Car Hire Essentials

[Nostradamus]

We will be driving from Orlando International airport to International drive and back. I rented the car with Alamo and wanted to know what will I be paying. Heard about these transponders charging daily. Not worth paying a lot for only two trips to and from the airport.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

We will be driving from Orlando International airport to International drive and back. I rented the car with Alamo and wanted to know what will I be paying. Heard about these transponders charging daily. Not worth paying a lot for only two trips to and from the airport.

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Four options really

1. Pay cash. There are a few cashless tolls on Florida but mainly in the Miami area.
2. Just use Sunpass which automatically activates when you drive through a toll without stopping but this does attract an admin fee from Alamo (they are the best though).
3. Go to Publix (and others) and buy a pre-loaded transponder which swipes $$$ off as you pass through. Trouble is you need to link it to your car reg by web site and you may have passed through tolls anyway before finding a retailer
4. Best of all is the Visitor Toll Pass. Link it with your CC at the airport and stick it on windscreen. In the pilot scheme there was no admin fee and some tolls actually cheaper. Problem is it's currently suspended

Have a look here. Home page shows toll roads. Traveller information then rental cars tabs show how Alamo work

sunpass/en/about/whe...eSunPass.shtml

Mick

[Nostradamus]

Thanks Mick. If I go through the pay cash lane will I still have to pay Alamo the daily rental charge for the transponder?
I had the impression that it will cost me $42 for the two weeks.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

Thanks Mick. If I go through the pay cash lane will I still have to pay Alamo the daily rental charge for the transponder?
I had the impression that it will cost me $42 for the two weeks.

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If you go through the "pay cash" lane every time AND PAY CASH OF COURSE the camera that will normally take a photo of your plate will be disabled (please don't ask me about the tech ) so you won't get a bill from Alamo for the admin charges. If in doubt ask for a receipt at the manned tolls. You can also press a button at the unmanned tolls to get a receipt.

Don't confuse the Alamo Sunpass scheme (and any other car hire in Florida) with a transponder. Sunpass works with them all simply by taking a photo of your plate - nothing to sign up to and nothing to switch on. If you use Sunpass then Alamo will charge you a daily or maximum admin fee on top of the toll fees as described in my link.

Some Avis cars have a built in transponder but on or off they have no effect in Florida. Every hire car triggers Sunpass unless you pay cash or have bought a SEPARATE transponder or the VTP.

In these sad times I welcome the chance to post these pictures again.

First toll on 417 south as you leave MCO - manned

Exit toll at j2 off 417 (j3 is similar) - unmanned

First tolls leaving MCO south on 417 and north on 528 also south on 417 leaving SFB are manned. They will all give change if you give them a $20 bill or less

Mick

[Nostradamus]

Thank you very much Mick for this information, made things more clearer for me.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

Thank you very much Mick for this information, made things more clearer for me.

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Just keep checking to see if they've reintroduced this before you go. It really is a no-brainer even if you only encounter a few tolls during your holiday.

visitortollpass/

We have three on our journey from MCO to the villa (and return) and maybe a couple on the Osceola Parkway when we visit The Loop but for the sake of a 5 minute task at MCO it really was good.

Don't forget to do online check in with Alamo and go straight to the garage, either A or B, and pick your own car.

Mick

BIG PS to my earlier post. That toll plaza is manned in the two right hand lanes