Car Rental near PDX

[Tot-totin-mama]

Our family of four (3 yo and 1 yo) will be coming in to PDX on a Saturday morning and planning a week-long trip in OR. I've been running into roadblocks due to our schedule regarding car rental. We come in at 10:10 on a Saturday, and we are leaving at 4:45 the next Saturday. It seems no one wants to work on a Saturday at any of the rental places close to Amtrak. The airport is an option, but they are getting $100-200 more for the week if I book through them....then add taxi fare, yadda yadda. Any suggestions?

 

[fairviewroad]

Our family of four (3 yo and 1 yo) will be coming in to PDX on a Saturday morning and planning a week-long trip in OR. I've been running into roadblocks due to our schedule regarding car rental. We come in at 10:10 on a Saturday, and we are leaving at 4:45 the next Saturday. It seems no one wants to work on a Saturday at any of the rental places close to Amtrak. The airport is an option, but they are getting $100-200 more for the week if I book through them....then add taxi fare, yadda yadda. Any suggestions?

Well, you could skip the taxi fare by taking the Red Line out to the airport. Getting your whole family and luggage to the airport via the light rail may be a bit of a hassle, so if your family doesn't mind waiting around the PDX train station you could take the Red Line yourself to pick up the car then backtrack to the train station, which depending on where you're headed wouldn't be much out of the way.

Alternatively, if time is an issue, you could disembark in Vancouver, WA (sounds like you're coming in on the Empire Builder) and get a taxi to take you over to the airport. (You can probably call ahead to arrange a pick-up) I can't imagine it's much more expensive to get a cab from Vancouver than it is from downtown Portland. Your family could stay on the train to Portland and you could pick them up there, saving you a lot of time.

 

[boxcar479]

Hertz has a location listed at the Amtrak station in Portland, although they do not actually rent cars there, if you arriving by train you can coordinate with them to have your pick up and drop off at the station. I am not exactly sure how this works, but it is less expensive to rent a car at this location as opposed to the airport. If you are a AAA member you can get substantial discounts at Hertz, plus free use of a child seat. In my case that alone covered the cost of AAA membershipn not to mention 10% dicount on Amtrak travel and other discounts as well. Hertz also is running a $50. discount right now if you rent at an airport. Maybe one of these will suit your needs. Happy rails

 

[guest]

Hertz has a location listed at the Amtrak station in Portland, although they do not actually rent cars there, if you arriving by train you can coordinate with them to have your pick up and drop off at the station. I am not exactly sure how this works, but it is less expensive to rent a car at this location as opposed to the airport.

I've done that. Just call them as you're coming into the City, and they'll meet you at the station with your car. You drive back to their downtown location, sign paperwork, and then head on your way.

I assume Enterprise would do the same thing.

 

[printman2000]

We rented from Enterprise downtown. They picked me up from the station and I returned to the station to pick up my family with the car. Reversed on the return.

Their site shows they are open on Saturday.

http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?gpbr=4661&bid=004&cnty=US

 

[Ryan]

When Amy and I arrived in PDX, the guy from Hertz came and picked us up (and one other couple, so they came in a van). Took us the few blocks to the office, signed the papers and off we went.

On the return I dropped Amy and the bags off at the train station, then went and dropped the car off. It was a nice day, so I walked the 4-5 blocks back to the station with no trouble.

 

[Tot-totin-mama]

Thanks all!! Good to know. I think I will give Hertz or Enterprise a call and see what we can drum up. I like to book online, and without knowing this I would have taken their word that I had to pay the extra day until they could have someone on staff to check the car back in on Monday. You all just saved this mama some moolah!!

 

[boxcar479]

You can get a standard membership to AAA for $60. As your title suggest you are going to need at least one car seat. AAA members get free use of 1 carseat. You can apply CDP code 252 while you are checking online to find prices, you have to show your AAA card at yime of rental. Hertz has the location at PDX Amtrak (nearby) we are renting from them in a trip we are taking in a few weeks. The free carseat alone has paid for my membership twice over.