Rental car for a few days in Vancouver

Okay, I'm sure this has been addressed but I went back a ways and didn't see any threads in the last while. I want to rent a car from Thursday at YVR through Sunday dropping off at Canada Place. After spending around 2 hours checking out prices and location rules and stuff I've given up. I ended up doing a booking with on where I could drop it off right at Canada Place. The car rental was $70 but with the drop off fee of $50 and the special drop of location fee of $25 then taxes etc. the bill came to over $200.

So I tried again. This time the drop off location was off site and again around $70 for the car rental but then there were special taxes and fees. I could not figure out how to figure out what those fees were for but again it was around $200 out the door.

So, are there any suggestions on how to get a car for 4 days without all the special drop off fees bringing my total closer to $100 then $200. I'd also like to know what that extra $100 in fees was.

Suggestions for help with my frustrations? I'm already going to get a drink but I'd like to figure out the car issue while I'm still sober :D.

One of the locals who's name I can't remember used to work with a car rental company so they will likely be along and might be able to answer your question.

Cheers!

Dennis

I was going to pick up a car in Canada Place and drop off at YVR but the car rental is cost over $100 per days. So, I am thinking about taking taxi to YVR and pick up a car there. If I pick up and drop off at YVR the rental car for 4 days come up to around $100. But what's concern me is a fine print said "‡ May not include mandatory insurance charges required for certain international rentals, which you will pay directly to the rental car company."

This is on 3rd party website. I don't know if they allow you the name the website. Anyone experience any mandatory insurance charges and you have to pay more than you quote on the website?

One of the locals who's name I can't remember used to work with a car rental company so they will likely be along and might be able to answer your question.

Oh, that is me, Karen. :) I will try to help.

I ended up doing a booking with on where I could drop it off right at Canada Place. The car rental was $70 but with the drop off fee of $50 and the special drop of location fee of $25 then taxes etc. the bill came to over $200....

I don't know the particulars of your case so my best guess is based on my experience. :) First of all, Canada Place is prime real estate with little room for extra vehicles. I think the drop off fee and location fee are more or less to dissuade customers from doing this, but if you are going to do this, you'll pay dearly for it. They charge these fees because they can (comments on whether or not this is good business practice notwithstanding!). I'm not sure who you booked with (is it Enterprise who has a location there?) but it could be that there is not even an actual office at Canada Place, just a "drop off" area. This means they cannot rent the cars FROM there, but would need to move the cars back to an office, and this takes staff and time.

Another thought I have is that even within the same city, there may be several franchises with different owners. To rent a car from one location and drop it at another, it is not unusual in the least to be charged extra for that. It's just the nature of the business.

Also, Vancouver is an expensive city, there is no doubt about it.

So, are there any suggestions on how to get a car for 4 days without all the special drop off fees bringing my total closer to $100 then $200.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but it'll never happen. You cannot possibly rent a car in Vancouver for $25.00 per day, it's just not going to happen. My advice would be to check into the "big box store" car rentals if you are a member. ;) We got a killer deal in Palm Springs last week, and have reservations in Fort Lauderdale later this year.

Insurance coverage always costs more. Check and see if your auto insurance or credit card covers rental cars; if there is an accident, you will be required to pay the cost up front and be reimbursed afterward.

Hope to have helped; I will check back later. :)

.

• Alamo and National are my preferred car rental for cruises. They maintain a small fleet at Canada Place.
  
• Enterprise is my second choice as they too have an office in the Pan Pacific upstairs, but you must leave the terminal and go to the hotel for service.
  
• Avis has a shuttle from Canada Place... they like to see customers wait for shuttles that come from their office a half mile away.
  
• Hertz has an office at the Fairmont Pacific Rim..... they like to watch their clients drag their luggage three blocks from the cruise terminal to their office
  
• other require a taxi to the car rental office
  

Strategies for saving money?

• skip the car rental. Use the free shuttles to Grouse and Capilano if you are there for just one day. Many use the hop on service on the second day and third day. Some will get a transit day pass for $10.
  
• parking at tourist attractions can add up. http://www.easypark.ca/easypark-lots/locations-and-rates/vancouver-stanley-park-lot-62.aspx
  
• parking at attractions can be tough. Capilano, Grouse and Stanley Park are extremely busy on the weekends.
  
• Vancouver downtown is a very compact city... you might get there faster by just walking or using public transit
  
• Parking downtown is expensive... sometimes $30 a day. How much is your hotel charging for parking? When I have a vehicle, I would be staying at one of the Richmond Airport hotels that offers free parking (love Raddison Airport on Cambie).
  
• if you haven't been in Vancouver for awhile... they have introduced arterial bike lanes with lots of turn restrictions in the downtown. Getting to the cruise terminal can be a challenge.
  
• how much is that drop fee when you pick up at the airport and drop at cruise terminal? How does it compare with the cab $31/35 carload from airport to downtown Vancouver hotel. Once downtown you can walk over to the cruise terminal to get your vehicle without a drop fee. Note cruise terminal pickup may have limited hours.
  
• You might want to skip that rental for that first 24 hours on landing. Not only it let's your body adjust to the time zone... but you also avoid the YVR 17.5% surcharge applicable city wide.
  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=a1aeb1ee-0289-4c57-8c3f-6a17b8c5aa07
  
• do we want to talk about Vancouver drivers?
  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vancouver%27s+worst+drivers
  http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/08/tour-bus-catches-on-fire-in-stanley-park-photos-videos/
  

Final thoughts....

• do you need a minivan? Book early (months?) to secure the luggage friendly minivan from that tiny cruise terminal fleet.
  
• watch out when they promise a 7 passenger vehicle..... it could be a Dodge Journey which lacks luggage space compared to a minivan. They might try you to upsell you a last minute higher rate for a bigger vehicle.
  
• when they run out of minivans.... think about an 8 passenger SUV. Less popular than a minivan... some are cheaper than minivan to rent. The larger vehicle may be a challenge for some to drive in parkades.
  
• ask for a vehicle with BC plates. Sometimes vehicles are dropped off from another province or the USA. These out of province vehicles are a higher theft target. Yes there is crime in Vancouver. I would not leave luggage or valuables visible from the window.
  http://vancouver.ca/police/CrimeMaps/tfauto.pdf
  

ask for a vehicle with BC plates...

A reputable Vancouver company would never rent an out of town car for local use. There are insurance issues, and as I said above, the offices are franchised so renting a car that belongs to another city (let alone country) means they do not get that revenue.

I'm not sure if I am allowed to name this store, but if you have a membership to a LARGE warehouse store, I saw some good deals for car rentals in Vancouver and dropping off near the pier. I don't remember seeing drop off fees.

I'm not sure if I am allowed to name this store, but if you have a membership to a LARGE warehouse store, I saw some good deals for car rentals in Vancouver and dropping off near the pier. I don't remember seeing drop off fees.

Yep, I mentioned that in post 4. Some good deals. :)

Thanks for the replies. First, I will be in Vancouver to do an interview for Nexus so I need a car to get around. I will come in on Thursday, spend the night at my mom's house in South Surrey and then head back to Vancouver on Sunday. There will be no sightseeing. I was born and raised in North Vancouver and have spent far more time then most at the Suspension Bridge. It is merely transportation in between arrival, meeting and cruise. I did four comparisons. One was one of the ones that had pick up at the pier so returning it there made sense but their office (kiosk) was closed on Sunday. Did another one where their kiosk was open on Sunday but over 50% of the cost was drop off fees.

The third was off located almost a mile from the pier and too far to walk so didn't continue through the reservation. Number four was 0.6 miles from the pier (honestly can't remember the names of who was who) but that one wouldn't even tell me what "fees" actually related to. At least with the Canada Place one they told me the fees related mostly to the drop off cost.

I'm not trying to get something for nothing but I think $75 JUST to drop off at Canada Place is nuts. I get the other expenses. At this point it would be cheaper to rent the car at YVR for 3 days, drop it at the airport and take a limo or taxi in. Health issues won't allow too much walking dragging suitcases so sky train is out.

"Oh, that is me, Karen. I will try to help."

I thought it was you but I erred on the side of caution as I like to give correct info when responding to requests, questions here on CC.

Cheers!

Dennis

Car rentals in canada are very expensive in canada compared to many places in the states,

Vancouver is a expensive city to rent cars.

An option to check out is Cars to go. A company that rents by the hour and you just drop it off when you finish

Only additional suggestions I can offer are to rent from one of the Surrey/White Rock locations - there are pockets of rental offices round King George & 72nd and KG & 32nd, with Hertz/Enterprise/Avis at least in close proximity to each other. Taking a fixed-rate cab to your moms the day you arrive then renting at one of these off-airport locations when you need the car avoids the YVR pickup fee, which is applied every day of your entire rental (probably makes up almost all of the 'fees' you were being quoted.)

As to avoiding the Pan Pacific/Canada Place dropoff charge, if you rented from Hertz you could try dropping at their railway station office (1150 Station Street). This is also ridiculously close to the new CBP office on Main St, so if your Nexus interview is the same day you are cruising out you can kill two birds with one stone then take a $10-15 cab ride to the pier. May even be able to split a cab with another cruiser if you time it around when Amtrak from Seattle rolls in noonish.

Even if you couldn't arrange Nexus that conveniently you can still check out the area around the station so you can easily find the office to drop off the car there before your cruise.

An option to check out is Cars to go. A company that rents by the hour and you just drop it off when you finish

• check out their rates... If for a full day, I find it's cheaper to use a regular car rental.
  
• Surrey is not a home zone to drop off vehicles.
  
• the airport is not a home zone, but the nearby Pacific Gateway hotel is... need to use their shuttle.
  
• check out their vehicles... Those smart cars don't have much space for luggage if you travel heavy.
  

https://www.car2go.com/en/vancouver/

Okay, I'm sure this has been addressed but I went back a ways and didn't see any threads in the last while. I want to rent a car from Thursday at YVR through Sunday dropping off at Canada Place. After spending around 2 hours checking out prices and location rules and stuff I've given up. I ended up doing a booking with on where I could drop it off right at Canada Place. The car rental was $70 but with the drop off fee of $50 and the special drop of location fee of $25 then taxes etc. the bill came to over $200.

 

So I tried again. This time the drop off location was off site and again around $70 for the car rental but then there were special taxes and fees. I could not figure out how to figure out what those fees were for but again it was around $200 out the door.

 

So, are there any suggestions on how to get a car for 4 days without all the special drop off fees bringing my total closer to $100 then $200. I'd also like to know what that extra $100 in fees was.

 

Suggestions for help with my frustrations? I'm already going to get a drink but I'd like to figure out the car issue while I'm still sober :D.

Here is my suggestion (FWIW !)

Reserve a car through a company with a Canada Place office location.

Take the Skytrain (or taxi) from YVR to Canada Place.

Pick up your reserved vehicle at Canada Place and then return it to the same location. Voila ! - no drop off charge.:)

...VTX-Al

Well, thanks for all the advise and help. My problem isn't paying the going rate, it is paying more just for the drop off fees than the car itself. Those fees didn't necessarily include taxes either :rolleyes:. With the suggestions above, I've decided to rent a car at YVR. That way when we get in at 5:00 we won't have to deal with getting into the city only to have to drive right back out again (picking up from Canada Place). Or the same in reverse.

So, I did some more research. I've decided to rent from YVR and return there. Then I'll just take a taxi in to Canada Place. Total rental $116 with taxi $35 for a total of $151. Cheaper and more convenient.

That way we can go out to dinner on Thursday, back to YVR for our interview at 11:00 on Friday with a car for enjoyment the rest of Friday and Saturday and then to cruise on Sunday.

Oh, tried the big box store - they only do renting/returning at same location.

Well, thanks for all the advise and help. My problem isn't paying the going rate, it is paying more just for the drop off fees than the car itself. Those fees didn't necessarily include taxes either :rolleyes:. With the suggestions above, I've decided to rent a car at YVR. That way when we get in at 5:00 we won't have to deal with getting into the city only to have to drive right back out again (picking up from Canada Place). Or the same in reverse.

 

So, I did some more research. I've decided to rent from YVR and return there. Then I'll just take a taxi in to Canada Place. Total rental $116 with taxi $35 for a total of $151. Cheaper and more convenient.

 

That way we can go out to dinner on Thursday, back to YVR for our interview at 11:00 on Friday with a car for enjoyment the rest of Friday and Saturdayand then to cruise on Sunday.

Oh, tried the big box store - they only do renting/returning at same location.

Looks like a good decision .... but here's another option (assuming that your hotel is downtown somewhere) : drop your cruise luggage at the Canada Place terminal on Sunday morning, take the car back to YVR while the rest of the family is enjoying the sights, etc of Canada Place, and catch the Skytrain right back to within a block of Canada Place - about three bucks fare versus $35 for the cab. Skytrain has a new line direct from YVR to downtown waterfront area.

...VTX-Al

Looks like a good decision .... but here's another option (assuming that your hotel is downtown somewhere) : drop your cruise luggage at the Canada Place terminal on Sunday morning, take the car back to YVR while the rest of the family is enjoying the sights, etc of Canada Place, and catch the Skytrain right back to within a block of Canada Place - about three bucks fare versus $35 for the cab. Skytrain has a new line direct from YVR to downtown waterfront area.

 

...VTX-Al

Just my DH and I and we are staying in my mother's house in Surrey/White Rock so that is where we will be coming from. YVR is on our way. Since we lived in Vancouver going sightseeing isn't really something we need to do. I have mobility issues and can't walk a long way especially with luggage so not sure the Skytrain is an option.

Oh, tried the big box store - they only do renting/returning at same location.

Hmm...I have a reservation next month and was allowed to book for pick up at YVR and drop off near Canada Place. Well sorry that suggestion didn't work. Good luck.

Besides Costco and their rates I would check Hotwire, Priceline and some of the other online booking companies. That said, I am not at all sure that why anyone would want to rent a car in Vancouver, unless you are taking a drive up to Whistler or out in the Fraser Valley a rental car is almost like having a millstone around your neck. You have the cost of the rental, fuel, parking at upwards of $25 per night at most downtown hotels, scarce and expensive parking attractions and I haven't begun to address the subject of congestion in the downtown area. Vancouver simply becomes less and less car friendly almost weekly.....and this is from a guy who worked downtown for 40 years and for about 30 of those years had a company car and company paid for parking....today I get sweaty palms driving around downtown and I know my way around.

One other thought.... avoid the Hwy #1/Port Mann bridge with that rental. That is now a toll bridge and rental cars charge a premium to administer that fee.

Besides Costco and their rates I would check Hotwire, Priceline and some of the other online booking companies. That said, I am not at all sure that why anyone would want to rent a car in Vancouver, unless you are taking a drive up to Whistler or out in the Fraser Valley a rental car is almost like having a millstone around your neck. You have the cost of the rental, fuel, parking at upwards of $25 per night at most downtown hotels, scarce and expensive parking attractions and I haven't begun to address the subject of congestion in the downtown area. Vancouver simply becomes less and less car friendly almost weekly.....and this is from a guy who worked downtown for 40 years and for about 30 of those years had a company car and company paid for parking....today I get sweaty palms driving around downtown and I know my way around.

We stayed in a hotel across from the Sheraton in July. Fortunately that gave us a parking spot. Almost killed a few bikers though. Seriously guys.... I'm in a big SUV, crossing into a driveway and they just come barreling down. Don't even bother to look or don't care.

I'm getting a car because in White Rock if I want to go to the store, go out to eat or visit I'll need one. Plus the drive to YVR and back.

One other thought.... avoid the Hwy #1/Port Mann bridge with that rental. That is now a toll bridge and rental cars charge a premium to administer that fee.

Thanks for the reminder.

We stayed in a hotel across from the Sheraton in July. Fortunately that gave us a parking spot. Almost killed a few bikers though. Seriously guys.... I'm in a big SUV, crossing into a driveway and they just come barreling down. Don't even bother to look or don't care.

 

I'm getting a car because in White Rock if I want to go to the store, go out to eat or visit I'll need one. Plus the drive to YVR and back.

Oh dear, I didn't notice that you were the OP, I am actually surprised anyone would even rent you a car.:D However, if you are going to stay way out in the southern burbs then a car would likely make sense.