DeniseAck
Guest
I know that most people on this forum drive their own cars/RV's down to PP, but thought I'd share my experience for any people who fly in to Phoenix. If we didn't need a car down there, I'd have considered taking a shuttle service round-trip.
I found 4 rental agencies who rent cars that can be driven up to 250 miles into Mexico (there might be more, though) Advantage, Dollar, Enterprise, and Hertz.
For the best prices, go directly to the rental agency's website. I tried several travel sites first--Kayak, Orbitz, Hotwire, etc. and they were all MUCH higher than the companies' rates. I also checked through different airlines. We're flying Jet Blue so I started there, but all airlines offer car rentals and hotel rentals somewhere on their sites. Again, much higher than going directly to the car agencies' sites.
The fees to rent at the airport are VERY high. A one week rental almost doubled once you add all the fees. One option is to find a location off airport for a rental. The fees for Hertz at the 5017 East Elliott Rd location are under $5 vs. at the airport for $80. (Facility charge, concession recovery fee, vehicle license surcharge, stadium surcharge.) Figure you'll pay $25 or so in a taxi to get there and you can still return it to the airport. In the past I've seen fees for dropping off at a different location, but evidently not at Hertz. Off airport locations have different times of operation, so that may wind up being a factor for some.
You MUST buy Mexican insurance from the company, not on your own. Dollar was $27.80/day, Enterprise was $30/day and Hertz was $35/day. Ouch!
If you have a discount code or are a member of AAA or AARP, etc., go through the process online first WITHOUT using the code and then again WITH the code. A few times, the rates changed significantly!! You think 10% off is great, but it's off a highly inflated number.
One pleasant surprise I had was that I could use my United frequent flier miles against a car rental. (Go to Mileage Plus--Use Miles) We don't fly with them often enough to qualify for a free airline ticket, so it was worth using 20,000 miles toward the rental/tax/fee cost. We wound up going with Dollar because they had the best "prices" using points. Be aware that the daily "price" fluctuates depending on how long you rent. 3 days was 15,000 points, 7 days was 20,000.
I found 4 rental agencies who rent cars that can be driven up to 250 miles into Mexico (there might be more, though) Advantage, Dollar, Enterprise, and Hertz.
For the best prices, go directly to the rental agency's website. I tried several travel sites first--Kayak, Orbitz, Hotwire, etc. and they were all MUCH higher than the companies' rates. I also checked through different airlines. We're flying Jet Blue so I started there, but all airlines offer car rentals and hotel rentals somewhere on their sites. Again, much higher than going directly to the car agencies' sites.
The fees to rent at the airport are VERY high. A one week rental almost doubled once you add all the fees. One option is to find a location off airport for a rental. The fees for Hertz at the 5017 East Elliott Rd location are under $5 vs. at the airport for $80. (Facility charge, concession recovery fee, vehicle license surcharge, stadium surcharge.) Figure you'll pay $25 or so in a taxi to get there and you can still return it to the airport. In the past I've seen fees for dropping off at a different location, but evidently not at Hertz. Off airport locations have different times of operation, so that may wind up being a factor for some.
You MUST buy Mexican insurance from the company, not on your own. Dollar was $27.80/day, Enterprise was $30/day and Hertz was $35/day. Ouch!
If you have a discount code or are a member of AAA or AARP, etc., go through the process online first WITHOUT using the code and then again WITH the code. A few times, the rates changed significantly!! You think 10% off is great, but it's off a highly inflated number.
One pleasant surprise I had was that I could use my United frequent flier miles against a car rental. (Go to Mileage Plus--Use Miles) We don't fly with them often enough to qualify for a free airline ticket, so it was worth using 20,000 miles toward the rental/tax/fee cost. We wound up going with Dollar because they had the best "prices" using points. Be aware that the daily "price" fluctuates depending on how long you rent. 3 days was 15,000 points, 7 days was 20,000.
