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Subscribe to RSSFinding an affordable rental car is a common problem faced by travelers today. Here's one uncommon solution.
Typical rental car prices have more than doubled in recent years. When you add in one-way rental rates, drop-off fees, and airport taxes and surcharges, it can sometimes seem more cost-effective to buy a car instead of renting, then resell the thing once the trip is over.
That's exactly what St. PetersburgTimes writer Michael Kruse considered while planning a recent vacation in the Northwest. Krause simply wanted to pick up a car in Jackson, Wyo., tour the Tetons and eastern Washington, and then drop the vehicle off in Seattle five days later. The absolute cheapest rate he could find was nearly $1,300, for a dinky Chevy Aveo no less. That'd work out to a per-day cost of $260, without even adding in insurance or gas.
Instead of going with a typical rental car (or buying one), Krause's wife Lauren made an offhand comment about U-Haul, which led Krause eventually to discover that taking a 16-foot Budget moving truck on their adventure would cost under $400 ($372.79, to be exact). They went with the truck, and even after factoring in added costs for gas — moving trucks aren't known for fuel efficiency — Krause estimates that they saved $800 to $900.
The truck wasn't exactly the ideal vehicle for navigating mountain roads. (For that matter, a Chevy Aveo wouldn't be the first pick of many drivers, either.) But the truck did the trick, and wound up saving Krause and his family a large chunk of change.
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Kinda dings the ego a bit thou :-)
I think this article is full O poop! The cost to rent the truck for 5 days, the cost per mile, plus gas? There is no way that was under $400.......Who's the idiot that wrote this waste of time story. I don't ever want to read on of his/her articles again! Fukn wast of /ajffaa./,f adjfpiafhpi fahjg;ifja poi fr
Seems as they were touring the out back they might have slept in the back of the ruck in sleeping bags and saved a bunch that way too. Sounds like a good idea for some instances.
This story is B.S. ! The traveler is a journalist and just wanted to make up a cute story and get posted. Your site reporter is brain dead as well, especially for a travel site. I made a quick check on line with hotwire and for 5 days with the same pickup & drop off cities noted, the cost was $503.26 for a "full size car". If the traveler had used priceline and made a bid and also for a smaller car, the cost would have been easily under $400. So shame on this traveler for making up this crap and shame on you guys for posting it. This just didn't happen as reported
What kind of idiots do they think we are
$1300.00 ? was the car crusted with diamonds or something
News doesn't have to be drama to get read.
Lets make sence Brad....Check your source again....Claim its a typo or retract the story as a hoax
Seriously!
Yeah and just think how much shopping they could get done with the truck!
I think that the only one that got "hack"ed was Mr. Kruse. (Nothing personal of course)
I have to agree with most of the previous comments (without the bad language) that somebody must have been sniffing glue! I know for a fact that one can rent from Enterprise for a week for a NICE mid-sized sedan for much less than $500. (Even if one only wants it for 5 days, the weekly rate is cheaper ... and they don't care less if you drop it off early!)
Let me know this guy's email address so I can offer to book his travel for him! I figure that for every real $500 he pays out I can tack on a 'dumb-dumb' fee of $500!
Not to mention he needs to recheck his numbers and addition. Just for a general example bearing in mind that it is 865 miles from Jackson to Seattle if you don't leave the Interstate Highway... A car getting 35mpg versus a moving van getting 15mpg over a span of 1000 miles at $4.00/gallon for gas/diesel. Hmmm... 1000/35= 28.6 and 1000/15=66.6 .... if I can still add that comes to a differential of at least 38 gallons worth an extra $150 after all the shoutin's done. Sorry. the numbers just don't add up.
And thats not figuring in climbing over at least 3 mountain ranges if one goes the Northern route ...
Sorry Michael, but you ain't so durn smart ... but ya had lotsa room fur yer baggage! Hope you don't have to wear that kidney brace too long. LOL