Rental Cars A Steal For Europeans

Moving to Europe might not seem the best way to save money on rental cars in the United States, but consumers might reconsider if they knew they could save as much as a $100 every time they rented a car for a week.

Europeans renting cars in Florida this season are paying $49 a week for the privilege, while U.S. residents fork over about $150 to rent a similar car.

A Sarasota travel agency said the best weekly Alamo rate for a standard economy car rental in Florida for the week beginning Jan. 29 is $144.95.

The cheapest weekly rental rate the Bradenton Herald could find for U.S. residents was $99.83 at Thrifty Car Rental.

The base weekly rent-a-car rates do not include sales tax or a state car rental surcharge of $2.05 per day.

Alamo spokesperson Wendy Lester said the company offers a $45 weekly base rate to Europeans, but that rate is a temporary promotion.

The promotion ends in March, Lester said.

Budget Car and Truck Rental also offers special rates to Europeans.

“It all has to do with addressing supply and demand,” said Budget spokeswoman Ardis Berghoff. “To remain competitive, we offer the lower prices.”