Originally Posted by
SeoulMan
The only other option I know is Megabus. They have a bus that leaves downtown Durham every morning at 3:55 a.m., arriving downtown Charlotte at 7 a.m. I've never used them, but I know someone who does, and she says she usually ends up with 2 seats by herself and is online the whole trip. Prices range from $5 to $21, depending on the day.
Staying up all night, plus needing to get from RDU to downtown Durham and from downtown Charlotte to CLT (at the beginning of rush hour). I'd bite the bullet and rent a car and get a hotel near CLT through Hotwire or Priceline. Taxi fare from downtown Charlotte to the airport is about $25 (we went to Charlotte by Amtrak and picked up a car at CLT). Add to that the cost and time of getting to downtown Raleigh, and you don't save all that much money, though I suppose staying up all night and not having time to get a hotel near CLT would save you money. BTW, I've rented cars with the USAA codes several times, and often found Hertz pricier than Avis, Budget or Enterprise. You checked them?