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Thread: I'm back with a car rental Q

  1. #1
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    I'm back with a car rental Q

    Greetings and salutations:

    Don't know if this is the right place for this, but here goes ...

    As some of you may recall, I have been on a mission to acquire a sailboat. It now seems likely that the best match for me will be one located in the USA, quite possibly Maryland. So I might need one way travel for at least two people. As it would be prudent to bring oh I don't know, about 500 pounds of tools with me for a journey back on a 35 year old boat, that seemingly rules out going by air. It is also too far for my wife to do the return trip on a weekend.

    It seems that a one way car rental makes the most sense. Likely have my wife drop us over the border and rent in the States as I imagine a cross border one way rental would be problematic.

    Does anyone have any specific tips or recommendations? I'll have plenty of trouble with a new to me boat, I don't need any hassles with the land travel.

    Hope everyone is well.

    Congrats to KaeJS on the house. I ran the same plan close to 30 years ago and it worked out reasonably well.

    Regards,

    hboy43

    So many sailboats, so little time.

  2. #2
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    What about the train? I think they normally charge through the nose on one-way car rentals... train or bus might be a better option.

  3. #3
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    I heard about this company from Preet - http://www.canadianaffair.com/en/car...ee-one-way.asp

    Never used them and don't know how the cross-border thing will work.
    Mike Holman
    Money Smarts Blog Investing and Personal Finance

  4. #4
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    Take the bus. A freind of mine has bought several cars in the US and takes a bus which he says is the cheapest and they go everywhere.

  5. #5
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    You should check out http://www.hittheroad.ca/rides.html

    You drive someone's car to a destination (often down south) and they pay the majority of the expenses. I'm not sure how flexible it is but if you don't have an exact date you need to get the boat then it's probably a viable option.

  6. #6
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    Hi:

    Thanks for the ideas.

    There doesn't seem to be enough volume of the alternative ride ideas to have a >0 probability of something suiting. My quick investigation of the cross border one way idea suggests this is a high cost alternative.

    I think the way to go is to have my wife or buddy drop me and the Captain in Watertown NY, whereupon we get a one way rental to Maryland. Didn't seem to be a big deal on a web quoting site to do this. Hopefully the reality matches.

    hboy43
    So many sailboats, so little time.

  7. #7
    Senior Member HaroldCrump's Avatar
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    You are on the right track - it is far (far) easier to do one-way rentals from the US into Canada than the other way around.
    Esp. if you rent from a major rental agency and a major location, such as an airport.
    At the very least, you will get free mileage.

    You can also do a round trip rental within the US (i.e. pick up and drop off at Watertown, and your wife picks you up after you drop off the car), and it will be cheaper.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by HaroldCrump View Post
    You can also do a round trip rental within the US (i.e. pick up and drop off at Watertown, and your wife picks you up after you drop off the car), and it will be cheaper.
    There is no round trip! I intend to come back via boat if this scheme is executed.

    hboy43
    So many sailboats, so little time.

  9. #9
    Senior Member HaroldCrump's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hboy43 View Post
    There is no round trip! I intend to come back via boat if this scheme is executed.
    hboy43
    That's fine, too.
    I have done one way rentals in the US many times- both within the US as well as cross-border.
    Almost always, it is cheaper to do it in the US rather than in Canada.

  10. #10
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    good luck on your maiden voyage hboy!


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