Introduction
Florida, also known as the ‘Sunshine State’ in the US is not only dependent on its agriculture sector for revenues. Tourism is also a major industry with millions of visitors traveling to the state for a beach or a theme park vacation. Travel within Florida is often easier if you have a rental car at your disposal so that you can move from one place to another without relying on hotel shuttles, taxis, and public transportation. There are even locations where there is no public transport system in place, so your best bet to get around is to travel using a rental car.
Step 1
Independent of how you arrive in Florida, major car hire companies have their branches in the state. Hence, you can choose any car rental company for your travel depending on the offers. Avis, Hertz, Budget, Alamo, and National are a few examples of vehicle rental companies that you could consider. Compare prices across each site for decent deals.
Step 2
Your length of stay in Florida defines the prices of a car rental for your travel. Generally speaking, the longer you have the vehicle, the total cost will go down significantly compared to renting for a day or a few days. Go for unlimited mileage if you intend to do a lot of driving in the state. This brings down the prices of car rental during your travel in Florida.
Step 3
To give an idea how this works out, consider going to the website of Alamo. Key in your travel dates and check what the system will return if you put in Orlando as a city where you’ll pick up the rented vehicle. You have to choose one pick-up location from the pop-up window. The average price for a rental car on your travel will amount to $78 a day with unlimited mileage. All other extras such as booster seats, navigation system have to be added separately. In addition, you also have to include collision damage waiver, extra protection, personal accident insurance, and roadside assistance, if needed. All these can add to the costs.
Step 4
Now, if you look at the daily costs, these could run from $59.99 on Budget and $70.20 on Alamo. These are just the base rates and you still have to include the taxes, extras, and all insurances. Your total could reach $159.95 for a day of renting a car with Budget if you prepay. Otherwise, you have to start with a higher base rate of $83.99. In comparison, Alamo has a base rate of $70.20 and if you prepay the booking, you will get $7 off or $63. Adding secondary drivers will also incur additional expenses and young drivers cost $25 a day.
Step 5
Renting for 2 weeks will give you amounts from $1200 to $1400 per car. Thus, it is helpful to compare the prices of a car rental for your travel to Florida. Even if it takes you a long time to research from various websites, it is still worth the effort to make the sacrifice to get good deals. Check airline, travel, and hotel websites to see if there are special travel packages that include a car rental.
Tips
Take note of specials, run on each car rental website for your travels to Florida for discounts and savings. In addition, promo codes are often available on these sites that you can apply to your bookings. Become members or sign up for the sites' mailing lists to take advantage of offers given only to members.
Sources and Citations
Budget
Alamo.co
