Posts Tagged ‘airport’

Alamo Choice – get the high spec models

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Alamo’s ‘Choice’ product, as the name suggests, allows you to choose the specific car you would like from the range available in the line up of vehicles in the category you have ordered. Available at the major Florida locations: Orlando Airport; Fort Lauderdale Airport; Fort Myers Airport; Miami Airport, Tampa Airport and West Palm Beach Airport, this is a great way to bag yourself a high spec car.

The ever popular Minivan 7 seater (people carrier) category features many different vehicles such as the Dodge Grand Caravan, Ford Freestar, Chevrolet Uplander etc, but some of these are larger than others and some feature useful upgrades such as DVD systems. A quick look through the car can be most revealing, you can check to make sure your luggage fits, and if not, move on to a different car! The ‘Choice Product’ is only offered at locations that have a barrier gate on exit, and it is there that your choice of car is logged against your reservation.

Combined with Alamo’s ‘Save Time’ online check in facility (pre-registration), pre-bookable Sat Nav’s and the Young Driver Package for drivers under 25, this makes Alamo your first choice for car hire in Florida. Although Alamo staff are often known for their fondness of trying to pursuade you to upgrade your car – their customer service should things go wrong is quite superior, and probably worth sticking it out with a few polite “no thank you’s” at the desk! And there is no Christmas Surcharge!!

If you would like more information about how many drivers can be included on the standard package, or anything else to do with your rental, please do give us a call in the office on 01428 741438.

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Posted in Airports Florida, Alamo car hire Florida, Florida Car Hire, Minivan 7 Seater Florida, Orlando International Airport Florida, Vehicles Florida, Young Drivers Florida | No Comments »

Volcanic Ash

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

We are working hard to reach all clients who are currently, or likely to be, affected by flight delays and cancellations due to the volcanic ash.

If your outbound flight has been cancelled and you have been rescheduled to a new flight, please contact us to re-arrange your car hire. If you are in Florida and unable to get home, please also contact us via email or our UK landline number and we will organise an extension of your hire for you. In this event, please supply us with your new drop off dates, and a contact number so we can get in touch. You will not need to return to the airport if you can get in touch with us as soon as possible.

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Posted in Airports Florida | No Comments »

Car hire to get you to your cruise

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Many cruise passengers arrive in Florida via Miami, Orlando or Tampa airports and then choose to hire a car to get the most out of their time before they embark or after disembarkment.

Because of the lack of space at port locations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Tampa, car hire companies such as Dollar or Alamo do not have depots actually at the ports, but most usually provide a complimentary shuttle between the airports and ports.

In Miami, a free shuttle is run by Dollar/Thrifty and Alamo from the main international airport locations to the port and again in reverse. Some hotels also run shuttles both from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the port, however, in higher end hotels the price for the shuttle seems to boost the room rate, while in cheaper hotels, the shuttle appears to boost numbers! Regular cruise passengers advise that you don’t choose your hotel by access to the shuttle, rather choose a great hotel in a great area and make the most of your time in Miami. If you have hired a car for one night, you can then return to the airport to drop off the car and use the shuttle. Budget car hire don’t offer a shuttle between the port and the airport and also don’t offer rentals for less then 2 days.

For passengers arriving at Fort Lauderdale the situation is very similar. Although there is a downtown Dollar/Thrifty location close to the port, you still have to get the shuttle to make the last bit of the journey. There are paid shuttles that run between Port Everglades and Miami International, and Fort Lauderdale and Port of Miami. You can expect to pay at least $15 per passenger for these shuttles, but at least the price is fixed, as opposed to a taxi which will be on a meter.

At Port Canaveral the car hire depots are about 3 or 4 miles away from the port and once again, they run shuttles to and from the port. With the closest airport being Melbourne International, this is not regularly used by UK cruisers. A taxi from Orlando International to Port Canaveral will probably start at $100. While a one day hire using Dollar would be around £30 to £50 depending whether you have an economy car or a large minivan 7 seater. Once again, experienced cruisers drop off their party and luggage at the port, and then return to the car hire depots to get the shuttle back without luggage!

At Tampa, the cruise terminal is quite new and the car hire companies have been slow to provide shuttles. You will most likely have to get a taxi either from the airport or your hotel.

There are some great cruise forums out there where you can get really valuable advice to help you get the most out of your trip and make it as smooth as possible.

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Posted in Airports Florida, Alamo car hire Florida, Budget car hire Florida, Dollar car hire Florida, Economy car hire Florida, Minivan 7 Seater Florida, Orlando International Airport Florida, Thrifty car hire Florida | No Comments »

ESTA – must I?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Although not strictly to do with Car hire in Florida, we thought you may appreciate some informed advice regarding the ESTA.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) was originally introduced by the U.S. Customs and Borders Patrol on January 12 2009. There were some problems with encouraging all travellers to complete the form online and full implimentation was delayed for a while. It is now mandatory and you must complete an ESTA at least 72 hours before you travel to the U.S. The ESTA replaces the Green Visa Waiver form traditionally completed on the plane. Once completed it is valid for 2 years. Please make sure you only complete the ESTA at the approved website administered by the CBP. There are a number of websites attempting to complete the ESTA for you and charging for the privilege. It is not complicated, and you should not need any help to complete the form. I have posted some Q and A’s for your information below:

Q: How does the ESTA work?

A: VWP travelers or an intermediary (such as a travel agent) will go online to the ESTA website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and apply for a travel authorization by submitting basic biographical information, flight information and answers to a few VWP eligibility questions. ESTA will instantly review the information for any possible security risks and determine if the person is eligible to travel to the United States without a visa. Each traveler will receive one of three responses within a few minutes of an ESTA application: Authorization Approved, Authorization Pending, or Travel Not Authorized. Applicants who receive an Authorization Pending response will need to check the ESTA Web site for an update on their application within 72 hours to receive a final response. Applicants whose ESTA applications are denied will be referred to a U.S. consulate for information on how to apply for a visa to travel to the United States.

Q: If a person is denied travel authorization through ESTA, is he/she still able to travel to the United States?

A: The traveler may still be eligible to travel to the United States but will be required to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Q: Can a foreign traveler be denied entry to the United States upon arrival even if they are authorized through ESTA?

A: Yes. ESTA authorizes travel to the United States, but Customs & Border Patrol officers will still assess eligibility for entry into the United States at the port of entry.

Q: Do travelers need to apply for a travel authorization through ESTA prior to every trip to the United States?

A: No, each ESTA will be valid for two years and will permit unlimited travel to the United States in that time frame without having to needlessly update personal information prior to each trip.

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Posted in Airports Florida, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), Florida Car Hire, Orlando International Airport Florida | No Comments »

Christmas is coming… Get your booking in!

Monday, December 14th, 2009

I am sure you have noticed the signs, the shops are full, there are carols on the radio, and festive decorations everywhere – Christmas is coming!!
If you haven’t yet made your Florida car hire arrangements for the holiday season you may wish to attend to it as a matter of urgency. Popular 4 x 4 vehicles are nearly sold out, as are many of the larger, luxury cars.

Budget Rent a Car have recently taken delivery of a new fleet and we have clients reporting cars with less than 10 miles on the clock. That is like having a brand new car for Christmas!

If you do book a Budget car, don’t forget to take advantage of the pre-registration facility. You don’t want to be spending your precious holiday queuing up at the hire desk in the airport. Pre-register at least one week before arrival and then you can swan over to the car park booth at your leisure to collect your car. You will be at Disney World before you know it!

If you need any help selecting your car please give me a call on 01428 741438, or drop me an email: admin@carhireflorida.net.

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Posted in Airports Florida, Budget car hire Florida, Florida Car Hire, SUV, Vehicles Florida | No Comments »

We welcome Avis car hire to our web site

Friday, October 30th, 2009

We are really excited to bring you car hire in Florida from Avis! For the moment the Avis car rentals are only at Orlando International Airport, but as that is where most of you travel to that is not so bad. We hope to be able to bring you other Avis rental locations in the coming months.

Avis can offer all the same categories of cars to rent as Budget, and rates for an Economy car start at just £122 per week on the standard insurance package. The Minivan 7 seater is just £190 per week, also on the standard insurance package. Avis car hire has a good reputation for great customer service, so we hope you will enjoy booking Avis cars through Carhireflorida.net.

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Posted in Avis Car Hire Florida, Economy car hire Florida, Minivan 7 Seater Florida, Orlando International Airport Florida, Vehicles Florida | No Comments »

What size car?

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Choosing the right size of car is important for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, you need to be able to get all of your luggage into it when travelling to and from the Airport, particularly on the way back when your luggage is now full of souvenirs!!  The second reason is that as Florida is a ‘drive through’ state, you will be probably be spending quite a bit of time in the car.  Unless you are staying ‘in resort’ at Disney World, or Universal, you will most likely need to drive to shops, restaurants, attractions and you may fancy a day trip to the beach.  If you are all crammed into the car you will need to be extremely familiar with the other members of your party.

In the current climate no one wants to spend more than they need to on a car, but a few extra pounds for the next size up, may turn out to be the best holiday investment you have made.

The Florida car rental companies put the onus on you to select the appropriate size vehicle, and rather than being sympathetic, they will rub their hands together if you can’t all get in – they get to upgrade you, and you get to pay for it!!

The choice is made slightly more tricky as the vehicles used to illustrate each category are just examples, and particular models vary as to how much luggage and elbow room there will be.  Another reason to be generous on your sizing’s.

You may wish to consider a 7 seater minivan – these are hugely popular, and justly so.  Even if there are only 4 or 5 in your party, the people carriers offer so much flexiblity as to where people sit, who has to sit together, elbow room when you are hot, fold down seats for luggage, etc, etc.  They also offer a raised driving position and view on the road, you may find this helpful in an area when the majority of cars are huge!

Conversely, couples travelling with small amounts of luggage can take advantage of the smaller, cheaper cars.  Companies such as Alamo, Budget and Dollar actually have limited numbers of Economy category cars which get booked out quickly.  We have many regular travellers who consistently book the smallest car confident that they will be upgraded when they arrive.  Of course you do take the chance that, just this once, they do actually have a 2 door economy car, but many are happy to take a calculated risk.  This is not advisable though if you have more than two in your party and actually require a bigger car.

If you would like help with choosing the most appropriate size of car, please give us a call in the office on 01428 741438

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Posted in Airports Florida, Alamo car hire Florida, Budget car hire Florida, Dollar car hire Florida, Economy car hire Florida, Minivan 7 Seater Florida | No Comments »

Getting those timings right!

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Choosing the right collection and return times for your car hire Florida is actually really important if you want to avoid paying more than you need to, or being charged locally for a late return.

When you arrive at the airport on your flight, you will have to clear arrivals, security and customs before collecting your luggage and this process usually takes about 1 hour, this can be shorter if you are on a connection and have already ‘entered’ the country.  Either way, the collection time for your car should be at least 30 minutes after your scheduled landing time.

Likewise, when you return to the airport you will normally need to arrive for your flight 2-3 hours before take off time, and this is important for your return time for the car.

If you are going on a two week holiday and use your arrival and departure flight times to book your car, you could easily be paying for an extra day when you don’t need to.  For instance if your flight arrives at 3pm, and departs at 6pm, and you have used these times to book the car, you will be paying an extra daily charge.  However, if you remember that you will not be in a position to collect the rental car until 3.30pm, and will have to be back to check in for your flight around 3-3.30 pm, then your times will match up on the 24 hour clock, and you will just be paying for the two weeks.

The suppliers tend to offer you a grace period varying between 30 and 59 minutes depending on supplier, however, it is best to stick to your booked times.  If you find yourself arriving and collecting the car early, take a note of the time you will be expected back – it will have changed to reflect the early collection.  Likewise, if your flight is delayed and you are late collecting your car, check that your return time reflects the changes.

If you have any doubts or concerns, give us a ring in the office and we can help you choose the right times to keep the price down.

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