Hertz - Do I need e toll pass in Florida?

I will be renting from hertz out of FLL, and returning in MCO. My route will take me to Key Largo, Everglades, Naples, Tampa, Orlando, Cape Canaveral and then back to Orlando.

Will there be a lot of toll that I'll need e toll pass? (Its costly @ $2.50 a day, so $25 for my 10 days rent) Or I'll be better off paying cash at every toll?

Thanks for your input. :)

Unless you have a specific reason to use e-pass, paying cash will always save you money. May take a few minutes more but it's hardly an issue.

HTSC

In Miami or Orlando, it can take 15-20 minutes more because that is how the toll lines get during rush-hour. There are also certain exits on the freeways and certain portions of the highways in Miami that are exclusively for use of those with a toll pass. Plus, the tolls are cheaper if you pay electronically than with cash.

That being said, its probably cheaper to just buy a toll pass at CVS.

In Miami or Orlando, it can take 15-20 minutes more because that is how the toll lines get during rush-hour. There are also certain exits on the freeways and certain portions of the highways in Miami that are exclusively for use of those with a toll pass. Plus, the tolls are cheaper if you pay electronically than with cash.

That being said, its probably cheaper to just buy a toll pass at CVS.

Thanks guys for responding.

Hi MAH4546, are these exits (for toll pass only) clearly marked? What happens if I ran into 1, is there usually attendant there to assist? And 1 more Q, is e pass credit-card-like that you slot into a reader? Thanks & sorry for all e Qs... :)

Not sure how easily they come off, but they also make sticker patches now, that are like $5 instead of paying $20 just for the transponder. The SunPass only lanes are clearly marked, but you have to be careful as there are no attendants in these lanes.

Thanks brian for e pointer..

As a general rule (which is of course not always accurate...), the attendant lines are on the right. This is often where trucks go, too. But in any event, they are well marked.

JP

I will be renting from hertz out of FLL, and returning in MCO. My route will take me to Key Largo, Everglades, Naples, Tampa, Orlando, Cape Canaveral and then back to Orlando.

Will there be a lot of toll that I'll need e toll pass? (Its costly @ $2.50 a day, so $25 for my 10 days rent) Or I'll be better off paying cash at every toll?

Thanks for your input. :)

The past couple of times I have rented out of MCO and TPA the full size cars that I have gotten have had a "PLATE PASS." Where the device was already on the front of the car and you pay the toll plus an added $2 charge per day for use of the service. The $2 a day kind of stinks but it saves you time by not standing in line in the cash only lanes. However last week my car (from TPA) did not have it because it did not have Florida plates.

Hope this helps.

If you are doing this on the weekend in the Orlando area be aware that many of the toll booths are exact change only. I would recommend bringing lots of change.

Note that the cost of this should max out at $10/week and at one point I thought it was $10/rental max, but that may not be the case any more. $10/week I just saw in writing today up here at HLE. Even at $10/week that'll cut the total to $17.50, a little bit less than the $25.

Thanks everyone for ur input. Guess i'll hv to play by ear when i collect e rental. :)

I did a similar trip last month.The Plate Pass tolls are tied to the license plate numbers,not a separate transponder.It can be difficult to avoid using the Plate Pass,as many toll booths in Florida do not have a cash only lane,meaning that even if you choose to pay cash at the lanes,the license plate is recorded and you get charged anyway.The max fee is 10.00 per week and if you have a multi -week rental,there is no administrative fee the second week.

The only way I can see to avoid using Plate Pass in Florida is to stay off toll roads,which can be difficult and time consuming. While this system can be annoying,we simply resigned ourselves to it as the cost of convenience.

I did a similar trip last month.The Plate Pass tolls are tied to the license plate numbers,not a separate transponder.It can be difficult to avoid using the Plate Pass,as many toll booths in Florida do not have a cash only lane,meaning that even if you choose to pay cash at the lanes,the license plate is recorded and you get charged anyway.The max fee is 10.00 per week and if you have a multi -week rental,there is no administrative fee the second week.

The only way I can see to avoid using Plate Pass in Florida is to stay off toll roads,which can be difficult and time consuming. While this system can be annoying,we simply resigned ourselves to it as the cost of convenience.

Totally agree...

i just checked up on e toll here: http://www.floridasturnpike.com/TRI/index.htm

I think e toll r quite reasonable, in fact cheap... Where i come from, I could get sucked US$70 per week of toll and my country is probably smaller than greater Orlando... Lolz... :)

To fully clarify all this stuff about the second week, here's the language from Hertz.com. The deal is, for multi-week rentals, there is only billing for PlatePass during a week when it is actually used. So the fee on the particular rental in question will be $17.50, or it'll be $10 if no tolls are used in the extra 3 days.

Fee: Hertz customers will pay a service fee of $2.50 per rental day, including any days when customers do not use PlatePass®, plus any incurred tolls. The maximum service charge (excluding tolls) is $10.00 for any week. If the Hertz rental is for multiple weeks, the PlatePass® service fees will only apply for a week when the PlatePass® service was actually used. For example, if the car is rented for a 2-week period and PlatePass® was only used during the first week, the fees will not apply to the second week. After the rental car is returned, your credit card will be charged separately for the tolls used and the applicable service fee. Charges will appear on your credit card by PlatePass®. You will receive an itemized listing of all tolls and charges by mail.

Thanks... my last 3 days in orlando area, hopefully i can save that $7.50 :p

When I had an Avis Priceline rental roundtrip from MLB, the Accent had VA plates and a PlatePass E-Toll sticker. My Hertz Cobalt one-way to NY from MIA had FL plates and no E-Toll sticker, ironically. In both cases, I stayed in the cash lanes and didn't have a problem, even though they were marked as both cash and SunPass enabled.