Why are Car Rentals in Orlando so Expensive?

I too can't believe how expensive MCO rental cars are.......don't really want to try off site smaller companies. Somewhere (maybe Slickdeals) I found a discount code for Dollar. You might want to give this a try.

Full size, 1 week, $455 AI down to $357 AI using code "ooag" on Dollar's website for mid Aug. I actually got my for $233 AI, full size for end of Aug, but I booked mine a few months ago. Good luck!

People might try using Entertainment Book coupons (I've had good luck with them). Robyn

I prefer to use Alamo at MCO. If you go on Mousesavers.com they have discount codes that can be used by anyone. I book it when I find the cheapest rate even though it might not be perfect and keep checking back. I have rebooked at a cheaper rate several times and then cancelled the original with no problem all online. I like that they have the kiosk check-in and they do not hold a deposit on your credit card in addition to the charge, like when I used Hertz the one and only time cause we had vouchers. It was an added expense I was not accounting for.

High MCO car rental rates are continuing, but if you put some effort into it, you can definitely find something decent. This week, even though "published" rates are in the $300s (+ a nasty tax), I've found a bunch of midsize cars for under $200 + tax in the usual places (priceline, last minute and coupons on the individual car rental websites, etc.). But, ironically, the best deal I found was on the thrifty/dollar websites WITHOUT a code. They will often pop up a lower "city special" if you DON't put in a code. I got a midsize at the airport for $129+ tax/week this way. Much lower than priceline! Note that these "specials" don't pop up on kayak.com, so you have to individually search the websites.

BTW, it's also worth (of all things) going to autoeurope.com to get a quote. Dollar/Thrifty beat them for me, but they were competitive with priceline. Also note that picking up at an off-airport site saves on taxes, but the rates are generally higher. Still a decent option if you don't need a car for your entire visit.

Also note that if you're just going for a weekend in the next month or so, Alamo has a great $10/day compact special on their website (a few dollars more for larger cars). There's nothing particularly special about their weekly rates, however.

Southwest.com often has some good rates, especially combined with a Costco or Sam's Club coupon. You don't have to be flying with Southwest to get the deal.

I have a weekend with Alamo coming up, and with a different code (7014730, the weekly rate code is 7015025), I pay an extra few dollars over the $10 daily rate for a compact ($4 extra total), but I get a bonus RR credit, worth far more than $4.

This http://www.carrentalsavers.com/ is a great source of discount codes for Orlando (and other areas). The Orlando Magicard, which is downloadable free, has a very good Thrifty discount http://www.orlandoinfo.com/index.cfm

But is is better than NO discount? Seriously, Thrifty/Dollar is the only car rental company that sometimes offers its best rates (under the "city special") when you enter no discount code in your search.

BTW, when I rented from Thrifty last week at MCO, the counter agent was DESPERATE to upsell me something -- anything. It's been years since I've seen such brazen tactics at a rental car counter. In fact, I think she went over the line and tried to "trick" me into agreeing to some sort of personal injury insurance (after I declined all coverages). Still, as long as you pay careful attention at the counter, they can sometimes offer the best rates at MCO, and their cars are comparable to the bigger names (and they're in terminal, unlike Hertz).

I know a guy who is a rental guru, he got a 7 person van for $262 for a week at budget. Originally I was going through enterprise and they had me quoted at almost $600 for the week.

When are you renting? $600 sounds incredibly high. I usually find Orlando to be some of the cheapest rentals anywhere. They have such a high turnover, and such low costs, and such competition that they have to keep prices low.

Be careful that you are renting from an airport rental company. Some of the off sites are located downtown and are much more expensive. Check web sites such as mousesavers and disboards, they have the discount codes that can really bring the prices down.

It was through enterprise right over at the airport. But I was able to get the same deal that the other guy told me about.

We kind of lucked out with a week's rental under $150 taxes and fees included using priceline. I forget exact cost but it was $10/day. The rental was from Alamo and we were able to pick out a Ford Focus which we've driven as a rental in the past & liked. We were also able to rent from MCO and drop out at MIA with no additional fees.

Per some of the original replies, time of year/holidays probably plays a factor. We picked up the car the Saturday after US Thanksgiving which, apart from the Saturday, is probably pretty dead. I think the week leading up to it is pretty crazy. The Alamo rental counter wasn't too bad but we were able to avoid it by using a kiosk.

We will be going to Orlando Feb 12th and the rentals are so expensive. Valentines day? I guess I will wait until closer to the date to see if there are any price drops. Any special codes you used? Thanks

Any help from the rental guru on fec 12-17th for car rental in orlando would be greatly appreciated!

It's not just Valentine's Day, it's also President's Day. It's not likely you will get a good code for that weekend.

Your best bet might be Priceline.

Not only Presidents Day national holiday, it's also the weekend that the Daytona 500 is being held (many race fans fly in and out of MCO, and drive up to Daytona Beach)).