BuffettNews.com

i have been looking into a one way car rental from orlando to key west for 5 days in may. the prices that i have been getting range from 250-350. i thought this seemed a bit high... and this is for an economy car.

does anyone have any insights on getting a cheaper price or any advice???

That "one way rental" is going to send that price way high. Particularly since you want to drive it from a dense populated area (Orlando) to a small island and leave it there. I don't think you are going to find anything cheaper. I'm guessing you want to do the full drive over the keys and that's the main reason you want a rental car.
Otherwise I'd suggest taking a puddle hopper from Orlando to the Key West airport and getting around KW without a car.

surfpirate wrote:That "one way rental" is going to send that price way high. Particularly since you want to drive it from a dense populated area (Orlando) to a small island and leave it there. I don't think you are going to find anything cheaper. I'm guessing you want to do the full drive over the keys and that's the main reason you want a rental car.
Otherwise I'd suggest taking a puddle hopper from Orlando to the Key West airport and getting around KW without a car.

you guessed it. we will be taking the ferry from key west to ft. myers. i really hate making that drive. it's soooooo long.

If it works for you try renting from location in southern Fla (Lauderdale, Miami etc). I believe they do not charge you a drop of fee when rented from those locations and dropped in Key West. If you rent from other locations and drop in KW you basically get surcharged for doing so. Also try the PHIP discount. It can be used almost any time and it benefits PHIP.

surfpirate wrote:That "one way rental" is going to send that price way high. Particularly since you want to drive it from a dense populated area (Orlando) to a small island and leave it there. I don't think you are going to find anything cheaper. I'm guessing you want to do the full drive over the keys and that's the main reason you want a rental car.
Otherwise I'd suggest taking a puddle hopper from Orlando to the Key West airport and getting around KW without a car.

hmmm.... there didn't used to be drop off fees in FL.... it looks like that may have changed....

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:

surfpirate wrote:That "one way rental" is going to send that price way high. Particularly since you want to drive it from a dense populated area (Orlando) to a small island and leave it there. I don't think you are going to find anything cheaper. I'm guessing you want to do the full drive over the keys and that's the main reason you want a rental car.
Otherwise I'd suggest taking a puddle hopper from Orlando to the Key West airport and getting around KW without a car.

hmmm.... there didn't used to be drop off fees in FL.... it looks like that may have changed....

I'm pretty certain I was charged a dropoff fee last year when I picked up from Tampa Airport and dropped off at Sarasota a week later. Of course I didn't examine the bill that closely since it was a company rental. Most times I pickup and drop-off at the same airport.

Last April we did a two-day rental from Lauderdale to Key West (stayed on the mainland the first night). A minivan for six of us was just $25.17 a day, with fees it was 72.33 for the two days. From Alamo, returned it to their place on North Roosevelt.

For the way back, we got a Dodge Caravan -- one day rental. From Key West to Lauderdale, base rate of 49.00 a day + fees from Thrifty, right at the airport.

Not the five-days you are looking at, but we didn't pay any drop-off fees or anything extra at all.

It's high because they have to bring the car back to Orlando at their own costs so they try to make it up by charging higher prices for it.

We did it last year but got a convertable from FLL to KW one way and returned it on the island and even got a shuttle back to our hotel. I think it was like $50 a day. Well worth it on the drive down US1.

If you belong to a wholesale club like Sam's, BJ's or Costco check them out too! you have to pick up the voucher at the store and then call with the code! we rented a car and paid half at Christmas time in Orlando last year!!!!!

SchoolGirlHeart wrote: hmmm.... there didn't used to be drop off fees in FL.... it looks like that may have changed....

I think the drop off fees are waved for South Fla one way rentals only. Orlando and Tampa would be too far north to qualify. Not sure if Ft Myers would qualify though.

We just rented from Orlando to Key West last month, we had a PT Crusier and it was $49 a day.

My only hint, pay to drop the car off empty. The gas price in Orlando was much cheaper than Key West. Gas prices jump the further south you go in the Keys.

A good thing to look at is the Entertainment book, they have some good coupons.

Another place for rental codes is www.mousesavers.com

Also, some of the rental companies allow rate codes and coupons so extra savings.

FL does not have a drop off fee so 1 way rentals are not extra.

mmjohnso17 wrote:We just rented from Orlando to Key West last month, we had a PT Crusier and it was $49 a day.

My only hint, pay to drop the car off empty. The gas price in Orlando was much cheaper than Key West. Gas prices jump the further south you go in the Keys.
A good thing to look at is the Entertainment book, they have some good coupons.

Another place for rental codes is www.mousesavers.com

Also, some of the rental companies allow rate codes and coupons so extra savings.

FL does not have a drop off fee so 1 way rentals are not extra.

stays about the same, give or take a few cents until you get to FL City at the bottom of FL. Then, figure about $0.25/gallon by the time you get to the end of the road

MacPhin wrote:

surfpirate wrote:That "one way rental" is going to send that price way high. Particularly since you want to drive it from a dense populated area (Orlando) to a small island and leave it there. I don't think you are going to find anything cheaper. I'm guessing you want to do the full drive over the keys and that's the main reason you want a rental car.
Otherwise I'd suggest taking a puddle hopper from Orlando to the Key West airport and getting around KW without a car.

you guessed it. we will be taking the ferry from key west to ft. myers. i really hate making that drive. it's soooooo long.

I love that ferry!

Hmmm . . . ferry from Key West to Ft Myers? I did not know of this! Where can I get more info?

ConchRepublican wrote:Hmmm . . . ferry from Key West to Ft Myers? I did not know of this! Where can I get more info?

http://www.florida.worldweb.com/Transportation/Ferries/

this site will give you the 2 different types of ferries that leave from ft. myers.

http://www.seakeywestexpress.com/

They just started a service from Miami as well.

I know 2 people that used the ferry from Ft. Myers- they made it to and from Key West safely

ConchRepublican wrote:Hmmm . . . ferry from Key West to Ft Myers? I did not know of this! Where can I get more info?

info also on keywest.com

Thanks all!

This is an interesting option. I like the idea of driving at least one way, but since a car isn't needed in Key West, maybe a ferry road down and then renting a car for the trip back up would work. Possibly at a better one way rate because you're taking the car back up the Keys as opposed to the other way around.

Plus, the ride itself must be beautiful, from either the Atlantic or Caribbean sides.

mmjohnso17 wrote:http://www.seakeywestexpress.com/

They just started a service from Miami as well.

I know 2 people that used the ferry from Ft. Myers- they made it to and from Key West safely

Now if that Miami-Key West run stopped at my favorite watering holes, that could be a fun trip!