Rental Car Rates

[Mama Bear Me2]

Hi Everyone,

I understand that car rental rates have been sky high. Can anyone please give me an idea of what they're paying for a weekly rental for a full size sedan (or larger) for pick up and return at LAX & dates of rental? Thinking of car rental for NEXT July or August 2024 and was wondering what this year's rates are like.

Any tips on how to get best car rental rates?

Thanks for your help!

Edited: please excuse my double post ... I'm posting on both Canadian and Regular Disneyland Forum

 

[migel]

I can't speak for LAX, but it's likely similar to MCO (Orlando) in ridiculous pricing. I normally reserve months early through Costco, then check daily and cancel/re-book if the price decreases. Unfortunately, summer pricing this year is the worst yet. I have a 7-day rental beginning August 9th, currently at about $450 USD (mid-size). Pricing for full size or larger is not much different. Costco usually drops prices closer to the rental date, but it's not been happening like it used to. In May, the best I got for a 7-day rental was about $295 USD. There are some deals to be had on sites like Expedia, but you have to pay up front, and there's no cancellation. Another site you may want to try is Air Canada Vacations, https://vacations.aircanada.com/ prices are in CND dollars. They had great deals earlier in the year, but the summer pricing again is high. Good luck.

 

[mkmommy]

I have been tracking prices for 4 days LAX for November and the best I have seen is $332 and it has not moved from when I started tracking in Feb.

I am probably just going to Uber/Taxi

 

[Donald - my hero]

you couldn't pay me enough to drive in LA! That wouldn't spell vacation to me, the traffic can be a nightmare. I'd be using Uber/ lyft or whatever. We have friends who live relatively close to LAX and they won't pick anyone up.

You do you though, if you want to rent a car check to see if the airline you're using has discounted rates

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

I can't speak for LAX, but it's likely similar to MCO (Orlando) in ridiculous pricing. I normally reserve months early through Costco, then check daily and cancel/re-book if the price decreases. Unfortunately, summer pricing this year is the worst yet. I have a 7-day rental beginning August 9th, currently at about $450 USD (mid-size). Pricing for full size or larger is not much different. Costco usually drops prices closer to the rental date, but it's not been happening like it used to. In May, the best I got for a 7-day rental was about $295 USD. There are some deals to be had on sites like Expedia, but you have to pay up front, and there's no cancellation. Another site you may want to try is Air Canada Vacations, https://vacations.aircanada.com/ prices are in CND dollars. They had great deals earlier in the year, but the summer pricing again is high. Good luck.

Thanks. Was afraid that prices were still ridiculously high. I checked and what I saw were heart attack pricing so I immediately came here to Disboards for advice.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

you couldn't pay me enough to drive in LA! That wouldn't spell vacation to me, the traffic can be a nightmare. I'd be using Uber/ lyft or whatever. We have friends who live relatively close to LAX and they won't pick anyone up.

You do you though, if you want to rent a car check to see if the airline you're using has discounted rates

Tks. Agree. Driving in LA requires patience and nerves of steel. My husband does the driving and he's done it on previous trips. Takes a couple of days to acclimate to LA driving habits and speed.

Funny story ... my husband laughed at me because my right leg kept twitching when we were in the car. That's because I couldn't help myself from convulsively braking even though I was in the passenger seat!

We're used to lower speeds and leaving plenty of room between cars (2 or 3 car lengths). In LA, half a car length means there's room for a car to merge in front of you ... especially scary at LA speeds.

Sometimes, we would purposely follow behind the 18 wheeler freight trucks because we knew LA drivers didn't like being behind those trucks and we could drive a little slower.

Even funnier ... when we returned home, having finally gotten used to LA speeds, we complained about how slow the cars were moving.

 

[Dznefn]

Costco canada travel site - for a LAX pickup - full size - $366.83 beginning of July for 9 days. I started at $640 when I originally booked in Jan. Its been steadily dropping in price as we get closer to our dates.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

Costco canada travel site - for a LAX pickup - full size - $366.83 beginning of July for 9 days. I started at $640 when I originally booked in Jan. Its been steadily dropping in price as we get closer to our dates.

Thanks!! That's quite the savings!

 

[ronandannette]

I have been tracking prices for 4 days LAX for November and the best I have seen is $332 and it has not moved from when I started tracking in Feb.

I am probably just going to Uber/Taxi

Just popping in to say if you decide to go without a car, consider regular, metered taxis instead of Uber. On our most recent trips (twice LAX headed to Long Beach to board cruises and briefly in Seattle last month), Uber seemed to be in perpetual "surge pricing" and taxis were cheaper, sometimes by quite a bit. But that said, $332, if you're trying to get from LA to Anaheim, may not even cover those trips (Uber or taxi or multiple people on a shuttle) back-and-forth, let alone anywhere else you want to go while you're there. The rental still might be your best option, money-wise.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

Just popping in to say if you decide to go without a car, consider regular, metered taxis instead of Uber. On our most recent trips (twice LAX headed to Long Beach to board cruises and briefly in Seattle last month), Uber seemed to be in perpetual "surge pricing" and taxis were cheaper, sometimes by quite a bit. But that said, $332, if you're trying to get from LA to Anaheim, may not even cover those trips (Uber or taxi or multiple people on a shuttle) back-and-forth, let alone anywhere else you want to go while you're there. The rental still might be your best option, money-wise.

Wow to Uber surge pricing! Thanks for the tip.

 

[starvenger]

Costco canada travel site - for a LAX pickup - full size - $366.83 beginning of July for 9 days. I started at $640 when I originally booked in Jan. Its been steadily dropping in price as we get closer to our dates.

I usually book through Costco as well. But you really do have to check once or twice a week to see if there is a better price.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

I usually book through Costco as well. But you really do have to check once or twice a week to see if there is a better price.

Thanks!!

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

I can't speak for LAX, but it's likely similar to MCO (Orlando) in ridiculous pricing. I normally reserve months early through Costco, then check daily and cancel/re-book if the price decreases. Unfortunately, summer pricing this year is the worst yet. I have a 7-day rental beginning August 9th, currently at about $450 USD (mid-size). Pricing for full size or larger is not much different. Costco usually drops prices closer to the rental date, but it's not been happening like it used to. In May, the best I got for a 7-day rental was about $295 USD. There are some deals to be had on sites like Expedia, but you have to pay up front, and there's no cancellation. Another site you may want to try is Air Canada Vacations, https://vacations.aircanada.com/ prices are in CND dollars. They had great deals earlier in the year, but the summer pricing again is high. Good luck.

I had the opposite experience on our August 13 to Aug 26 trip. The prices have come down sharply in the last couple of weeks. One anomaly that I noticed this year is that budget.com has had the best price, even better than Costco Canada or Costco US, but you seem to have to catch it on the right day as the price swings wildly day to day.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

I had the opposite experience on our August 13 to Aug 26 trip. The prices have come down sharply in the last couple of weeks. One anomaly that I noticed this year is that budget.com has had the best price, even better than Costco Canada or Costco US, but you seem to have to catch it on the right day as the price swings wildly day to day.

Thanks!!

 

[migel]

I had the opposite experience on our August 13 to Aug 26 trip. The prices have come down sharply in the last couple of weeks. One anomaly that I noticed this year is that budget.com has had the best price, even better than Costco Canada or Costco US, but you seem to have to catch it on the right day as the price swings wildly day to day.

Once I initially reserve through Costco, I usually check the prices daily right up until the day before departure. For my week in August, the price has not dropped below $419 USD (compact/mid-size). And as you mentioned, Budget once again has the best prices, and they were also the cheapest when I rented in May.

 

[hcortesis]

I have not yet found any place that can better these prices.

https://www.autoeurope.ca

 

[starvenger]

Once I initially reserve through Costco, I usually check the prices daily right up until the day before departure. For my week in August, the price has not dropped below $419 USD (compact/mid-size). And as you mentioned, Budget once again has the best prices, and they were also the cheapest when I rented in May.

And I assume that everyone has signed up for Budget's Fastbreak program, but if you haven't, do it and enter in your number when you book through Costco. Being able to skip the rental line, grab your rental info/keys and drive off saves a lot of time and gets your vacation started just a little bit faster.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

Thanks everyone for their tips!