Transfer to rental car in Portland, OR?

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Chilliepepper

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What's the best way to pick up a rental car after getting off the train at Union Station in Portland? It looks like there are some rental outfits nearby, but the cost for a month's rental (we will be there about a month) is several hundred dollars more than if we picked up a car at the airport.

So would it be best to...

a) pile the family plus luggage into a taxicab to the airport, or...

b) schlep the family plus luggage onto public transportation to the airport, or...

c) send one family member to the airport (taxi or otherwise) to pick up the car, while others enjoy a leisurely lunch somewhere near Union Station (is there anyplace nice? or is the area sketchy?), or...

d) learn a secret for paying the same for a rental car downtown as at the airport, or...

e) go with relayrides.com which is a LOT cheaper, and use part of the savings to get a cab to wherever the car is, or...

f) something else that I haven't thought of?

Thanks!
 
Airport is cheaper than downtown? That's surprising.

We rented a car there on our honeymoon from a Hertz that was a few blocks away. Upon arrival, they came and got us and our bags in a van. On return, I dropped my bride and our bags at the station, returned the car and then just walked back to the station, just a few easy blocks.

If the airport is truly cheaper, I'd tend towards option C. Portland was nice.
 
Not a local but I have dealt with rental cars there. There's a Max train station about 3 blocks east of the Amtrak station, ask to be sure where. The train will take you to the baggage claim area of the Portland airport. Rental car booths are right there. Or take everyone if it's not rush hour and you need to go east from the airport when you leave. A short walk south from the station is downtown Portland, not sketchy at all and plenty to see and do.
 
The Enterprise rate downtown should be the same as the rate out at the airport. The airport fees usually make downtown the place to rent.

It is the TriMet red line that goes to the airport.

Are you taking day trips from Portland or do you have a job that will keep you in the city most of the month?

Why not just rent on the days that you need a car? The TriMet system (light rail, bus and trolley) will get you everywhere from the airport out to Beaverton for $2.50 single ride or $5 pp for all day.
 
I am going to Portland or this summer (by plane) for a wedding. The airport car rental fees were exorbitant while shopping (like $70/day for intermediate). So I reserved a car at the hertz on pine street. It's right next to an enterprise. Rate was only 25/day. I'll just take the red line downtown.
 
I talked to a rental agent last night, and he said that while rates downtown are often more than the airport, prices at the airport can fluctuate a lot depending on whether there's a big event in town or not. He also checked for me, and also got lower rates at the airport. $804 for 28 days in a minivan...not too shabby, right? He's like..."I'd book that right now if I were you!" (of course he's going to say that as an agent, but he sounded sincere. ;) )

What is this, though, about Enterprise picking people up? They wouldn't pick us up and take us to the airport, would they? I'm sure riding Max to the airport is great, but not so sure about doing it with 3 kids and a month's luggage. AND not totally sure about waiting around downtown with 3 kids while dad finds his way to the airport and back. I also love Portland...and if only Powell's books were a bit closer to Union Station...on a normal day waiting around wouldn't be a problem, but will everyone be acting normal after 3 nights on a train? And what if it is raining? (Oh that never happens in PDX, right? :p )

I guess we can just play it by ear...if the stars align and the kids seem up for a downtown Portland adventure, we'll send dad. Otherwise, get a cab (unless Enterprise will pick us up).

Oh, to answer the question about only renting on days we need a car: we won't be staying in Portland but driving to the coast, then to Albany, then back to the coast, then back to Albany, possibly to Portland, back to Albany/coast etc., possibly with a day trip to Eugene thrown in. So we pretty much need the vehicle the whole time.
 
Correction: the agent said the rates downtown are often *less* than the airport, but that airport rates fluctuate more and I caught the airport rates on a low day. :)
 
Which train are you using to get into Portland? With the great TriMet transport system, you may not need the minivan for more than 7 days. Rent only on the day that you need it to save on parking fees.

The walk to the local bus stop is about 3 blocks from the Amtrak station. I have used it several times.
 
Hertz downtown was cheapest for me. Called hertz and van picked up six customers at station in ten minutes. One family sent only a driver who would pick up the rest of the family and luggage later at the station. Hertz also dropped us off after returning rental car.
 
Wanderin' Bill said:
Not a local but I have dealt with rental cars there. There's a Max train station about 3 blocks east of the Amtrak station, ask to be sure where.
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As of a few years ago, there's now a Green/Yellow Lin MAX station right across the street from Amtrak, but you'll need to connect east of there

to the Red Line to get to the airport. If you are going to take the entire family to the airport, I'd recommend this as it's less walking.

MAX trains are generally not packed during mid-day hours, which (if arriving on the EB) would be the case for you. The area immediately

around the Amtrak station is "safe" but is not particularly interesting.
 
RyanS said:
That's amazing about the airport being cheaper.

amamba said:
the hertz on pine street. It's right next to an enterprise.
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Yep, that's where we rented from.
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I quoted both out as I don't really have a preference, but the Hertz was cheaper.

I'm also traveling out of the city for three days for a wedding, then spending two nights in downtown portland. I'll drop the car off back downtown after checking into my downtown hotel - no need to keep it for two days of sightseeing/exploring downtown, especially when my hotel charges $39/night for parking. :p
 
Just to clarify, Enterprise will pick you up (if you are renting from them) and take you to their rental location. If you rent from say downtown, they will take you to that location. If you rent from the airport, they will take you to that location. If you rent from "Any Street", they will take you to that location. And there are distance restrictions - they will not pick you up and take you to the Albany location (for example) from Portland.
 
the_traveler said:
Just to clarify, Enterprise will pick you up (if you are renting from them) and take you to their rental location. If you rent from say downtown, they will take you to that location. If you rent from the airport, they will take you to that location. If you rent from "Any Street", they will take you to that location. And there are distance restrictions - they will not pick you up and take you to the Albany location (for example) from Portland.
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I don't believe the airport location will pick you up. And - if you look at the fine print for the downtown location, they won't pick you up at the airport. So there are some restrictions.
 
I was in Portland in August, 2014. I flew in and took the MAX to my hotel near the Convention Center. I was located near where the Trolley crossed MAX. I did rent a car from Enterprise for 2 days on the weekend. The Enterprise was within walking distance of the Convention Center and the people at Enterprise were very nice. The rate was much cheaper than the Airport.
 
One thing to consider about the car rental business is that while a certain location may say they'll have the vehicle of your choice reserved for you, there's no guarantee that particular type of vehicle will be there when you need it. That's because what's available depends largely on whether or not the previously rented vehicles are brought back on time. I think this is especially true for locations with a small pool of vehicles and if the vehicle you desire is one of the larger ones.
 
RyanS said:
Airport is cheaper than downtown? That's surprising.

We rented a car there on our honeymoon from a Hertz that was a few blocks away. Upon arrival, they came and got us and our bags in a van. On return, I dropped my bride and our bags at the station, returned the car and then just walked back to the station, just a few easy blocks.

If the airport is truly cheaper, I'd tend towards option C. Portland was nice.
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Downtown rates are typically higher than "neighborhood" locations given their higher costs and higher demand. I've even heard of some locations within a mile of an airport that are much cheaper, but they won't/can't pick you up at the airport.
I have found that airport rates can sometimes be much lower during a low demand period, even with airport fees. However, rental rates can be extrememly volatile.
 
There is a small lunch counter in a ground floor corner of Powell's World of Books (10th & Burnside). Two blocks south of there is the best deli in downtown Kenny & Zukes http://www.kennyandzukes.com/

You may want to use a website that compares rental car prices like Expedia or Priceline. I have put in a bid on Priceline and got a very good deal. When looking for a large vehicle the price is very much supply and demand. There are a couple car rental lots east of I-405 that don't charge the on airport fee.

There are 2 HI Hostels in Portland. The one on Hawthorne has been mentioned. I like the one on Glisan (west of I-5) a little better.
 
Hey Chiliiepepper --

$800 for 4 weeks? For a van?

Grab it now . NOW. You can cancel - but that is so good a deal.

Other comments above are good -- but reserve that super rate now. Cancel later if better shows up.

Hey, if the airport price is that cheap, I'd walk to the airport - it's only 7-10 miles, to meet my family with the van 2 hours later near the train station

.

In any case the station area is safe but dull, the trimet is near and cheap, Powells is a moderate walk away, likewise the upstream market --

Go for the super cheap airport rental price on the van -- if any rental place will have the van and no substitute, it'll be the airport.

Trimet is easy to figure - from their website - maybe allow another 1min if the ticket machine is broke - but -- less than an hour to the airport -- gotta learn the way to drive back to downtown -- for a 4 week rental, -- at that cheap rpice - go for it
 
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