Outrageous rental car prices in October

[WDWOswald]

Our trip is October 9-14th. I am looking at rental car prices and I am absolutely stunned. A midsize car for 5 days is around $300!!! I used to get a 7 day car rental for about $115 or less with no issues whatsoever. What gives? Any tips on saving money?

 

[FourBees]

Check out budget. In the bcd code use S3516000 and in the coupon place use muwz093. Both codes are eligible for anyone and you can get a intermediate SUV for $175 all taxes included. Edit to say sorry I put in November 9-14. But still try those codes for October dates

 

[Keacc]

Advantage is low. $199 with taxes for a full size for a week.

 

[keishashadow]

The time period you mention is Columbus Day, it seems to get more crowded every year.

There is a thread here dedicated to October rentals as to codes/rates if you search.

Autoslash handy tool to sign up for a quote, then alerts as to subsequent price drops.

I really work @ finding a good rental car rate in MCO. It's one of the few components of a trip you have some control over as to cost.

Lowest I've found this year out of 8 weeks of MCO rentals, has been thru Hertz via a usssa promo for 1 week @ $115 & an upcoming 2 week one starting 10/1 just under $200 . I doubt i will beat it after seeing current pricing trends but will price up to the day before i leave.

Still trying to secure a decent rate in November. current best rate i have thru Alamo @ $227 eek, ME is starting to look good on that trip lol

 

[kydisneyfans]

Check daily.
We are in the same time frame. Rates dropped for us through Costco earlier this week. The drop was just over 20%.

 

[WDWOswald]

Advantage is low. $199 with taxes for a full size for a week.

I can't do the off-site shuttle... just can't do it

 

[georgina]

I agree they are high! I booked mine back in March, an intermediate car through costco for $211 for 9 days, thinking it would come down some, but it went higher and never came down.

 

[maxiesmom]

I got a great deal thru Costco. A standard SUV for $188 for 7 days. But I booked over a month ago. I keep checking in case the price would go down, but they seem to be steadily climbing.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I also booked a standard SUV on Costco, but many months ago, for 8 days. I think it is about $220. I should keep looking, got a bit lazy.

When I cannot get a good deal, I just refuse to pay and use Uber/Lyft.

 

[keishashadow]

Lol as soon as I spoke above, found out the mr not working next Saturday. Coming down a day early. Ha! Have been plugging away all am trying to modify/rebook.

They are getting tougher as to modifying rates & keeping the same base rate vs my past experience.

Best rate for 16 days was in area of $600 & that thru Hertz who suddenly refused to modify my reservation, keeping the base rate as they have multiple times in the past. Hmmph!

I had a few backups i hadn't cancelled yet. Alamo nearly doubled the price but it's half of what Hertz would've been and a fullsize car. I can live with it, all in $20 a day.

 

[WDWOswald]

Check out budget. In the bcd code use S3516000 and in the coupon place use muwz093. Both codes are eligible for anyone and you can get a intermediate SUV for $175 all taxes included. Edit to say sorry I put in November 9-14. But still try those codes for October dates

Wow! Thank you that saved me about $75 from the best prices I could find before. Standard car for $167!

 

[WDWOswald]

Or a Prius from budget if I pre-pay for $158. These prices are much closer to what I consider reasonable

 

[n2mm]

I agree, the rates are much higher than when I booked. I'm sure hurricane Irma didn't help as some folks do rent one way when flights get canceled. I stil check often.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Part of the problem is that September is when rental car companies are moving fleet from the North to the South (end of summer vacations) and selling in preparation for new fleet in Oct/Nov. The hurricanes mean that people rented a ton of cars one way out of those areas, seriously changing availability projections. I'm guessing that if you watch the rates over the next couple of weeks, you will see them come down. I would not book a prepaid reservation right now. Book something that you can modify. Good luck!

 

[madge]

why is Alamo/National completely out of cars (at MCO) next weekend?!

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

Alamo is out of car rental for Oct 26th? Just SUV are an option now. What is going on.

 

[PSUGuy]

Oct/Nov has been 'Our Time' for the last several years and I've learned to book early and cancel and re-book as better prices come out. I made my first Dollar reservation as soon as SW fares came out and re-booked several times. On March 6, 2017 I made my final booking for a Nov 2 - Nov 11 midsized car for $197 total, that's 11 days so we're pretty pleased but you have to strike early for this time frame.

Bill From PA

 

[keishashadow]

why is Alamo/National completely out of cars (at MCO) next weekend?!

Columbus Day is very popular

More than a few may be overbooked, not cancelling multiple holding reservations they made.

Keep checking, something may open up.

Priceline or hotwire another option

I'm also of the book early & modify. Have been able to add a date often/change pickup times if a better flight opened up, etc. Never an issue losing my original rate if it increased, as long as I called in and spoke to them. That changed this week

I had an awful time moving my reservation up to accommodate arriving tomorrow instead of Oct 1. 16 days total. was surprised hertz wouldn't accommodate me without the price increasing by $500!!! This, even though the earlier arrival fell into the same # of days. They have done so many times in the past for me btw. Didn't say a policy change, just that they couldn't do it. Um ok

Only alamo would work with me. Had a placeholder booked @ $330 Glad i waited to cancel it till the last minute. i tried to adjust it online & it doubled. Called, spoke to supervisor, told I have a manual note in my file to keep the existing rate, haha hope not to get a big surprise there or uber will be looking mighty good.