Car rental return help please!

[psyllie]

We've tacked a Breeze cruise on at the end of our annual timeshare vacation this year. We'll be staying in Pompano Beach. We will have a rental car for our timeshare stay, which we can drop off at either FLL (take shuttle to Miami pier) or MIA. We've never been to Miami so are completely unfamiliar with the area - would it be less nail-biting to drop off car in Fort Lauderdale, or is the Miami airport easy enough to navigate that we can just drive all the way there? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

[LittleJones]

Miami isn't bad to return a rental car through; I've done it 3 times recently and it was painless. I use either Enterprise or National and they have a free shuttle to the pier.

[Colorado Kat]

Really depends on what agency you use, and where their dropoff location is.

[SadieN]

FWIW

 

Carnival has a check in desk at the Miami airport.

[dclark]

I always use a rental car to get to Miami port. Thrifty and Alamo (I think) have free shuttle, don't think Budget does.

While the airport is not scary, the area around there is very, very scary and i suggest that you top off the tank before getting near that area. Every time I refilled there, I was approached by panhandling drug addicts while pumping gas.

[JillK]

I returned a rental with National at MIA pre-cruise after spending the night at a hotel in FLL last December.

 

We found the process to be quite easy - very good directional signage along the way.

 

The one thing that I can second is filling up with gas ahead of time. What we did, even though we know that we paid a premium to do so, was to purchase their refill package when we took the car. We know it cost us more to have them gas it up, but we didn't want the stress of trying to find a gas station in Miami with our two young daughters in the car.

 

We were able to use National/Alamo's free shuttle to the pier which was stress-free.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[psyllie]

Thanks so much! I think we'll opt for Miami, and I really appreciate the tip about purchasing the gas - I usually don't do that, but it makes so much sense after reading these tips. Bon Voyage, y'all!

[hannibal54]

Hertz has a drop off area near POM with a free shuttle to your ship.

[bouhunter]

Thanks so much! I think we'll opt for Miami, and I really appreciate the tip about purchasing the gas - I usually don't do that, but it makes so much sense after reading these tips. Bon Voyage, y'all!

 

If you pre-purchase the gas drop it off with the tank as near empty as possible. Their sales pitch on that is slick and many people don't realize if they turn the car in with 10 gallons of gas (for example) in the tank, they've gifted 30.00 (at 3.00/gallon) to the rental company. It's really not that difficult to find a gas station say within 5 miles of the drop-off, the gauge will read full when you turn it in and they're fine with that. It's not like it has to be done two blocks from the rental agency.

Edited November 26, 2013 by bouhunter

[bouhunter]

The one thing that I can second is filling up with gas ahead of time. What we did, even though we know that we paid a premium to do so, was to purchase their refill package when we took the car.

Enjoy your trip!

 

Just remember you aren't "paying a premium" per gallon for the gas. You're simply GIVING them money unless the tank is empty when you return it.

Edited November 26, 2013 by bouhunter