I'm on the trail sniffing for a 70 El Camino and have two to check out. :secret:

Looks like Orange County is the closest airport to fly into.

Now, this 'ol boy ain't been out of the hills for a long time so this is a big adventure. :disco:

Any suggestions from the road warriors on renting cars at airports?

These are the ones listed as available.

Alamo Rent-A-Car
Avis Rent-A-Car
Budget Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Hertz Corporation
National Car Rental
Thrifty Car Rental

Need one for a couple of days.

thanks!
Al

My wife alway's used Thrifty, cause that's what General Mills used. Never had any problem, she say's.

I'm partial to Enterprise, but that's cuz I work for 'em :) Always book online. Deals are cheaper that way. :)

Hertz Corporation

:thumbsup:

http://www.ponysite.de/hertz2006_1.jpg

The are all pretty much across the street from the terminal, and downstairs one level. It makes the dropoff pretty easy.
I fly into Anaheim/ John Wayne/ Orange County every January.
Check out the huge statue of John Wayne in the terminal.

Oh yeah, the rental desk is there by baggage claim, you need to do the paperwork there, before going down to pick up the car.
Of course, shop on line, and get the best deal ahead of time.
Have fun.

One word - Priceline.com. You can get rent cars CHEAP that way!

One word - Priceline.com. You can get rent cars CHEAP that way!

That's technically more then one word though, isn't it?:)

Depending on your arrival and departure time don't rule out the other airports. LAX is a hassle during prime time but in off-time it can be cheaper with cheaper rentals.
Ontario isn't that bad to the OC.

If your destination is close to Ontario, I would suggest flying into there instead of LAX. Ontario is a nice small airport, kind of reminds me of flying into a small cith rather han LA, and you're right there ! Regarding car rental, I use Hertz in th USA, but only because I am a gold member. However, I have used Hertz outside the USA and also National and I have to say, that National was excellent. Signed up on the web with no credit card to reserve and it was by far a better experience than Hertz was outside the good ole USA. Now, with that said, and the fact that you are renting in the USA, I would reccomend either of them and I think you will be very pleased. But seriously, if your destination is somewhat close to the Ontario airport, go for it over the rat race of LAX, you will be glad you did :thumbsup:

-Garry

In order of number of rentals, I use Budget, Avis, and Hertz. I already have 35 rental days with Budget this year :) . Hertz is typically the most expensive. I personally like budget. I'm a FastTrack member with Budget, Avis Preferred Select member, and Hertz #1 Club Gold member. Hertz #1 Club Gold costs $50 (my fee is waived through my work). You get to your car just as fast with Budget and Avis using their free member programs, as you do with Hertz's pay to join #1 Club Gold.

Getting your rental car is easy at John Wayne, right across from the terminal. One of the easiest airports to get in and out of. Chevron gas station right across the street from the airport to fill up the tank before returning the car.

I'd fly into the airport you're going to be closest to. Getting to Irvine or Huntington Beach area from LAX or Ontario can be a nightmare traffic wise. And trust me, traffic SUCKS in the L.A. area and down into Orange County - unless you plan to travel the highways after 9pm or before 6am. Any other time is a crap-shoot.

Have fun in Orange County. Lots of cool places to go.

Don't forget there is also Long Beach Airport. I don't know about car rentals there though. It's very small and very quick.

Also, remember the OC and LA counties have some of the worst traffic in the states and all most all of us drive like a-holes compared to many other states. :sad: Just a heads up for people that seldom come here.

Oh and by the way...if it rains here, may god help you...we get flash flood and storm warnings if we get any more than a half inch of rain.

Mike

I have rented a lot of cars over the years using Travelocity.com, which allows you to sort by cost. Nearly always Alamo was the least expensive. No complaints about their cars nor their service.

If you are planning on using a Visa-embossed debit card, make sure ahead of time that the company will take it, and how much of a hold they are going to put on your account. Also, if you don't know what your insurance company covers when you rent (taking into consideration that you will be in the USA), you might check into it before you leave. Additional coverages can just about double the cost of the rental.

Also, if you have frequent flyer memberships, check and see who's rentals will apply toward that, if it's worth it.

I flew into Long Beach last week and rented from Hertz. The car rental office is just outside the terminal.

I booked the rental at the last minute and saved some cash with Hotwire.

I agree with dirty (Alan)
Also, Don't forget the art of negotiation :) Last time I flew into John Wayne, I was able to get a Mustang GT ragtop for the same price as the intermediate I had booked and the rep also threw in free mileage :cool: Work was picking up the fuel tab fortunately as I logged 1700 miles in the 2 weeks I was there :D only disappointing deal was when I brought the car back there was an orange one I would rather have had than the burgundy one I had gotten. :)

I know of a sweet 70 El Camino for sale over here in Tucson, new paint, new engine, new interior, white with black stripes.........owners are out of town till the weekend, though.

I'm partial to Enterprise, but that's cuz I work for 'em :) Always book online. Deals are cheaper that way. :)

Ask for the smelly car they just got back. :noway:

Al, one BIG benfit to Hertz is you can get a car with the NeverLost system-a Magellen GPS system that is GREAT when you go into a strange city. Just enter your destination address, and it'll tell you turn by turn-awesome system! Also browses by hotel, restaurant, gas station, etc. Enjoy the flight, and good luck on the hunt!

Maybe you can get Beaux to give you some tips on how to break in a rental car! I remember him at Chevelle-abration a couple of years ago in one and I think he must of won the burnout contest (unofficial of course). http://bestsmileys.com/cars/3.gif :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:

Maybe you can get Beaux to give you some tips on how to break in a rental car! I remember him at Chevelle-abration a couple of years ago in one and I think he must of won the burnout contest (unofficial of course). http://bestsmileys.com/cars/3.gif :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:

LOL. Beaux and I traveled together on that trip. It was CB '03. I took a video of it. 17 sec. burnout. Had to stop at a "Self-Serve" car wash to get the rubber and ATF of the paint. LMAO. That burnout was done with the second rental car of the trip. First one blew a head gasket :D . What's that saying? "Drive it like you stole it!!" :cool: .