Miami is a city where having a car makes a big difference. Public transport is very limited, distances are very long and tourist and shopping points of interest are far from each other.
The car is then practically mandatory. At least, if you want to tour the city in the most comfortable and economical way.
But renting a car is also no guarantee of having the best experience.
What are the common mistakes of tourists when renting a car in Miami?
1. Rent at the agency of “an acquaintance of an acquaintance waiting for you at the airport”
“I take out in Big Cuervo Car Rental, it is the agency of an Argentine fan of San Lorenzo who happens to pick you up at the airport and you have almost no paperwork, you sign a piece of paper and you walk away”
At present, the airport car pavilion is accessed by a comfortable and practical internal train. No waiting or calling micros. On the other hand, not all “small agencies” have the endorsements and coverage. What happens if the car has a problem and it is necessary to change it and the small agency is so small that it does not have another car? What about a crash with SLI coverage that may never have been contracted by the agency owner?
In conclusion: Dollar, Budget, Alamo, Hertz and but the smaller, but still quite large, companies such as EzRental and Sixt.
2. Rent a car for an airline discount
The offers are tempting. traveling by LAN, 15% discount at Alamo rent a car. Result: Upon arriving at the LAN counter, there are 350 flight companions in line to pick up the cars. The only recommendation at this point is to have a good book by a homonymous author for the hours of waiting
3. Hire a car without coverage or insurance
At the time of writing, a car via EzRent a Car in Miami costs $7 a day. Without a doubt an unbeatable offer. Already at the counter, the tourist learns that CDW coverage costs u$24.99 and SLI coverage u$17.99, subtotaling u$50. And the Airport Access Fee, the tax and the VLRF are still missing. The final bill yields $63 a day, far, far short of the $7 promised.
It is then advisable to hire a complete package with coverage, final price and prepaid voucher. Dollar Rent a Car grants all this and gift coupons for the malls
4. Rent a luxury car relying on CDW/LDW credit card coverage
Many credit cards provide CDW-LDW coverage at no charge as long as the rent is paid with the credit card. It is a not insignificant amount that is between $ 25 and $ 30 a day. However, luxury vehicles are excluded from coverage as can be seen in this link from American Express https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/card-benefits/car-rental-insurance/faq.html#5
The tourist declines the CDW on a luxurious convertible relying on his credit card and before a crash, he is faced with having to pay tens of thousands of dollars.
5. Get the car cheaper relying on an upgrade
This trick was popularized by a nineteenth-century travel guide author. “You take out the smallest and since they never have, they give you an upgrade free of charge”
But many times they have small cars and if the suitcases do not fit in the small trunk, paying the upgrade at the counter is never cheap.
The funniest thing is that the three cheapest categories have almost no base price difference. The compact costs $7, the economy costs $7 and the midsize costs $8 a day. Why book a compact car when you can book two categories upstairs for $7 difference a week? In the case of having to pay the upgrade, it is cheaper from midsize than from compact.
6. Not taking into account parking
If the trip to Miami is Fly & Drive, it is important to check the price of parking and modality in the accommodation. Certain hotels charge up to $50 a day. Others do not have parking and report “There is a public parking around the corner” Of course, public parking is paid and the daily amount does not include multiple entrances and exits.
In this link maps of the cheapest parking in Miami.
7. Buy the naphtha tank in advance
The counter clerk is good, really good. He is willing to lose money by selling a cheaper tank of naphtha. The tourist can then return the car with an empty tank. Of course, it is difficult to calculate well and the options are usually: get stranded on the highway or return the car with gasoline, giving away much more than the supposed discount granted.
8. Assume that the reservation without payment insures the car
Christmas. A tourist arrives at the counter after a grueling two-hour queue. Already at the counter, the employee says “I’m sorry, but we can’t honor your reservation” No one reads the fine print and the fine print sometimes makes a difference.
Car rental companies assume that there are 30% “no shows” or people who book without payment and do not show up. For this reason the reservation without payment is a slight commitment by which the rental company ensures a certain rate as long as they have a car available.
Better then, have a prepaid voucher.
9. Let everyone drive
On the car rental forms, a person is correctly identified to drive. If you drive someone else and there is an accident, that could mean a lot of problems. The additional driver is requested at the counter and is usually paid separately.
This rental package includes additional driver free of charge
1st. Not taking age into account
Rental companies do not rent cars to people under 21 and although they allow drivers between 21 and 24 years old, they charge them about $ 25 per day additional and do not allow luxury cars.
11. Not taking baggage into account
“I rented a small car if total is the four of us” There are four who travel with four suitcases and after the excellent prices of Miami they will probably return with six. In the trunk of the small car enters a large suitcase and a carry on. Good luck the multiple trips to the airport to carry the luggage.