Truth about tolls and rental cars

[grenouille]

Alright- I need the details on tolls and rental cars in Florida.

We are renting post-cruise with Budget, and I recall reading a horror story about toll charges. We are driving from FLL to MCO.

 

From Budget's website- it all sounds very simple. With an open transponder, use either the Sun-pass only, e-pass only lanes, and you pay the actual toll, plus $2.95 fee per day of rental. The charges are automatically added to your CC.

 

What am I missing? :confused: It seems very simple and straightforward.

[miamiyogi]

Yep, you got it, with most car rental places that's all there is to it. You rent the car and go, just use any lane marked Sunpass or EzPass.

 

The nightmare is with Dollar/Thrifty/Sunshine. You have to tell them in advance you want the toll option, which is $7.99/day. If you tell them no, and access a Sunpass lane, you will be charged $25.00 per infraction plus toll.

 

With Budget, no worries.

[bouhunter]

Yep, you got it, with most car rental places that's all there is to it. You rent the car and go, just use any lane marked Sunpass or EzPass.

 

The nightmare is with Dollar/Thrifty/Sunshine. You have to tell them in advance you want the toll option, which is $7.99/day. If you tell them no, and access a Sunpass lane, you will be charged $25.00 per infraction plus toll.

 

With Budget, no worries.

 

Yep!:) You can go to the SunPass toll website and find a section for rental cars which will give details on each company's policy. Dollar & Thrifty are the ones I recall charging the excessive daily fees. I think we used Budget last March, it was 2.95/day, and only for the days you went thru a toll site, plus the actual toll charges.

[grenouille]

Thanks!

I thought a previous thread had mentionned problems with Budget, which is why I was concerned.

 

Do any of you know approximately what the toll amount will be from FLL to MCO?

 

Thanks again!:)

[bouhunter]

Thanks!

I thought a previous thread had mentionned problems with Budget, which is why I was concerned.

 

Do any of you know approximately what the toll amount will be from FLL to MCO?

 

Thanks again!:)

 

Well I think we were with Budget but can't say for sure. Whoever it was only charged 2.95/day plus tolls:D

[miamiyogi]

Thanks!

 

 

Do any of you know approximately what the toll amount will be from FLL to MCO?

 

 

Less than $15.

[wrigley80]

Ok so let me get this straight. I have reserved a car with Budget at Orlando International Airport for December 2 and I am driving to Port Canaveral the next morning. Will I need a SunPass or will just pay cash??? I will only have the rental car for a one-way trip

[bills blasters]

Ok so let me get this straight. I have reserved a car with Budget at Orlando International Airport for December 2 and I am driving to Port Canaveral the next morning. Will I need a SunPass or will just pay cash??? I will only have the rental car for a one-way trip

 

 

I was wondering the exact same thing. I hope someone answers you soon. I understood that you did not need a Sun Pass and could just pay as you go through the tolls. I was told it was about $1.50.

But when I read this thread, it sounds like we have to get the Sun pass.

Help..

Claudia

[Birder1]

You certainly can pay w cash, no problem when remaining on 528 start to the port. You might be delayed, waiting in line w the other vehicles paying cash. That's the only risk.

 

If you exit from 528 west ("before" PC from MCO) onto side roads (example, exit 528 onto SR50), those toll booths are unmanned & require the pass or exact change.

 

However, you should have no need to exit 528. Nearer to PC, at Banana River Dr, you can exit without tolls to park at one of the offsite car parks.

 

No need to worry; you should be ok w a few quarters. :-)

[lvz2cruz]

Ok so let me get this straight. I have reserved a car with Budget at Orlando International Airport for December 2 and I am driving to Port Canaveral the next morning. Will I need a SunPass or will just pay cash??? I will only have the rental car for a one-way trip

 

If you pay cash, get a receipt at each toll plaza. If you can decline the sunpass do so because you will be charged nearly $3 for both days (the day you pick up and the one you drop off) even though you have a one day (24 hour) rental. Complaints have been if you have a car for a week and only use tolls a few days you are charged every day of rental.

Over several years people have complained about paying cash but having charges on their credit car by the car rental agency. Some were areas of Florida they did not visit and it is suspected other people's tolls were charged to their account. Budget prefers to keep the money rather than investigate and credit accounts.

On the disboards which is for Disney what cruisecritic is to cruising most of the complaints have been with Budget. Alamo and National are the ones with no complaints.

When you look at the cost of vacation another possible $30-$50 is not huge but the principal of a company scamming many people over years and refusing to correct it is very aggravating.

[miamiyogi]

But when I read this thread, it sounds like we have to get the Sun pass.

Help..

Claudia

 

Claudia, from MCO to Canaveral, I would just pay cash.

 

If you have a Budget rental, and decide not to wait in line, go ahead and use the SunPass lane. You'll be charged $3.00 plus the toll at the end of then rental.

 

Remember you can do that with any rental except for Dollar/Thrifty/Sunshine/Royal/Fox which requires you to opt in to the toll program first.

 

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

[wrigley80]

Thank you everybody. We plan on leaving the hotel early enough the morning of the cruise so that we can avoid long lines at the toll booth. We will just pay with cash then

[SensFan11]

If you pay cash, get a receipt at each toll plaza. If you can decline the sunpass do so because you will be charged nearly $3 for both days (the day you pick up and the one you drop off) even though you have a one day (24 hour) rental. Complaints have been if you have a car for a week and only use tolls a few days you are charged every day of rental.

Over several years people have complained about paying cash but having charges on their credit car by the car rental agency. Some were areas of Florida they did not visit and it is suspected other people's tolls were charged to their account. Budget prefers to keep the money rather than investigate and credit accounts.

On the disboards which is for Disney what cruisecritic is to cruising most of the complaints have been with Budget. Alamo and National are the ones with no complaints.

When you look at the cost of vacation another possible $30-$50 is not huge but the principal of a company scamming many people over years and refusing to correct it is very aggravating.

 

I agree with the above. I rented from Budget in Dec. 2012. The SunPass option in the car has an "on" or "off" switch, where you can choose whether to utilize this feature. I ensured it was "off" and diligently paid each and every toll in cash...nevertheless, I ended up with a few toll charges on my credit card...I think it ended up being less then $10 - so not worth my while to pursue...but very aggrivating!

 

Next time I'm just going to turn the SunPass on and use it....

[janpa70]

The whole sunpass confuses me. We are driving from PA to Miami in our own car and can't believe that they don't have just plain cash lanes all the way down. We've traveled alot and don't recall not being able to pay cash for a toll. So if I read correctly they take a picture of your plate and send you a bill with an added fee. Is this correct?

[Orlando Vic]

The whole sunpass confuses me. We are driving from PA to Miami in our own car and can't believe that they don't have just plain cash lanes all the way down. We've traveled alot and don't recall not being able to pay cash for a toll. So if I read correctly they take a picture of your plate and send you a bill with an added fee. Is this correct?

 

Stay on I-95 and you won't have an issue with tolls (except possibly locally in Miami proper).

[reno3]

Stay on I-95 and you won't have an issue with tolls (except possibly locally in Miami proper).

 

Do I have this correct.....MCO to Port Canaveral by rental car....stay on I-95 the whole way and there are no tolls to pay?

[Orlando Vic]

Do I have this correct.....MCO to Port Canaveral by rental car....stay on I-95 the whole way and there are no tolls to pay?

 

MCO-Port Canaveral = 2 small tolls payable in cash

I-95 (at least FL & GA) = no tolls

I-95 to Port Canaveral Via SR A1A = no tolls

[Ken076]

Florida Sunpass and Electronic Tolls -- http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/

 

ken

[miamiyogi]

The whole sunpass confuses me. We are driving from PA to Miami in our own car and can't believe that they don't have just plain cash lanes all the way down. We've traveled alot and don't recall not being able to pay cash for a toll. So if I read correctly they take a picture of your plate and send you a bill with an added fee. Is this correct?

 

For the moment, the only non-cash sections in Florida are on the Turnpike Extension that connects Miami with Florida City and is the most popular route to the Florida Keys and the express lanes on I-95 in Miami. You don't need to worry about the express lanes, they are easy to avoid and clearly marked.

 

If you went on the Turnpike on the cashless section in your personal car, you would get a bill by the end of the month for the actual tolls plus $2.50. The $2.50 is for the entire month. This section is noted by signs as "Toll By Plate".

 

In your personal car if you went through a Sunpass lane and are not registered, you would incur a violation. Those fines start at $25 each infraction. Sunpass lanes are clearly marked and are easily avoided.

[JohninDC]

Do I have this correct.....MCO to Port Canaveral by rental car....stay on I-95 the whole way and there are no tolls to pay?

 

I-95 runs north and south near the coast (in most of FLA and GA) from Maine to Miami; I believe it is 528 from MCO to PC and there are a couple of tolls (that you can pay in cash).

 

Good luck! :)

[newcruiser08820]

Alright- I need the details on tolls and rental cars in Florida.

We are renting post-cruise with Budget, and I recall reading a horror story about toll charges. We are driving from FLL to MCO.

 

From Budget's website- it all sounds very simple. With an open transponder, use either the Sun-pass only, e-pass only lanes, and you pay the actual toll, plus $2.95 fee per day of rental. The charges are automatically added to your CC.

 

What am I missing? :confused: It seems very simple and straightforward.

 

We used Hertz from Tampa port to Orlando airport form Sunday morning to Tuesday morning. We declined Sunpass and paid in cash. There were no lines in the cash lines. Total toll was $ 2.50. Just pay cash and don't worry about any extra chargers by using the Sunpass.