Auto rentals during Fest

[Terry]

I am going to be renting a car for first time at Fest. Any suggestions re when and how to rent and for how much would be appreciated.
ex How far in advance should I make reservation? Or can I wait until I get there? Is a bid on hotwire or priceline worhwhile, or should I make it directly with company?

[ScoopJohnD]

Whenever I have rented I've always gone through priceline or hotwire. Since it was just me, the lowest class (sub compact) of car was fine with me and i don't remember paying more than 19.95 a day (before taxes and crap) But that was pre K so I don't know about now.

[Zenwinemaster]

Do NOT wait until you get there. Car rental companies often run out of cars during Jazz Fest because of the uptick in demand.

If you say you're going to be there at 9 a.m. to pick it up, be there at 9 a.m. or earlier. Don't show up at 10 a.m. -- they may have given your car to someone else.

[heyhon]

The checking I've done has rental prices about double what they were last year. Sheesh. Looks like I'll be having United Cab programmed into my cellphone, and biking back and forth to the fairgrounds.

[rosetree]

There was an article in today's TP about how many UHaul vehicles ended up here in NO. How about this for kicks and giggles---rent a Uhaul panel van for $19.95/ day. You would just have to take a cab to the UHaul center on Tulane or even the one in Kenner. Usually the vans are very hard to get during JF, but with the current glut, who knows?

[Blitzzzzz]

To paraphrase our favorite front gate vendor, How you gonna park?
If you're renting, be sure you have a plan for parking the robot and know how much it is gonna cost you. Parking in the Quarter is difficult or/and costly, as it is at many hotels. Some places charge almost as much to park as the car rental itself.:cool:

[Amy Winette]

Hotwire, twenty bucks a day

[Zenwinemaster]

I second what Blitzzz says -- think long and hard about whether a rental car makes sense for going to and from the fest or getting around town. I've rented cars there, but only for days before or days between, when I wanted to drive around the city or outside the city, to Lafayette or something. I've never actually rented a car to get to and from the fest -- seems much more hassle than benefit, IMHO.

[heyhon]

20-25 bucks gets your minivan a nice yard space within a hunnerd yards of the fairgrounds. If you're a large group and you save two cabs up and two cabs back, you're ahead of the game, both with money and time. And you're giving some money to the neighbors, who are generally very appreciative.

[rosetree]

Cabrini H.S. cancells it's classes on each Friday and uses the campus to park cars and make money for school programs. They are right on Esplanade--3 blocks from the Mystery St gate. I think they charge $20.
A Proud Cabrini Dad

[rosetree]

p.s. they park cars each day of the week-end and it is gated, supervised and safe!

[dumbtourist]

hey Mark...we parked at Cabrini last year. What a great place. I emailed them and had reserved parking that provided In/Out so I could leave and come back, although I never did. Besides the parking, the food and drink is free...if you want to make a donation, fine. The food was fantastic. and the beer real cold. Only a 5 block walk to the gate. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting safe, secure parking. If I come to JF this year, I'll be parking there again.b

[rosetree]

"If I come to JF this year..."
IF???IF?????IF????? You better be comin' Don't make me go up to B'ham and get ya!

[dumbtourist]

"If I come to JF this year..."
IF???IF?????IF????? You better be comin' Don't make me go up to B'ham and get ya!

Well....there is this small problem with crime...you probably heard about it....

Just kidding. However, we'd love to have you come to Bham. Our door's open anytime...

[Blitzzzzz]

Lots of good, albeit pricey options for parking at the Fest, above. Lest it be missed, my post had more to do with the expense and hassle of parking at your hotel. $15.00 at the hotel, $20 at the Fest, $19.95 for the rental, 9.00 for the insurance. $64.00 +/- buys a lot of cab rides! Could be less, could be more, just something to consider.:cool:

[swag]

For shorter rentals, Hotwire & Priceline fees eat up a lot of the savings. And like hotels, cars bought thru these sites are nonrefundable. On the plus side, unlike hotels where you really do care what property you end up with, rental cars are all pretty much the same. So there's no risk there.

A truck rental is an interesting idea, but I expect you may pay extra to park the oversized vehicle. And your credit card insurance won't cover it, so you'll need to get the CDW insurance unless you want to risk it. Make sure to price it all out.

For longer rentals, another idea is to rent downtown, not at the airport. You have to pay the cab fare from the airport, but then you save a lot of fees and taxes that are charged at the airport locations. There's a Budget on Canal St, and Hertz & Avis have locations in some of the hotels, I think. And there's always Enterprise, who will "pick you up".

[rosetree]

I wasn't talking about a truck, I was talking about a van...

[Amy Winette]

Speaking of Mystery Street, that Mystery Street cab stand was the best thing we've discovered in a few years!

[dumbtourist]

Lots of good, albeit pricey options for parking at the Fest, above. Lest it be missed, my post had more to do with the expense and hassle of parking at your hotel. $15.00 at the hotel, $20 at the Fest, $19.95 for the rental, 9.00 for the insurance. $64.00 +/- buys a lot of cab rides! Could be less, could be more, just something to consider.:cool:

$15 for the hotel??? I've never paid less that $20 a night for parking in a hotle in the FQ...and that doesn't include tips to get your car. If you stay in the Garden District, you can get "free" parking, but you pay more for the hotle. If you're flying to New Orleans, I wouldn't rent a car unless you absolutely suffer severe foms and not being able to drive increases your fom level. Make friends with the other TH's like me who drive and have large vehicles who would be thrilled to help you out.

[Amy Winette]

Me I like to drink too much to think about driving in NOLA :)

[dumbtourist]

Me I like to drink too much to think about driving in NOLA :)
That's the only way to drive in New Orleans...potholes, suprise stop signs, traffic lights that don't work, other heavy drinkers on the road....best defense is a good offense, right????

[Amy Winette]

Hahaha, that's one way of looking at it! ;)

[Blitzzzzz]

$15 for the hotel??? I've never paid less that $20 a night for parking in a hotle in the FQ...and that doesn't include tips to get your car. If you stay in the Garden District, you can get "free" parking, but you pay more for the hotle. If you're flying to New Orleans, I wouldn't rent a car unless you absolutely suffer severe foms and not being able to drive increases your fom level. Make friends with the other TH's like me who drive and have large vehicles who would be thrilled to help you out.

You're right, DT. I was thinking of what I paid in Detroit last fall. It is more like $20 in the Quarter. My point, exactly.
Speaking of large groups or large vehicles, I'm still up for an excursion to Jacques-Imo's!:cool:

[ozzie]

You're right, DT. I was thinking of what I paid in Detroit last fall. It is more like $20 in the Quarter. My point, exactly.
Speaking of large groups or large vehicles, I'm still up for an excursion to Jacques-Imo's!:cool:

Can see the convoy of Uhaul vans now!

Older one's gonna hire a bike for the duration. I've seen mention of (I think it's) Michaels Bicycles in Marigny... any other suggestions?

[Festvet]

If you haven't already you'd better hurry. Rates are about 50% of what they will be come Feb/Mar. Expedia or the rental agencies websites are usually equl in price. Dollar, Avis & Budget seem to always have the best prices.

[Papins]

along the lines of car rentals; where can you rent bicycles?

[Festvet]

along the lines of car rentals; where can you rent bicycles?
Bicycle Micahel's on Frenchmen St

[Terry]

hey Mark...we parked at Cabrini last year. What a great place. I emailed them and had reserved parking that provided In/Out so I could leave and come back, although I never did. Besides the parking, the food and drink is free...if you want to make a donation, fine. The food was fantastic. and the beer real cold. Only a 5 block walk to the gate. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting safe, secure parking. If I come to JF this year, I'll be parking there again.b



e mail address please. or how I can get it.

[Terry]

$15 for the hotel??? I've never paid less that $20 a night for parking in a hotle in the FQ...and that doesn't include tips to get your car. If you stay in the Garden District, you can get "free" parking, but you pay more for the hotle. If you're flying to New Orleans, I wouldn't rent a car unless you absolutely suffer severe foms and not being able to drive increases your fom level. Make friends with the other TH's like me who drive and have large vehicles who would be thrilled to help you out.
foms?

[jonnygospeltent]

FOMS
fear of missing something.
a threadhead epidemic in the months leading to the fest.

[Terry]

Thanks guys and gals for all the input. Now you've got me on the fence as to rent or not rent. I am staying at Ramada at the airport; couldn't resist the $50 per night for 3 star hotel via priceline from 4/26 to 5/7.

What I would really like to do is to connect with any other threadheads who may end up staying there at same time, and sharing a ride with them to Fest if they are driving, and then taking a cab from Fest back to hotel.

Failing that, what I am considering as an alternative to renting is taking the hotel shuttle to airport and then catching the E 2 express bus into town and making my way to Fest from there, and then taking a cab back to hotel. At 76, I am a very early riser, no later than 6am, so I will have plenty of time to get there. On non fest days, I might do this in both directions.

Any thoughts re this plan of action. Does it sound as a possible way to go, rather than renting?

Either way, renting or not renting, I plan on being there and meeting some of you again behind Ms.Lena's. Keeping in shape for the effort by continuing to do my 2hour, three times a week workouts at gym, (including 11 miles on stationary bike) and practicing my second line moves. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.