Car Rental MIA, Return to FLL

[bigrednole]

Its been a long while since I lived in S FL. I know traffic is insane. We fly into MIA on a non-stop flight at 10AM. Flying into FLL was $300 more and all flights had connections. Saving $300, eliminating connecting flights, and convenience is worth about the overall saving of ~$150 ($75 rental car and $75 Uber from Port Everglades to MIA). I thought about Uber/Lyft. But it would be about $50-$75 to get to our hotel. Then, anywhere we wanted to go would be more Uber or relying on friends we plan to meet to pick us up. They are up in Deerfield beach area so coming down to FLL, going out up that way, then dropping us off, and returning home is kind of pointless. 

 

Our plans would be to return the car at FLL around 9AM (time is based on pre-corona boarding). We would get an Uber from the rental car place to the port. I just wanted to see if anyone has done this?

[WatchHill]

What company are you renting the car from?  Although we normally fly into FLL, not Miami, having a car is far more convenient. We rent from Alamo, picking it up at the airport and then return it to their nearby PE site on Eller and hop on their free shuttle to the ship. If you return the car to FLL, then you will will also have to pay taxi to the pier and plan on extra time to arrive at the ship - but then, who knows what's happening with specific details with Uber safety.

 

Darcy

[CruiserBruce]

If you read around the board, you will see there are many other options.

 

First of all, unless there has been a huge increase in Uber fares during Covid, the fare from Miami to Ft Lauderdale has been around $35 or 40. You can find out by checking uberestimate.com

 

Secondly, there are car rental drop off locations around Port Everglades...at least prior to Covid. Most, if not all, have free shuttles to the port.

[bigrednole]

13 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Secondly, there are car rental drop off locations around Port Everglades...at least prior to Covid. Most, if not all, have free shuttles to the port.

Thanks for the information. I didn't realize there was a dropoff location near the port. That would make life easier for rental return. I am leary of shuttles based on what happened from the MSC cruise. Who I rent from will be based on price. Having a vehicle will be more convenient as well, especially if I meet up with friends. If we Uber everywhere, the price will go crazy. If we rely on friends, they drive 15-30 minutes out of their way each way. It would be easier to have a rental for our arrival. We can Uber from PE to MIA when the cruise is over.

[BlueHerons]

I would take TriRail from MIA to either the Port Everglads/FLL stop or to Deerfield Beach or the closest stop.

 

It would be around $5 each then just uber from Port Everglades to MIA or the TriRail stop.  The TriRail ends at MIA.  We've done it a bunch an it could not be easier or cheaper.

[iancal]

Yes, in the past we have done this a number of times.  We always price one way and return fares from PBI, MIA, and FLL.  Usually we want a car for more than one day but on occasion it has been 24 hours or less.   Not unusual for us to fly in and out of a different location.

 

We typically rent from Avis or Budget.  One thing....at holiday time rates seem to zoom up for a daily rental.  I use my employers corporate discount that provides us with an attractive negotiated daily rate every day.  The difference two or three years ago for a one day rental was $125. vs $34.    

[bigrednole]

On 9/4/2020 at 3:01 PM, BlueHerons said:

I would take TriRail from MIA to either the Port Everglads/FLL stop or to Deerfield Beach or the closest stop.

 

It would be around $5 each then just uber from Port Everglades to MIA or the TriRail stop.  The TriRail ends at MIA.  We've done it a bunch an it could not be easier or cheaper.

TriRail means lugging stuff around all over the place. That is not something I want to do. Uber or renting a car is much easier. I am already dropping $4,000 for vacation, an extra $50 for convenience is not a big issue.

Edited September 6, 2020 by bigrednole

[Cienfuegos]

The rental drop charges at Miami International and Fort Lauderdale airports can change at the drop of a hat, and may vanish entirely  if you call Avis, Alamo, etc.

 

[bigrednole]

Another factor now in play about renting a car is where to stay with luggage if in fact boarding times are 2:30PM and beyond. Hotel checkout is usually 10-11AM. Sitting around for 3+ hours watching luggage is not going to be enjoyable. Having a rental car to lock it in, have a nice lunch, a cocktail or two, will be helpful.

[Ashland]

If you're a member of Costco...compare pricing for your rental. We have always gotten our best car rental rates from them. We've used Budget on 17th Street and Thrifty/Dollar is the closest to the PE gate ... both offer free shuttles.

[bigrednole]

We will most like use Budget and return to the 17th St location or the other one on Miami Blvd I think it is. We will not use their shuttle because of what happened on the MSC cruise. Times may be different by the time we cruise, but $10 Uber is fine with me even if they are right there near the gates. 

 

Having a rental car also opens a ton of places to stay for the night and far less cost. I don't need to be next to the port, beach, or some other hot spot. I can be in a nice place that cost about $100 for the night instead of $300-$400. 

[BlueHerons]

On 9/6/2020 at 7:43 AM, bigrednole said:

TriRail means lugging stuff around all over the place. That is not something I want to do. Uber or renting a car is much easier. I am already dropping $4,000 for vacation, an extra $50 for convenience is not a big issue.

You are definitely in the minority on Cruise Critic.

 

Most people want to stay at the cheapest place and eat hot dogs out of the in room coffee pot for dinner.

 

Try Larrys Limo.