[at-l] Rental Car vs. Airplane

[Brett Tucker" <blisterfree@earthlink.net (Brett Tucker)]

When traveling longer distances, and/or when the departure and/or =
arrival city isn't a major hub, it's been my experience that renting a =
car one-way can actually be more expensive than flying, although it can =
have several major advantages that give it better "value" than flying.=20

The reasons for the greater expense of one-way renting begin with =
something called a "drop fee," which most rental car agencies attach to =
an otherwise reasonable per diem rate ostensibly so they can cover the =
expense of getting the car back to the original location. In reality, =
the car simply stays at the returning location until another customer =
comes along with plans to travel one-way back to or near your starting =
point. They then charge him or her a drop fee, too. One of the few =
rental agencies that doesn't charge a drop fee, while also servicing =
many locations on a one-way basis, is National. However, their per diem =
rates are somewhat higher than normal for this service, though I've =
still found them to be the most competitive company around. But as is =
standard in the industry, the more obscure the renting or returning =
location (for instance, Gainesville GA is much smaller than Atlanta), =
the higher the rate. And by the time you tack on travel expenses, for =
instance from Dallas to Gainesville: insurance, fuel, food, lodging, you =
find you could have gotten there cheaper had you instead flown. But =
perhaps not if you're shopping at the last minute, when airline ticket =
expenses become exorbitant while rental rates stay fairly stable, and =
this begins the list of possible advantages to renting a car over =
flying.

As Cherokee Tom points out, when you rent a car you're basically your =
own boss, with full autonomy over your belongings and no enforceable =
restrictions on what you can take along; your stove stays with you, as =
does fuel, and your pack is safe from the inspections, manhandling, and =
the all too often unfortunate fate that it would otherwise await in the =
baggage facilities of some huge, paranoid airport or on the mean street =
beside the Greyhound bus' cargo bay. And what about fresh food, some of =
which might be contraband when taken "officially" over state lines? For =
that matter, what about the expense of mailing resupply parcels from a =
distant location? When renting a car, all or much of the food can come =
along for the ride, (in the trunk) and you can mail your resupplies - at =
least those that you'll pick up within a month's time - to trail town =
post offices from your much-nearer destination city, ie Atlanta or =
Gainesville, for considerably less expense. In the case of Dallas TX vs. =
Atlanta GA, at both locations mailing to a given AT town stop, I'd =
estimate at least a $5 savings per parcel. For the person whose driving =
route will take him or her near one or more town stops, you could even =
drop off parcels yourself, paying only the ground rate to "ship" them to =
the back shelf of that post office. And this concept is just a variation =
on the theme of supply caching, which in the woods saves you the expense =
and time of going into town, but which is really only appropriate in =
remote areas when food supplies and especially water are required along =
the route.=20

Renting a car to reach the AT, then, might better facilitate the hiking =
adventure than flying, but could cost more, and depending on which you =
find more bothersome - the tedium of freeway culture or the mechanized, =
freedom-forfeiting airline industry - may or may not be a less haggling =
means of getting there.

- blisterfree


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  I am making plans to hike the AT starting is March of 2003.  That =
gives
  me a few months of hiking with the sierra club here in the Dallas, TX
  area to get into shape.

  I have been looking at the best ways to get to Springier, and feel =
that
  renting a car to Gainsville one way would be
  1. Cheaper than flying.
  2. Not have to worry about having my pack lost.
  3. I can carry my knife with out any problems.
  4. I can carry my stove fuel with no problems.

  Has anyone tried this and are there any comments ya or na?

  Tom
  Cherokee Tom


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