I've spent several hours on the web today trying to figure out the best prices for a trip to FL next month when we are closing on a house we are having built. Anyway it involved flights, hotel and a car. i did the usual Travelocity plus then went to individual sites for specific hotels and cars. After two hours I decided that I had gotten the best price at Alamo and when I returned to book it the price had gone up $11. Does this usually happen? Do prices change at certain times of the day or certain days? I know it's not a lot of money but I was surprised at the change.

maybe you put in a different pickup time? sometimes just a half hour difference changes the price with alamo.

I just did a check again and it's still the higher price. Think if I wait a few days it might go lower??????

Try rate code BY and I.D. 261390

Also, try nationalcar.com with Contract I.D. 5037126

Your Alamo ID was about $25 higher than I had gotten but the National was lower. Before I book however I'd like to know if the contract ID means I need a coupon or membership card.

teacherD,

try bnm.com. It usually have the best price around.

njdave

Car prices are based on demand. If it's a peak time, they easily could be changing that fast.

TeacherD,

First of all, National and Alamo are owned by the same parent company.

Then, emphatically YES! Car rental prices fluctuate that fast all the time, and they will keep fluctuating.

Unlike with airline tickets, you should bank on rental car prices going back down again, to and below the price you have in mind.

Since rental car reservations are non committal, just book one at whatever price, print out your confirmation number and other data, then check back once or twice a week until departure date, making the same reservation each time you go to the website.

You can tease the price down dozens of dollars if your rental is just a few days, and even hundreds if it is a couple of weeks.

I predict that your price will get back down to where you saw it. Also, try www.nationalcar.com since they're the same company.

I have a reservation with Alamo for a full size car for 12 days in June in Las Vegas. I originally had it for $308., but I kept checking back and a few weeks later got it for $264. Then it went back up and has stayed up. They had the best price of anyone so far.

I've used several National I.D's given out here and you do not need to show a membership. However if you happen find a coupon on the National website you do have to print it out and the contract I.D. on the coupon must match the I.D. that you put on the reservation.

Check EZ Car Rental for Florida - their rates are consistently lower than other agencies. Good luck!

I want to thank everyone for their advice and will book a car and watch the price until we're ready to leave. I guess I was just surprised to find how different the prices are. When I was in FL. 3 weeks ago I had gotten a really low price when I rented from Budget. I had assumed I would use them again in April but found they were now much higher. That started my quest for a cheaper rate and all of the confusion over changing prices.

Teacher,

My best single example in recent memory about the peculiarities and fluctuations in rental car prices is the following:

A few years ago I was planning a trip to the east coast and eventually found a two-week rental picking up in Hartford and returning in Portland, Maine to be a HUNDRED DOLLARS LESS than if I picked up the same car in Hartford and returned it two weeks later in Hartford.

Luckily I was quite happy to return in Portland, Maine after spending the last part of my trip in the maritime provinces of Canada.

In the rest of my life it costs a ton more money to pick up downtown and return at the airport 15 miles away than it does to pick up and return downtown.

Just learn to "expect" the unfathomable where it concerns rental car prices. (which have been a whopping $12 a day for cars with less than 1000 miles on them, on recent weekends)

I book reservations for every weekend all summer long and then cancel them when the time comes if they're un-needed.

Then I check in later to compare prices and often bargain downward by booking new prices (still well in advance of the reservation dates).