rj7878

I'm looking at one-way rentals from the northeast to south Florida in June. A one-way northbound rental is showing up as $8.99 a day, but a southbound rental for those same dates is around $300/day. Is this unusual to have such a huge price discrepancy based on which direction you are driving the car? Thanks.

guv1976

Not unusual at all, to and from Florida.

Most rental-car companies -- not just Hertz -- offer very low Florida drive-out rates in the Spring, and Florida drive-in rates in the Fall.

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AutoSlash

Yes, what @guv1976 said. See below for more info:

Budget Lists Arizona and Florida Drive-Out Offers, Follows Enterprise's Lead on Higher Rates

Budget and Enterprise Offer Competing Arizona Drive-Out Specials

Auto Enthusiast

When I did a FL driveout in 2009, I was picking up my Chevrolet Cobalt from Hertz at the Miami Airport. Right then, a Chevrolet Impala with PA plates was being returned. The attendant confirmed with the customer they did a one-way from Newark Airport for $178/day. I asked the customer why they would do such a thing, when the reverse for that size of car was ~$10/day. The lady looked back at the car, now parked in the ready aisle, in shock and disbelief. I think in her case she said she had to help bring her daughter home from college.

But, if you have any choice at all in the direction you take your trip, it's best to go with the "flow," rather than attempt reverse peak or out of season. The only exception to that might be if you use free days, and are leaving an expensive market, ideally where you can choose your car, to go one-way to a smaller one.

rj7878

Thank you so much to those who responded. This is my first experience with drive-out rates. Quite interesting.