Mendoza Car Rental
 

Looing for a good rate with unlimited miles for p/u the morning of 4/22 and return evening of 4/25. Hertz in USA is giving me all in of $300 USD for a compact. Whom would have a better rate. Thanks

Sounds about right for a 4 day rental quoted on the Avis Argentina web-site.
http://www.avis.com.ar This was a prepaid rate on an Opel Corsa type vehicle, Class B with 200 free km. per day. About $6US more gets you a midsize vehicle. Note the prices on the website are quoted in Argentine Pesos.

My experience in Mendoza was that I could get a remis for approximately the same cost as a rental car. If you are planning on visiting wineries, I strongly recommend that you do this.

The driver that the Vines of Mendoza got me was Genaro Caballero. He speaks very little English but was quite good in getting us where we wanted to go. He even took us to the airport getting to the hotel at exactly the scheduled time. Telephone 0261-154 191661.

www.expedia.com shows a Hertz compact for $US359.86.

http://www.welcomeargentina.com/mendoza/car-rental.html

The above is a list of agencies.

Last year, I rented a compact with Hertz for about $47 US a day for 3 days in April. So that rate looks a tad exorbitant.

I've gotten a quote of about $50, but all of them are assuming 200KM and I was hoping to find a deal with unlimited miles. Unfortunately even with AAA and another membership of mine through the US Auto Association they aren't quoting me unlimited miles. :(

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Rental cars are not cheap in Argentina.....

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I think opushomes has it right.. if you will be visiting bodegas then driving makes no sense.

Thank you for the tip. I am actually in the wine business ( understand that you are as well ) I have appointments for 4 days and I will be covering alot of area. I will be working with an associate from BA and wanted to find the best rate available on a rental. If anyone can help with rentals I would appreciate that. I was in MDZ in October 08 and know the lay of the land, just not the rental scene.

800KM (200 per day) is still quite a bit of mileage

During my 3 day stay, including trips all over Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu, and a day's excursion to the Valle de Uco, I was under 550 KM (and my rate was based upon free mileage up to 600 KM for 3 days).

Incidentally, folks who know how to taste wine professionally can do it without getting intoxicated. I can taste 50-80 wines in a day and never have consumed more than one glass' worth over the course of a day.

You can easily do 200kms a day in and around Mendoza... especially if you are staying near the city and have to go to a producer in the Valle de Uco and then back to Maipu or Lujan. If you have a local contact, I would suggest you ask him to cross check some rental rates, he may be able to book a car with a special promotion code with a discount thats applicable only to residents, etc.

To answer your specific question... Im afraid that when I go to Mendoza, I either drive my own car or else the wineries that fly me there always provide a vehicle & driver... hence, Im a lousy source for good info on the rental scene. If you want, PM me and I will give you the details of a TA that I trust, they may be able to research some good options for you.

We were planning to only rent a car on our final day so we could drive up into the Andes and up to the Chile Border on Route 7. It looks like we would go over 200KM but at $.10 (US) per mile it still might be cheaper than hiring a driver for the entire day.

For the dates you mention, I get $ 231.84 US at National Car Rental for a VW Golf compact picking up downtown or $ 255.02 picking up at the airport (both with airport returns). This rate is for unlimited miles and includes all fees. I am using Contract ID 5125601. It originally comes from an American Express promotion that was sent out with new credit cards, so you must have an American Express card with you when you pick up the car (though it doesn't appear that you actually have to use the AmEx card when renting). This code has been around for at least two years, and still seems to work fine.
I mention downtown pickup because when I was in Mendoza in March there were two robberies involving young American couples in rental cars at the airport. The scam involves the robbers puncturing the tire while the rental is stopped at a light, and then driving beside the rental to point out that the car has a bad tire. When the driver of the rental pulls over to look at the tire, these "good Samaritans" then relieve the tourists of all their possessions.

Thanks DCAGUY. I called Emerald Club $192 USD all in for 800K or $231 Unlimited DWNT P/U and D/O( I went unlimited as I will travel to UCO/Tupengato/San Juan). Nice Contract ID. I appreciate the courtesy..

Flying Machine, you have PM.

Good information in this thread. I'm planning on heading to MDZ from 5/23 - 5/25 and would like to visit some wineries. I understand the pros and cons of hiring a driver vs. renting. I still like the idea of renting just because I could be a bit more spontaneous and sightsee on my own in some random places - something I really enjoying. I've got my GPS loaded with Mendoza maps, though I'm sure there are major holes in the maps.

My stay runs Saturday at noon - Monday evening. What wineries are likely to be open during this time frame? Any recommendations? I can do the legwork with calling and emailing to setup appointments, but i'm not sure what wineries would be worth a visit and which would be open. I'd probably like to visit no more than three or four wineries so that I can balance that time with some of the aimless driving mentioned earlier.

Wineries I would like to visit: Benegas, Achaval Ferrer, and Durigutti. Any other recommendations either from a quality of wine, quality of experience, geography (shorter drive), etc. perspective would be appreciated. Thanks for any input!