Taking a trip to DC 3-8 October flying into Dulles. The rental car prices are outrageous when I try to book a reservation. Never have I seen prices like this for a bottom-of-the-barrel rental car.
Oh and Turo is out of the question. berkeley them
Taking a trip to DC 3-8 October flying into Dulles. The rental car prices are outrageous when I try to book a reservation. Never have I seen prices like this for a bottom-of-the-barrel rental car.
Oh and Turo is out of the question. berkeley them
try autoslash.com
On the Avis Car Sales site, test drives are 2 hours for free or 2 days for $70 per day. They waive the 2 day rental fee if you buy it, but...
How does $70 per day for two days compare to the rates you're seeing?
Hertz Car Sales does similar but a 3 day rental. The website does not give rental rate but just the phrase "special rental rate."
Lets talk about avoiding Tourist Taxes as a savings option...
If you pick up or drop off at an airport, train station, etc you are very often hit with high (as much as $25 per day) tourist taxes and fees. These fees are added to every day that you have the car.
But, if you take an Uber from Airport to Hotel the day of arrival you might be able to avoid a rental car for that day. The next morning, Enterprise Local, the locations near the car dealerships in every town, will pick you up at the hotel. You can then rent a car and avoid the tourist taxes. The day before departure, return that rental car near the car dealerships and Enterprise will take you back to your hotel. Uber back to airport.
Notes:
There isn't a government contract code you can use for personal use? I know mine is $31 a day or $225/week.
Look into surrounding area that isnt immediately airport adjacent and consider metro and/or uber/lyft to get to the car for cost savings?
In reply to bmw88rider :
I didn't even think about military rates. There isn't anything on the sites pointing to one existing.
In reply to John Welsh :
I'm going to do this when I get home. Look at non-airport locations.
Want to sell me a Prius? Lol
Curious, what is the reason for your negative view on Turo? I've had negative experiences with AirBnB lately that have made me shy away from the general business model.
Also, how many seats do you need? If you can get away with 2 seats, rent a Uhaul pickup or van. $20 a day + $0.69 a mile.
Where are you going that you need a car? The Metro system is pretty good and reaches far into the surrounding areas. I generally grab a hotel with easy access to the Metro and use shuttles for the last mile.
mtn said:Curious, what is the reason for your negative view on Turo? I've had negative experiences with AirBnB lately that have made me shy away from the general business model.
I tried to use Turo but they made me jump through hoops to verify my identity, more than the normal customer. Then afterwards, they said that they could'nt verify my identity and said I didnt meet their requirements or something then banned me from using Turo. So, I never got to actually rent a car using Turo because of whatever reasons they have.
In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :
I'm familiar with the metro but I plan on doing a bit of driving and going to see some family too. Want more flexibility than metro/uber.
Ooof, you weren't kidding on prices. I just did a quick priceline check and Dulles is significantly more than Reagan, oddly. But, PL has an express showing $57/day for a total of $406. The express deal is "you get what you get" economy car from whoever. You don't get to pick the rental company.
Not sure if that helps.
I did look at off airport locations and the only thing available was a Budget cargo van at $28/day, but not sure where the location is in relation to the airport. I also was curious if you could rent from Reagan (since they seemed to be cheaper) and catch a taxi, but looks like the taxi fee would be about $70 each way, which negates the savings.
-Rob
In reply to rob_lewis :
You can metro/bus between Dulles and Reagan.
Any luck booking a rental car through one of the airlines? Doesn't seem to matter if you're flying with them.
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:Get this then send it south on the auto train for someone to challenge
Holy cow. That has to be the cleanest one left.
Wait serious question not just blind enabling... But that's why I recall you were moving into the area in the not too crazy distant future. And as I recall there has been some discussion with regards to a potential future rally cross vehicle.
captdownshift, are you offering him free storage?
In reply to mtn :
I saw a mention of visiting family in one of the post 
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
I wish but I don't have that kind of time.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Yes, I'm moving there in January. I'll be there in October to in-process at the new job and look at some houses etc. I'll be by myself on this trip.
I do plan on buying a 2nd gen Prius for commuting duties when I move there. Budget will probably be under $5000.
https://www.nationalcar.com/en/car-rental/navy-exchange.html For National Car
https://www.avis.com/en/business-programs/miles-points-partners/other-partners/veterans-advantage Avis
https://www.operationmilitarykids.org/hertz-military-discount/ Info on the hertz program.
Not sure if they are any good but worth looking at.
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