Seeking advice and/or horror stories.
I need to rent a car next weekend. I've never had to do this myself before, so I'm a total clue and not a little bit nervous (though that mostly has to do with me driving from CT to MA). Are there any companies I should stay away from? Are there any companies you absolutely love? My choices are: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
What I ultimately choose will obviously have to do with cost - budgeting purposes, you know - but I don't think I'd mind paying a little bit more to avoid a dud of a company. So hit me with your advice, expertise, and yes, even your horror stories. (I know mariavii has her friend Ted, but I forget which company that was.)
Oh! And if you know - when a car comes in a 4-door and 2-door model, should I just assume that they're going to rent out a 2-door? This may sound spoiled, but I'm so used to driving bigger cars I wonder if I'll be able to acclimate to something smaller.
(This is, btw, way too much work involved in getting myself to a wedding! My friends should know better than to plan weddings far away from me. I mean, really.)
Edit: One more question. When I make a reservation online, it gives an estimate based upon the timeframe. I'm assuming though that I won't get charged until I actually return the car? In other words, right now I think I'll be picking up the car at 1 p.m. and then returning it at 2 p.m. the next day. The estimate reflects the additional hour. But what if, on the day of, I actually get to the airport earlier? Or vice versa later? The actual bill will reflect that, right?
I hope I'm not sounding stupid by asking all these questions. *slaps head* Just want to make sure I don't have to gun it for the airport, or worry if I get stuck in traffic, or something. (And yes, I suppose I could always call up the customer service of one of these rental places, but it's so much easier to ask on LJ. :P)
What I ultimately choose will obviously have to do with cost - budgeting purposes, you know - but I don't think I'd mind paying a little bit more to avoid a dud of a company. So hit me with your advice, expertise, and yes, even your horror stories. (I know mariavii has her friend Ted, but I forget which company that was.)
Oh! And if you know - when a car comes in a 4-door and 2-door model, should I just assume that they're going to rent out a 2-door? This may sound spoiled, but I'm so used to driving bigger cars I wonder if I'll be able to acclimate to something smaller.
(This is, btw, way too much work involved in getting myself to a wedding! My friends should know better than to plan weddings far away from me. I mean, really.)
Edit: One more question. When I make a reservation online, it gives an estimate based upon the timeframe. I'm assuming though that I won't get charged until I actually return the car? In other words, right now I think I'll be picking up the car at 1 p.m. and then returning it at 2 p.m. the next day. The estimate reflects the additional hour. But what if, on the day of, I actually get to the airport earlier? Or vice versa later? The actual bill will reflect that, right?
I hope I'm not sounding stupid by asking all these questions. *slaps head* Just want to make sure I don't have to gun it for the airport, or worry if I get stuck in traffic, or something. (And yes, I suppose I could always call up the customer service of one of these rental places, but it's so much easier to ask on LJ. :P)