NO one way fee for visitors from outside the USA ?!
#3
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No, it's not true. Each rental-car company has its own policies.
Some rental-car companies might not charge one-way fees to anyone, but will charge a higher daily rate for one-ways than for returns to the renting location.
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Originally Posted by feivel_03
Is it true that all rental companies in US do not charge ONE WAY FEE to foreigners/ visitors from abroad?
Some rental-car companies might not charge one-way fees to anyone, but will charge a higher daily rate for one-ways than for returns to the renting location.
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#4
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In my experience with one-ways, the more popular model these days is a higher daily rate for a one-way rental. That could be why you aren't seeing a line-item fee for the drop-off.
I still see a drop-off fee once in a while, and rarer still is a regular (low) daily rate and a per-mile charge. So those pricing models are still out there... It's just that usually, I pop in my two cities and see a higher daily rate and that's it. The pricing already bakes in a drop fee, kind of... For two cities within a day's drive of each other, there's sometimes an incentive to make the trip quickly and car-swap to a regular local rental if necessary when you get there.
I was surprised in Europe when I priced a BCN-NCE one way rental and noticed a 300 euro drop charge!! It was very clear that they did *not* want their Spanish rental cars getting dropped off outside the country, even a short-ish drive away in France. In the U.S., at least for most of the regional one-ways I've done, the pricing is usually sane. It's completely normal to get a rental car with out-of-state tags for a local rental, so it's not like the receiving location has to immediately send it back to its "home".
I still see a drop-off fee once in a while, and rarer still is a regular (low) daily rate and a per-mile charge. So those pricing models are still out there... It's just that usually, I pop in my two cities and see a higher daily rate and that's it. The pricing already bakes in a drop fee, kind of... For two cities within a day's drive of each other, there's sometimes an incentive to make the trip quickly and car-swap to a regular local rental if necessary when you get there.
I was surprised in Europe when I priced a BCN-NCE one way rental and noticed a 300 euro drop charge!! It was very clear that they did *not* want their Spanish rental cars getting dropped off outside the country, even a short-ish drive away in France. In the U.S., at least for most of the regional one-ways I've done, the pricing is usually sane. It's completely normal to get a rental car with out-of-state tags for a local rental, so it's not like the receiving location has to immediately send it back to its "home".
#5
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Guess we should call the car rentals
Thank you!
#6
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I have heard in the past of those booking fly 'n drive packages getting good OW rates but this may be due to the packager guaranteeing an equal amount of rental business between two given cities so that cars are not stranded. It won't be available through regular commercial channels for rental-only bookings though.
#7
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National charged only $ 295.
But with the position of the Euro against the US Dollar...
Who cared ??
So the answer to the question is NO !
Having said that ; Within California and Florida is no Drop Fee.
#8
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There definitely IS a drop off fee in California for all companies I've ever looked at. I would be very surprised if FL did not have drop off fees, though there are special times of the year when FL eliminates the fee to get people to drive cars out of the state. That is a particular, limited promotion.
#9
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There are bookers like Expedia and Rentalcars and even Alamo UK who sometimes waive the one way fee for a limited period.
#10
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The FL driveout is different than the other "deals." It's not just no drop charge, as in the roundtrip price the same as one-way, but one-way prices cheaper than roundtrip.
The special rates for foreign tourists probably assume roughly equal flow in each direction. It's not a matter of cars being stranded, between corporate stores, but the amount of cars staying relatively constant in each.
The special rates for foreign tourists probably assume roughly equal flow in each direction. It's not a matter of cars being stranded, between corporate stores, but the amount of cars staying relatively constant in each.
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#13
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Some companies also had a similar "Driveout" promotion in Arizona. I'm not sure if that was new this year or not.
#14
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The AZ drive out in the spring, and more limited drive in during the fall, typically occur each year. The prices tend to be at least $19/day for a compact. Returns are sometimes allowed as far as OH.
Gas probably wasn't why the FL driveout increased prices. That happened around the time Hertz bought Dollar Thrifty, whose one way specials were previously always $1/day for a midsize. Hertz back then offered subcompacts at $5/day. The special rose to $19/day for economy through fullsize for a few years, led by Avis, then dropped steadily to $9 during the spring. Now it's usually offered at $9 in the beginning.
Gas probably wasn't why the FL driveout increased prices. That happened around the time Hertz bought Dollar Thrifty, whose one way specials were previously always $1/day for a midsize. Hertz back then offered subcompacts at $5/day. The special rose to $19/day for economy through fullsize for a few years, led by Avis, then dropped steadily to $9 during the spring. Now it's usually offered at $9 in the beginning.
#15
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I would be appreciated if you could PM me some other good codes for Alamo.