of your message about your trip being over. Glad to hear you got a good rate and hope you had a great trip.