Best option to rent a car from jackson to denver

[nasdak]

Hello,
We will be cycling a part of the transam this summer (from baker city to jackson) and then rent a car to take us and the bike to denver aiport (no time to cycle this part)

I wonder if i have to book the car in advance (i don't really know when we'll make it to jackson) and if some renters are cheapper or better ?
We need a car that can take or 2 bikes
Thanks !

[staehpj1]

I have found that walking into a rental place and trying to book a car is often a mistake if looking for a one way rental.  I have too often been hit with big one way fees or even been told that they had no cars that they could let go one way.  I now ALWAYS book online even if it is at the last minute.  I find that it sometimes goes easier going airport to airport where that is possible.

I generally use an aggregator when booking to find the best deal.

As far as fitting two bikes in...  I have been able to fit two bikes in some pretty small vehicles, even subcompacts if I was willing to take off both wheels and maybe the seat and seat post.  Worst case a crank arm and the stem can come off allowing the bars to be moved out of the way, but I have never needed to go that far.  It is a pain to load two bikes in a subcompact but possible with some cars where you wouldn't think it was possible.

Then again it might be worth paying for a bigger car to avoid the hassle.  It was nice to just throw the bikes and gear in the back of a van when they offered us an upgrade for the same price as a subcompact.

[staehpj1]

After thinking about the locale, I have some more caveats.

Where are you talking about when you say Jackson?  Jackson Hot Springs, Jackson, Mt?  Jackson Hole, WY?

Jackson, MT is pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  I think I recall the population being less than 100 and I don't remember being in any big towns near there when we did the TA.  Even the larger towns like Dubois on the route are still pretty small may not have rental car agencies.  Going off route a good bit may be required that will still not be big cities.  Towns that size even if they have rental cars may be iffy for getting one way rentals.

Bottom line...  I don't have solid info, but do suggest care in doing your research.

Greyhound etc. might be worth looking into, but I suspect coverage is spotty or nonexistent.   My best guess is that you just may need to plan on ending in a bigger town/city even if it means going pretty far off route.

[nasdak]

Thanks,
I'm talking Jackson Hole

[aggie]

I booked a one way trip in advance on line (just one day before I needed it.)  At first I reserved the smallest truck for moving as possible since I had a bike and trailer.   It was a national company (don't remember the name) and at that location they had both cars and moving trucks.  When I got to the counter to pick up the truck they changed the reservation from a truck to a small suv style vehicle that was cheaper and it worked out just fine.  If you rent a moving truck choose a return location close to the light rail line to the airport.  It may also be cheaper to return to a location other than the airport. 

[BikeliciousBabe]

Having done several one way rentals for tours I have found that Avis has a lot of locations where you can rent one way. Jackson, WY is one of them. And you can drop off in Denver.

I would definitely book in advance. IIRC, you can cancel or modify your reservation with 24 hrs' notice.

[John Nettles]

According to various booking website aggregators(Kayak, etc.), you can rent a small SUV like a RAV4 (fits 2 bikes easily, 3 with a little effort) for about $182. A minivan, easily 3 bikes is for $227.  Since I didn't know your dates and/or your destination (Denver city or airport), I assumed airport with a pick up on Monday, August 13 and a drop off on August 14th.

Once you find the price you like, be sure to compare using the company's website as sometimes it goes down.

Also, book now but don't pay unless you are positive of your departure date.  Almost all US companies allow you to cancel at the last second (no deposit).  Then if the price drops, you can just book the lower price and cancel the old price.

Hope you have a great ride!  Tailwinds, John

[Pat Lamb]

Don't try to rent a car at the walk-up desk.

True travel yarn:  A friend was coming back from a business trip, and since the first flight was delayed, his flight home had already left when he reached the hub.  He decided to rent a car and drive home.  Went out to the rental car facility: no cars available, and he took some abuse for asking!  Went back into the terminal, picked up the phone, called the national center, and had no trouble reserving a car for the next day (it was about 11:00 p.m. by then) at a good rate.  Went back out to the same facility, gave them his reservation number, was greeted with smiles, picking up the car early?  Sure, no problem, here's an upgrade, have a nice trip!

[staehpj1]

Don't try to rent a car at the walk-up desk.

True travel yarn:  A friend was coming back from a business trip, and since the first flight was delayed, his flight home had already left when he reached the hub.  He decided to rent a car and drive home.  Went out to the rental car facility: no cars available, and he took some abuse for asking!  Went back into the terminal, picked up the phone, called the national center, and had no trouble reserving a car for the next day (it was about 11:00 p.m. by then) at a good rate.  Went back out to the same facility, gave them his reservation number, was greeted with smiles, picking up the car early?  Sure, no problem, here's an upgrade, have a nice trip!

Doesn't surprise me.  I have had a few similar experiences.  I completely gave up on walking up to the walk up desk to rent.  Many bad experiences before I finally learned and gave up on that.

[bbarrettx]

If this doesn't find you too late, try this Avis AWD code. It's worked in the past to waive drop off fees. A515100.

Also, try Autoslash.com, make sure that you check all of the boxes for memberships, etc. Their rates default to Priceline but are usually the best out there.

[BikeliciousBabe]

If this doesn't find you too late, try this Avis AWD code. It's worked in the past to waive drop off fees. A515100.

I don't know about drop off fees, but I just priced one-way from Philly to Pittsburgh in September. Without the code one day ranged between $116 for an economy car up to $131 for a full size. With the code all the classes up to full size were only $56! That's crazy! Unfortunately, the code had no effect on the rates for SUV and certain other classes of vehicles.

[David W Pratt]

Currently in "discussions" with Hertz.  Rented OW from Buffalo to Albany after the Erie Canal Towpath.  Dropped off the cat 1:30pm Sat. Place was closed, dropped paperwork and keys in slot.  On the receipt in my email Mon morning they charged me until they logged the car icon Monday.  Called them, they would not discuss it, nor would the young woman give me her name.
The Buffalo office said they would fix it.  We shall see.  The Hertz complaint line does not answer.
Next time, I'll drop off at an airport or other place open 24 hrs.
Good luck

[BikeliciousBabe]

Currently in "discussions" with Hertz.

If they don't correct it dispute the charge with yur credit card company. Twice Avis charged me for two days when I only rented for one.

[Pat Lamb]

If they don't correct it dispute the charge with yur credit card company. Twice Avis charged me for two days when I only rented for one.

That's hitting them where it hertz.  Erm, hurts.

[John Nettles]

Regarding the A515100 discount:  I did a little research on the web regarding whom this discount is for.

Apparently, it is one of the Hewlett Packard (HP) Corporate discounts for their employees.  As a result, you should note that AVIS can and occasionally does audit rentals using that code to ensure it is being used properly only by HP personnel. There are a couple of quotes where non-HP people used the code and then a couple of months afterwards AVIS charged the non-HP renter for the difference between what it they said the rental should have been compared to the discounted charged.  The difference was hundreds of dollars in some cases. 

Just thought you might want to be aware of this in case you were considering using it.

Tailwinds, John