Renting a car for cross country or driving my own?
I am planning on a road trip from northwestern Wisconsin to Orlando in April 2012. I have ruled out flying for several reasons: I am worried about my three children (ages 10, 6, and 4) being disruptive on the plane, prices have ranged from 00 – 1900 for the designated days (making it cheaper to drive down), and I have found some lodging at a nearby park for a third of the price of lodging in Orlando (which would require a vehicle to drive to and from the state park and Orlando). I am debating between renting and driving down.
I am considering a rental to prevent wear and tear on my vehicle, but may not be without a few hiccups: I don’t have a major credit card anymore…we are in the process of paying all but one off within the next six months. I would need to use a debit card, but understand that they may still require a credit check. My credit score is 687 (which would be better if my last credit card didn’t have a high balance). My husband’s however, is poor (his debt will be paid off completely in six months, but we suddenly have a medical bill in collections we weren’t aware of until late April). Would I even be able to get a car rental?
I think my car has relatively low miles. It was a dealer car before we bought it at 36,000 miles in 2005. It is a Saturn Vue 2002 with 89,000 miles. Transmission was redone three years ago while car was under warranty. Regular maintenance has been done since then. I am really leaning towards driving our own car, but am wondering if there is a good reason not to drive our own car down. This trip is being paid for in cash, so I am not using credit cards. Thank you.
If it’s all on sealed roads, why not drive you car? If it’s comfortable enough, what’s the point in renting? Don’t do something you don’t have to do