Originally Posted by
DHalltheway
Is driving / parking is expensive in KC?
Are the locations of all the BBQ close by to one another? (I tried google maps but It didn't help)
Are there any parts of town I should steer clear of?
Driving/parking is comparatively cheap. Your base rate on a car, with a decent coupon code, should be in the $10/day range if not lower. You will then be slapped with over 100% in taxes, but you're still talking about a cheap rental car overall. (Without coupon codes, regular Orbitz search, plenty of $11-14/day cars for that weekend...)
MCI uses a shared rental facility, so the premium I'd be willing to pay for a first-tier brand vs. a second-tier one (e.g., National vs. Dollar) is minimal as long as you have the second-tier agency's expedited renter card. I've had hassle-free Dollar, Budget, and Alamo rentals at MCI before. On the other hand, I've had a Payless rental that was a royal pain in the a**, so I'd probably only go "second-tier", not third-tier. I wouldn't hesitate to book Dollar's $13/day "mystery car" if I didn't have a cheap National/Hertz option.
Parking is something I've never actually paid for in Kansas City, except at Royals/Chiefs games. I'd be disappointed if any Flyertalker actually paid for parking in downtown Kansas City on a weekend.
I've stayed in downtown, Crossroads, and Plaza hotels and always found legal street parking.
The BBQ locations are a bit scattered. Not hours apart or anything...but definitely driving.