Rental Car Savings Hacks We've Used Many Times!

If you are traveling, you may want to rent a car to have more flexibility throughout your trip. Having a car allows you to explore nearby places, but does the value offset the cost?

We think so! Here’s why!

In Orlando for instance, there are many places that are “staples” for us during our trip, including the Orlando Premium Outlets, Orlando Outlet Marketplace, Disney Springs, restaurants outside of Disney property and transportation to/from the airport. It’s more difficult to get to these places, especially with kids, without a rental car. With that said, we have rented cars with many companies for our trips and have learned the ins and outs- let’s chat!

We have a blog post specially dedicated to renting a car under the age of 25, so if you are reading this and are under 25, check out that post here!

This post contains pricing that is subject to change and should be used solely for comparison purposes

Hertz

For most of our trips between 2018 to 2021, we booked with Hertz because we were under 25, and Hertz’s relationship with AAA made our trip more affordable with those waived fees! However, since we are now over 25, we have access to deals with every company now. We use Hertz periodically whenever there is a decent deal, but most times it’s more expensive than other companies. One way to qualify for more discounts with Hertz is with a AAA Membership. We have included some price comparisons with and without a AAA membership in this post. 

For the same dates (MCO Pick up 4/18/24 @ Noon to 4/23/24 @ Noon), Hertz’s pricing can vary widely depending if you have AAA or if you are logged into Hertz Gold. Checkout these price differences below!

Hertz: AAA Corporate Code Discount, Not Logged-into Hertz Gold

Hertz: No Discount and Not Logged-into Hertz Gold

Hertz: AAA Discount, Logged-into Hertz Gold

Hertz Gold gives you reward points on your rentals and allows you to skip the line and walk directly to the parking garage at MCO. Sometimes, skipping that line is a huge plus! Is it worth this upcharge?

On the plus side, Hertz offers a wide variety of car options, including electric vehicles, luxury vehicles and manager’s special promotions if you are on a budget. Just do your research ahead of time on the size of car you will need, what features you are looking for, and always try promotional codes to find the best price.

Budget Car Rentals

Budget is another go-to company for us when we book vehicles. The customer service at MCO has been great, but keep in mind that if you are picking up a vehicle during busy hours of the day, you may be waiting in line for a while, if you don’t know this tip!

Budget Car Rentals- No Fastbreak

But… there’s HOPE! If you sign up for Budget’s Fastbreak Program, skip the line and pick up your car fast! All you need to do is have your valid driver’s license. There is a separate pick-up line for members of Fastbreak at MCO, which makes your pick up process quicker and less stressful. It’s like the “first class” line for car rentals. It saved us about $15 on this rental by logging in to Fastbreak, too! No line, and a slight discount? I’m in.

If you book via a third-party, you may not be able to use your Fastbreak benefits. Costco, however, lets you add your Fastbreak Account number when booking, which allows you to still receive benefits. Check the third party you want to book with to see you can add this number prior to booking to ensure that your Fastbreak benefits will be attached to your reservation.

If not, you may be able to call Budget after booking and see if you can add a reservation to your account, but there are no guarantees when using a third party. Weigh if potential savings with a third-party is worth the wait in line just in case they are unable to add the reservation to your account.

Dollar Car Rentals

Dollar Car Rental has been competitive in the industry when it comes to rental rates. Below is the same itinerary as before (MCO Pick up 4/18/24 @ Noon to 4/23/24 @ Noon) for a full-sized sedan.

We have had great success with renting with Dollar through the AAA portal (more on that next!). The pickup process is rather easy if you are using the standard rental process. Just make sure you check your tentative receipt that they hand you prior to leaving the lot. I specifically declined insurance coverage and prior to leaving the desk I noticed it was still on my reservation. Always read fine print and check these items before committing to the reservation agreement.

One way to skip the line with Dollar Rental Car is to use Dollar Express. Like the Fastbreak process, Dollar Express allows you to skip the line and choose a car immediately. It’s free to sign up, and it speeds up the pickup process at the airport as well.

Third-Party Booking Sites- Do Your Research and Read Fine Print!

There are MANY third-party booking sites that are reputable and easy to use! However, there are also many that will have tricky fine print and many restrictions. Before you book that deal on a third-party site, read the fine print closely and make sure you fully understand what option you are booking.

We learned this the hard way in 2021 with Priceline. We booked a deal with them that was non-refundable and non-changeable after booking. Our basic car was almost $500, but when we arrived at Hertz at MCO, the agent offered us the same card for $270. I called Priceline to cancel or see if they would match the price and they wouldn’t.

This is not to say you should wait until you arrive at MCO to book a car, but it does show that if companies have extra vehicles, you could receive a steep discount at the desk.

Two third-party sites we have had great success with include the car rental site with AAA and TicketsAtWork.

Discounts with AAA Travel Portal

Using the same dates listed above, I used the AAA portal to search for rental car options. As you can see below, the rate is the same as Hertz.com. However, sometimes there are drastic differences, so if your dates are flexible, try other dates and compare them.

You can also compare different companies on the AAA Portal as well. Check out the same size car and dates with Thrifty!

Dollar Car Rental’s rates aren’t bad either!

Discounts with TicketsAtWork

If your employer has a partnership with TicketsAtWork, create a log-in to see discounts that can be applied to your trip. We have had great success with Dollar and Budget Car Rentals through this portal, and it was a breeze to book. The pickup process was the same as what you could expect if you book on the company’s site- so yes, you may have to wait in the pick up line at the counter.

For the dates I chose, TicketsAtWork was sold out for Budget Car Rentals, but options for Dollar and Hertz are listed below!

As you can see, Hertz is more expensive with TicketsAtWork vs AAA discount on the reservation portal. You win some, you lose some. However, having the ability to compare these rates gives you more options and potential savings!

Now, this post is not all-inclusive! There are other companies out there that we haven’t booked with quite yet! Hopefully this information helps our readers make educated decisions about their rentals, but if you are feeling confident about trying other brands, go for it!