Car hire - Tampa

[VIKING9]

Can any of our "over the pond" friends advise of any good hire car companies at TPA? Any links, numbers etc, would be very well received. Cheers

[brockenspectre]

I have found that Holiday Autos (a Brit company that "does" car-hire in many destinations) usually has good value and a pickup drop off elsewhere option if your return flight is from another aiport.

Otherwise Dollar is good value for hiring once in USA.

Check out the TPA airport website - I am sure it can help with specifics!

[ETOPS]

Good deal with Dollar

VIKING9

My wife is in the Florida holiday business and has worked out a great deal with Dollar. You pay in the UK for their Platinum package and the rates are below £200 a week for a small car - nothing extra to pay other than fuel.

Her E-mail is
[email protected]

[VIKING9]

Hey, thanks for that, I'll drop her an e-mail. I need a jeep and a people mover. Cheers again.

[Semaphore Sam]

Try USAir.com, go for 'car'. I live in St Pete; rent cars a lot at TPA. Try it!

[Man-on-the-fence]

Do not, under any circumstances use Alamo, bloody cowboys

Davy Crocket would be proud.

[Noddy Staltern]

Alamo

I have used Alamo several times in the US and have been very satisfied. Book from the UK - phone [phone] and ask for the Airline/Travel Trade Tarrif - you will find the price hard to beat.

[Psr777]

Agreee with Noddy Saltern, very good rate u can also try to get in to most parks with your ID, generally works better if u fax them ahead of time on headed paper.

InterAmerican Car Hire are also very good, get great discount.
Where r u staying?

Spent a lot of time in TPA, what plans do u have?

[bbq]

hello psr777 i think we know each other!!!!

[bbq]

Agree with psr777 Alamo if booked from Uk give good rates and some times upgrades if you turn up in uniform...

Inter American are a good second and I have heard Enterprise are quite fair.

[VIKING9]

Somehow I don't think I'll be turning up in my uniform at the start of a 2 week vacation PSR777 I've rented a 6 bedroom house in Kissimmee so need the wheels to transport the troops I normally head to Maldives during October, but thought I'd go West this time. Hell knows why, but I'll give it a go.

Thanks everyone for your input, very useful. Keep it coming though......

[Man-on-the-fence]

Sorry chaps have used Alamo at Tampa twice and have had poor service and knackered cars twice.

Ahhh so thats why they are so cheap

[AtlPax]

Any of the internet Travel services should have car rental rates - Yahoo! Travel, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. Rates tend to ping-pong quite a bit with car rental companies, so you might have to check frequently.

I've never personally had an abjectly bad experience with Alamo or any other car rental company - but as they say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

Hope you have a great time in Florida!

[PaperTiger]

The thing about US car rentals is that each location is a separate franchise. You don't rent from Avis, Alamo or whoever but from Joe Blow Inc. who happens to have an Avis, Alamo or whoever franchise.

There are supposed to be some 'franchise compliance' standards but enforcement can be spotty. Meaning an experience with one 'company' in one part of the country can be completely different from an experience with the same 'company' somewhere else.

Frequent flyers newsgroups are replete with warnings about local um.. variations, and certain location/franchise combinations become well known as to be avoided (no names here of course).

I have had bad service from high-end franchisees and exellent service from the el cheapos. And vice-versa of course. But I too no longer rent from Alamo, ever.