Last Updated on July 11, 2022 by Katrina
Sometimes on your travels, a one-way auto rental is just what you need. Maybe you need to connect between two airports, or take a road trip with a flight at the other end. The biggest challenge, though, will be finding one-way auto rentals with no dropoff fee.
Indeed, drop-off fees imposed by auto rental companies can be hefty and vary wildly. The fees depend on factors such as the company, the distance traveled, drop-off locations and time of year. It is possible, though, to score a one-way auto rental with no drop-off fee at all.
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How can you tell? Look at taxes and fees listed before you confirm an online auto rental. You’d be expected to pay that drop-off fee up front when you pick up the auto.
How to Avoid Drop-Off Fees on One-Way Auto Rentals
The first way to find one-way auto rentals with no drop-off fee is to look for special promotions that waive the fee. Look for seasonal drive-in or drive-out specials, city-to-city promos and airport-to-downtown offers. Just be sure to check that fine print to confirm that the drop fee is truly waived, because that’s not always the case.
Another tactic is to widen your auto rental search to include both airport and off-airport locations. Playing around with pick-up options might turn up a one-way rate with a smaller drop fee or no fee at all. Or, it may reveal an auto rental rate low enough to offset that drop-off fee.
But the easiest way of all to find one-way auto rentals with no drop-off fee is to ask AutoSlash for a quote. We’ll scour the Internet for the best possible deal, then, track your reservation; if we detect a price drop, you can cancel and rebook at the lower rate.
Check Out These Auto Rental One-Way Deals
A quick look at some major companies’ one-way auto rentals shows that drop-off fees are not always obvious—but other ongoing deals are pretty appealing:
Alamo
Alamo sometimes charges an “inter-city” fee for one-way auto rentals—also known as a drop fee. That fee is disclosed when you book online, and you pay when you pick up the car. Even on one-way specials, Alamo may charge a drop-off fee.
Avis
Avis offers a one-way, airport-to-downtown rate of $9.99 between selected U.S. airports and nearby city locations with a maximum keep time of 12 hours. The deal also includes a free tank of gas and 150 miles. You can get this offer in about two dozen U.S. cities.
Budget
Avis’s sister company, Budget, also offers a similar one-way airport-to-downtown rate of $9.99, good between selected U.S. airports and nearby city locations with a maximum keep time of 12 hours. The deal also includes a free tank of gas and 150 miles. This offer is available in nearly 20 U.S. cities.
Enterprise
Enterprise offers several one-way specials on its deals page. However, a quick search reveals that drop fees are imposed and vary by the rental location, return location and time of year. And don’t be fooled by suggested routes.
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For example, the auto rental company recommends New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Washington. D.C. as an ideal one-way road trip route. However, a search in February for a day-long, one-way rental yielded a $94 drop fee on a rental with a base price of just over $60.
Hertz
Hertz sometimes offers good rates for one-way auto rentals on its deals page—sometimes starting at just $9.99 for less than 24 hours.
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