Discounts and Deals on Rental Cars in Orlando
First, ask yourself if you need a rental car while at Walt Disney World. There are shuttles, taxis and car services that can get you to and from the airport to the resort. Magical Express provides complimentary transportation for Walt Disney World Resort guests from the Orlando airport to the resort and back.
If you’re staying at a Disney Resort, you’ll have use of their extensive transportation system. Each resort either has buses, a monorail and/or water transportation to the parks and Disney Springs.
If you plan on visiting destinations outside of Walt Disney World, then a rental car is the smart choice, but that doesn’t mean that you need to rent a car for your entire stay. You can pick up/drop off cars at convenient locations at Walt Disney World if you rent with Alamo or National.
As you can see, when staying onsite at Walt Disney World, getting a rental car is a personal choice, not a necessity. Still, some prefer the freedom of having a vehicle at their disposal. If that’s the case, there are plenty of discounts out there, if you know where to look.
Orlando Rental Car Locations:
According
to the Orlando Airport Website--Orlando is the
largest rental car market in the world. All
of the major car rental companies easily accessible
from the airport.
The Orlando Airport (airport code MCO) has several on-site rental car companies,
and the others are located off of airport property.
The following companies have on-site car rentals:
| Advantage Rent A Car | (407) 857-1999 |
| Alamo For all offers, visit Alamo and click on “Hot Deals” |
(800) 327-9633 |
| Avis | (800) 831-2847 |
| (800) 527-0700 | |
| Dollar | (800) 800-4000
(Domestic) (800) 800-6000 (International) |
| Enterprise | (800) 325-8007 |
| E-Z Rent-A-Car | (800) 277-5171 |
| Hertz | (800) 654-3131 |
| L and M Car Rental | (800) 277-5171 |
| National | (800) 227-7368 |
| Thrifty Car Rental | (800) 367-2277 |
| Ace Rent-A-Car |
(800) 656-4223 |
| Action Car Rental |
(407) 240-2700 |
| Affordable Car Rental |
(407) 854-6111 |
| American Car Rental |
407) 857-1575 |
| Best Rate Car Rental |
(407) 850-0340 |
| Carl's Rent A Van | (407) 849-5211 |
| Economy Rent-A-Car |
(407) 440-6074 |
| Florida Van Rental |
(800) 308-2503 |
| Florida/Continental |
(800) 656-4223 |
| Fox Rent A Car | (855) 849-4214 |
| Global Rent-A-Car |
(407) 440-6074 |
| GPL Van Rental |
(407) 953-1424 |
| Magna Auto Rentals |
(321) 269-6851 |
| Payless |
(407) 856-5539 |
| Sixt Rent A Car |
(888) 941-7498 |
| U-Save Car & Truck Rental |
(800) 272-8728 |
| Value Car Rental |
(407) 574-3004 |
For all rental car companies, sign up for their email alerts and for their preferred renter programs. You'll get great deals and easy pick up and drop off.
WHOLESALE CLUBS:
Sam’s Clubs - Special rental car rates are available with Budget, Enterprise, Alamo, National, Hertz and Dollar. You must be a Sam’s Club member and register on their website to access these discounted offers: Rental Cars
Member’s of BJ’s Wholesale Clubs can save up to 25% off of car rentals.
Costco’s great. You don’t have to be a member to check their prices: Rental Car Discounts
OTHER RESOURCES:
www.sidestep.com isn’t just for airline discounts. You can compare rental car rates in one easy step.
Are you a member of the AFL-CIO? You’re eligible for union member discounts: Rental Car Discounts Other unions may have similar offers.
And then there are the myriad offers made via credit card companies. Many have rental car discounts. For example, Disney Visa Offers are worth checking into.
With a little bit of homework, you're bound to find an offer for your travel dates.
Rental Car Tricks of the Trade and Tips:
You can generally find some great discount codes for most of the car
rental companies here. Often times these can be combined with coupons
(such as in the Entertainment book)
1. First and foremost, be flexible. If you're willing to change your dates/times of travel, you may be able to find a lower fare.
2. Sign up for DING alerts with Southwest. You'll be notified when new airline discounts are released. Another site that notifies you of special deals is Sidestep. One thing to note with Sidestep, when making a flight comparison, don't assume that you're seeing the fares of all of the carriers. There are some airlines that they don't track. (Check the airport site itself to make sure you know all of your airline options.)
3. Plan ahead. In most cases, the earlier you book your flight, the better the price will be.
4. Some online hotel deals now require a non-refundable payment. Think twice before locking into an offer. If you haven't made your flight arrangements, you may find out after the fact that leaving a day or two early would have saved you a ton.
5. Don't assume the low cost carriers will have the best fare. Always compare rates with the traditional airlines to make sure you're getting the best rate.
6. Join the airline's frequent flyer programs and sign up for their fare alerts
7. There are times when the fees/taxes/surcharges surpass the price of the ticket. This is more often seen in international travel. Be sure you know the full fare when selecting your flights.
8. Just like everything else nowadays, the airlines want you to book online and offer price incentives for you to do so. While you may want to call to discuss different options that could result in a savings, don't be surprised if the rate is higher than what you found online.
9. Sign up for a credit card that gives you air miles. If you use it as your primary card, before you know it you will have accumulated enough miles for a free ticket.
10. Clear your cookies. If you're checking the same site for a fare, you may end up viewing the same information you saw earlier rather than the most current offer. Clean out your cookies from your internet browser.
11. The old adage about staying overnight on a Saturday no longer makes much of a difference, but flying on "off days" does. See if arriving/departing mid week lowers the fare.
12. Combine flights on different airlines when it's more cost effective. Many airlines will transfer your luggage between them. (In some cases, you'll need to retrieve your bags and check them again as you continue your route.)
13. Another consideration is the time of your flight. Those early morning and late evening flights are often cheaper than midday travel.
14. Don't assume that sites like Travelocity, Expedia, etc. will have identical deals. They each negotiate their rates with the airlines and the prices can vary. Always check the airlines' website as well since they're becoming increasingly competitive to these travel booking sites.
15. If you see an advertised rate that's lower than what your preferred airline is offering, call to see if they'll match it.
16. If the price is right, think about connecting flights. A bit of inconvenience may be worth it when it comes to $$$$.
17. Find out your airline's hub cities and see if flying through one of them is cheaper.
18. Good fares on popular routes go fast, so be prepared to act when you see a good deal. It's wise to track the prices for a few weeks to get a good idea of what the average prices are. This way, you'll know a good rate when you spot it.
19. Keep checking the fares even after you've booked. If they do go down, you may be able to get the better rate. (In most cases, there will be a penalty fee for making the change. If you come out ahead, go for it.)
20. This is tricky...but try what is called the "hidden city" flights using Orlando as the layover stop. This one is REALLY tough and geared toward the more experienced flyer.
21. If you are planning on renting a car, don't overlook flying into Tampa International Airport, Sanford, Daytona, or Melbourne airports over Orlando International. If the price is right, the drive is worth it.
