There are many ways to get from Point A to Point B—each one offering variable amounts of speed, cost, safety, comfort and carbon-footprint impact. Comparing all the options could be quite a task, but you don’t have to do it because Preferred Guest Resorts (PGR) has done it for you. When you book a one-week Alamo® car rental from PGR, you are eligible to receive a complimentary Best Vacations Ever promotional vacation package to Florida that includes a 3-night, 4-day stay in Orlando and a 2-night, 3-day stop in Daytona Beach—saving you hundreds of dollars. To secure your Florida Best Vacations Ever vacation package with a one-week Alamo rental car, simply call the PGR travel representatives at 800-656-2780. Once you have reserved your one-week Alamo rental car and start the booking process for your Best Vacations Ever trip, it’s time to decide whether you should drive or fly. You can add as many days onto your vacation and rental-car contract as you wish, traveling as far as you want, and picking up and dropping of the car at the agency wherever you’re located—even if in another state. Because of the hassles of flying, fuel prices, comfort and fares for a family of four or more, many families are taking to the streets and driving to Florida, saving a lot of money while making the drive a part of their vacation experience. There are many benefits and advantages of driving instead of flying that may have you hitting the road with your Alamo rental car for your magical Best Vacations Ever adventure to Florida.
When renting a car from Alamo with unlimited mileage and extra days beyond the weeklong rental to get your Best Vacations Ever customized vacation package, you can turn your ordinary vacation into an extraordinary adventure. Driving is often less aggravating and more relaxing than flying. Aside from the possible and occasional traffic jams, driving is relatively pleasant, bond-strengthening experience, especially when the car is packed with all the comforts and entrainment of home that you can’t bring on a plane because they are too big and bulky or you have to pay for use as an onboard amenity. Here are 10 tips, benefits and advantages of driving versus flying:
1. Even with today’s astronomical fuel costs, simply doing the math shows it’s miles cheaper to drive than fly for a family of four or more, depending on where you are coming from. When you multiply the number of people traveling, the price per person gets cheaper when you travel by car. There are no price breaks for multiple people on planes, but in a car, you can divide the cost by the number of people and find some serious travel savings.
2. Having to book airfares far in advance to get the best deals could hit your budget at a bad time, but it gives you more time to save up the gas money for driving. For a family of four, round-trip or even one-stop tickets can really add up. Depending where you’re coming from, it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to drive. You also save any wear and tear and mileage on your own car by adding extended days onto your PGR preferred-partner Alamo weeklong rental car and driving round-trip on vacation. Online calculators can help you determine if your cost is cheaper to drive and how much you will save by driving. NOTE: AAA has created a website that helps you budget for road-trips and compare driving versus airline ticket prices. The AAA Fuel Cost Calculator returns the number of driving miles, gallons of gasoline required and the estimated cost of both one-way and round trips. You can also check both GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com for the cheapest gas wherever your travels take you.
3. Make the extended Alamo rental-car drive part of your vacation experience, and stop and visit any special areas of interest along the way. Use it as an opportunity to show your kids how vast and varied our nation is. NOTE: With the money you save on airfares for four, you could even spend a night or two in cities you want to explore on the way to and home from Florida.
4. Invest in and use a portable GPS, which can save you time, money and ensure you take the fastest routes and don’t miss any critical exits.
5. Save money by bringing food and drinks from home, a big advantage of driving. You can’t carry a case of water or a bag of groceries on a plane. Pack up non-perishable groceries in paper bags for your vacation and snacks during the drive, and pack a cooler for perishable items, using frozen water bottles to help act as cooling agents along with ice. Kids can grab snacks or premade sandwiches and drinks all along the way without pushing an attendant button.
6. Save money on entertainment that normally would not offered on some carrier planes or are only offered for a fee as onboard amenities, including in-flight mobile devices, WI FI and menu items. Securely anchor a mobile DVD player for watching movies, pack some good books and games, and have the kids bring along their mobile devices, as if you could actually pry them away anyway.
7. Make crossing state boundary lines a fun experience by stopping and taking a family photo at the welcome signs only if you can safely pull over. Also be aware of time zones change, which may affect scheduled check-ins or any reservations upon arrival.
8. Use the drive to strengthen family bonds by talking, playing road games and learning more about each other.
9. As opposed to needing a parachute on a plane, you can stop, get out and stretch any time you want while driving to avoid any claustrophobic feelings on long flights. You can also avoid any airborne illnesses recirculating in the plane from sick passengers. Driving allows you to stop and walk around at your leisure or grab a nice family meal. NOTE: Stretching and walking is excellent for your respiratory system, allowing you to breathe some fresh air, and more importantly, you can improve your circulatory system to avoid possible clots in the lower legs from long periods of ambulatory sitting on flights.
10. Enjoy the vast amount of space in a car with your own blankets and pillows from home, as opposed to cramped airplane seating, thin blankets, tiny pillows and possibly disruptive seat neighbors. Also enjoy the leisure of having your own car at your destination to come and go as you please and explore outlying areas.
Renting a car is easy, and getting a free Florida Best Vacations Ever trip to Florida just for renting a weeklong Alamo rental car is an extra special consumer reward provided by Preferred Guest Resorts. Here are a few things to keep in mind while renting your car for your roadway journey:
1. Call a PGR travel representative to take advantage of the free weeklong vacation in Florida with stops in Orlando and Daytona Beach when you rent a one-week Alamo rental car by calling 800-656-2780. Know in advance if you want the car only for the week you are in Florida, or if you want to extend the number of days with PGR’s preferred partner so you can enjoy the many benefits of driving than flying, and extend your vacation.
2. The advertised car-rental prices are based on booking an economy grade vehicle, so be sure to book the size of Alamo rental vehicle you will need for your family well in advance to ensure availability. Get the type of vehicle you want that offers generous comfort, gas mileage, spaciousness, accountability, and easily fits all you luggage and extra items, as well as your budget.
3. Make sure your insurance carrier covers rental cars, and if not, you may have to consider purchasing one of the vacation and rental-car insurance options.
4. While doing the usual rental-car inspection with the agent, note any and all dings, dents and scratches you find, and take pictures. Check the wipers and that cleaning fluid is full, check the radiator temperature after the car as been running a while and is heated up, check the tire pressure of all four tires and ask went the last oil change was done so you don’t end up stopping and having to get one, at your own expense, while on your road trip.
5. Pick it up on your scheduled date and get ready for the ride of a lifetime! If you have any questions, please call your PGR representative by calling 800-656-2780.
What are some benefits you have discovered when driving versus flying?
Comments