Hi, we are going to Canada for 3 weeks in august and we need to rent a minivan.
Do you think it might be cheaper to rent upon arrival or is it wise to rent beforehand from italy? Thanks.

In my opionion it is always best to reserve ahead of time, not for the money, but for the assurance that there is a car available.

Regards,
Sheryl in NYC

I'd just watch the websites for the companies. If you see a good sale jump on it. I wouldn't expect it to be cheaper when you arrive. You also won't be able to do much shopping when you get off the plane. It'll be take the offer or ? It's not like you can sit in the airport until a better offer shows up.

Where are you going?

That's what I thought. We are landing in Toronto and leaving from Montreal. And we need a minivan because there are 4 adults and a toddler with luggage and a stroller.

I have found a fare that seems ok. It's 1522 euros for the 23 days we are staying, unlimited mileage, GPS system, second driver and a full tank. We can have a similar car for 1000 euros without all the optionals but in the end I think the difference is minimal because the second driver costs a lot.

What do you think?

Does that include tax etc? Sounds high. Avis is sold out anything bigger then a Chevy Impala. But an Impala for 23 days is less then 2K C$ including all taxes. Don't know about GPS but you could buy one for the price difference.

I guess the advantage of the Euro price is you don't have to worry about the Euro going down.

Gloria, I think you would be wise to reserve ahead, just to be sure that you can get the kind of vehicle that you want!

The price you're quoting sounds high, but I'm also not surprised because we're into high season. I recently rented a mid-sized car for a week in Alberta and had to pay $600. Ouch. That's the most I've ever had to pay for a rental car, but prices go up once the summer travel season begins.

And if you're doing a lot of driving, you'll appreciate having all the bells and whistles!

Cheers,
Sandra

It includes everything. Does it really sound high? It is the cheaper I could find for a minivan.

As I said, if I do not want the GPS and the second driver included, I can get one for 1000 euros for the 23 days, but then I have to add the second driver anyway.

Smaller cars are much cheaper. But with all the people and luggage that does not sound feasible.

Gloria, I thought it sounded expensive.

So I priced a 23-day minivan rental from Hertz, with a AAA discount, picking up Toronto dropping of Montreal.

I was appalled! Thousands of Canadian dollars! I guess you just have to pay a lot for a special vehicle.

So maybe the price is not so bad. You can always book it, and change if you find something cheaper. As others have said, you don't want to land and then have to look for a car.

It does sound high but like Marian I couldn't find anything much cheaper. Even smaller cars. Outside of high season the only thing I can think of is the long time frame.

I wonder if two shorter rentals would be cheaper but likely not worth the hassle. One thing I noticed was a surcharge for "premiumn" pickup location. The airport I guess.

Gloria, I'm sorry -- I probably didn't word my first response very well.

I think it sounds as if the price you found is likely the best that you'll be able to get. I certainly couldn't find anything better for a rental van. I've just been shocked at how high prices seem to be going!

You may know this, but in Canada rental companies tack on a stiff fee if you pick up and drop off a rental in different locations. This has always bugged me, especially since I recently booked a rental car in Italy for the fall and it seems that there are no such fees there. Auto Europe is even dropping an automatic car off for me in Foligno because that's the most convenient pick-up location for me!

I wish we could find such service in Canada.

Cheers,
Sandra

Using an on-line company, whose name I am not allowed to reveal here but whose spokesperson is the former captain of the USS Enterprise, you can get the cheapest price by far. You should, of course, read the fine print, because your cc is debited immediately. But if the price is your first concern, that is where you should go. A one-way rental does seem possible, as per a message board where users can post winning bids: "I have attempted one way rentals with name your own price. Start at the rental car screen and enter your dates and information. Proceed to the [company] retail page, not name your own price, Modify your bid to reflect your one way choices and then proceed to name your own price." And other posters commented that this had worked for them. The most recent winning minivan bid (from August 2007) was posted at $30/day at YYZ (Toronto), with another 30% tacked on for taxes and fees. You could probably bid $40 today and get away with a better deal than the ones listed above, if paying the least is your primary concern.

quote:

whose name I am not allowed to reveal here but whose spokesperson is the former captain of the USS Enterprise

Uh, Priceline? Do you work for them Normandy Dude? Otherwise, I'm not sure why you can't mention them here?