Port Everglades Car Rental

My husband insists on not flying anymore, so we have to drive to the cruise
ship. We are taking a repositioning cruise out of Norfolk, so we are
renting a car and driving it to Norfolk. The cruise ends up in Fort
Lauderdale.

Last time we did a repositioning cruise it ended up in Miami, and we got an
Enterprise car for a week (they picked us up at the dock) and turned it in
at the airport (no additional charge) and then flew home. Since our
daughter is a pilot, we get to fly for free. But whatever - he wants to
drive now. And I'd like to visit our son in Charleston for a few days on
the way, which we can't do while flying.

We have three car rental places where we live - Enterprise which doesn't do
one-way, Avis and Hertz. I investigated Avis, and not only do they not
pick up at the cruise ship terminal (at least according to the Avis rep I
talked to in Ft. Lauderdale) so we would have to take a taxi, but they
would charge us $569.98 for a week's one way rental. Too expensive.

I figured the trip, what with visiting children and all would take about 10
days, so that would be $715.54 with Avis. Hertz has a Port Everglades
location and would pick up and it was only about $450/week (this was
including all taxes). So that was better, but still way expensive and they
charged $90/day for extra days.

So I called Enterprise. They absolutely won't let you take the car out of
Florida, but I could get a rate of $195/week (PLUS taxes and fees which she
estimated would take it up to $210) and they would pick us up at the dock.
I could take the car up to northern Florida and drop it off for an extra
$35.00. Much better. Then I could pick up another car to go the rest of
the way. Although Enterprise won't give us a ride to another car rental
place - I asked.

But Avis (which I normally think of as cheaper) had no place except the JAX
airport where I could get a one-way rental, and it would have been $525.47
(including taxes). A Hertz car was available in Fernandina Beach for
$340/week (also taxes included).

So I've got reservations for an Enterprise car for a week for about $250,
and a Hertz car for $340 for a second week.

Incidentally, the Enterprise office at Port Everglades is 3025 SE 6th Ave
(954-318-2814). I couldn't find it on the internet.
Does anyone have any hints for a way to do it cheaper?

Aside from the aggravation of switching cars, those are not bad weekly
rates. You can't use Priceline or Hotwire for one-ways. You might search for
some discount codes to apply to your rentals--check Costco, Sam's, AAA,
AARP, etc., as available to you. You might make one more effort to be
creative on your end--perhaps there is an Alamo, Budget, Dollar, etc. near
enough to your residence that the logistics/cost of that final transfer
would not defeat the savings, if any, that one of the other car rental
carriers might offer.

Good luck. Sounds like you have a nice trip planned.

Diana Ball
Austin, TX

"D Ball" wrote:

Aside from the aggravation of switching cars, those are not bad weekly
rates. You can't use Priceline or Hotwire for one-ways. You might search for

That's what the guy at Enterprise said when I told him the Hertz rate.

some discount codes to apply to your rentals--check Costco, Sam's, AAA,
AARP, etc., as available to you. You might make one more effort to be
creative on your end--perhaps there is an Alamo, Budget, Dollar, etc. near
enough to your residence that the logistics/cost of that final transfer
would not defeat the savings, if any, that one of the other car rental
carriers might offer.

We live in Leonardtown MD at the end of a long peninsula about 60 miles
east of D.C. Trust me - I know there are no other car rental places within
35 or r40 miles of here. I can't even get a taxi from one end of the
county to the other without paying about 50 bucks.

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of your
trip?

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston, it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"D Ball" wrote:

Aside from the aggravation of switching cars, those are not bad weekly
rates. You can't use Priceline or Hotwire for one-ways. You might search
for

That's what the guy at Enterprise said when I told him the Hertz rate.

some discount codes to apply to your rentals--check Costco, Sam's, AAA,
AARP, etc., as available to you. You might make one more effort to be
creative on your end--perhaps there is an Alamo, Budget, Dollar, etc. near
enough to your residence that the logistics/cost of that final transfer
would not defeat the savings, if any, that one of the other car rental
carriers might offer.

We live in Leonardtown MD at the end of a long peninsula about 60 miles
east of D.C. Trust me - I know there are no other car rental places
within
35 or r40 miles of here. I can't even get a taxi from one end of the
county to the other without paying about 50 bucks.

In article ,
"rieker" wrote:

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of your
trip?

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston, it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).


Depending on where you are starting from, I think Amtrak still lets
you take your car along for the ride to some FL. destinations, if you
need to have your care there.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
"rieker" wrote:

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of your
trip?

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston, it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).


Depending on where you are starting from, I think Amtrak still lets
you take your car along for the ride to some FL. destinations, if you
need to have your care there.

Excellent idea ... i know they do Baltimore to someplace in Florida (St
Lucie ??) ... my wifes Aunt did that many times while they wintered in
Florida ...

Kurt Ullman wrote:

In article ,
"rieker" wrote:

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of your
trip?

Actually no I hadn't thought of that. It is a good idea.

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston, it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).


Depending on where you are starting from, I think Amtrak still lets
you take your car along for the ride to some FL. destinations, if you
need to have your care there.

My mom has used Amtrak for a trip to Florida on the car train. The train
was very late getting to FL. I met her train to pick her up. The trip
would be $120 each (for seniors), and we would still have to have a car in
Florida, a car in Charleston and a car to get home at the end.

Plus there are a couple of places en route that I'd like to visit that I
missed on my last trip.

"number6" wrote in message
oups.com...

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
"rieker" wrote:

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of
your
trip?

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston,
it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).


Depending on where you are starting from, I think Amtrak still lets
you take your car along for the ride to some FL. destinations, if you
need to have your care there.

Excellent idea ... i know they do Baltimore to someplace in Florida (St
Lucie ??) ... my wifes Aunt did that many times while they wintered in
Florida ...


Amtrak stops in Sanford which is east of Orlando. (not that close to
Orlando, just a general idea) That's 4 hours north of Fort L.

"Ebbtide" wrote:


"number6" wrote in message
roups.com...

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
"rieker" wrote:

Have you thought of using Amtrak as a means for the long sections of
your
trip?

Even if you had to do a local car rental for your stop in Charleston,
it
could be cost effective.

And you don't have to do all that driving....

I don't do the driving, and I like to plan car trips. Bob does the
driving. He isn't that enthusiastic about trains either. I want to do a
cross country train trip sometime, and I may have to do it without him
because he has resisted doing that.

And seniors get some kinda break on pricing as do vets (I think).

Depending on where you are starting from, I think Amtrak still lets
you take your car along for the ride to some FL. destinations, if you
need to have your care there.

Excellent idea ... i know they do Baltimore to someplace in Florida (St
Lucie ??) ... my wifes Aunt did that many times while they wintered in
Florida ...

Amtrak stops in Sanford which is east of Orlando. (not that close to
Orlando, just a general idea) That's 4 hours north of Fort L.

It does go to Orlando, or at least did a couple of years ago. I priced it
from Miami to Charleston SC to Washington DC. I wouldn't go from Ft.
Lauderdale anyway.