How I got a rental car in LA for 8 days for $155
Plus, get your free ticket to the LA Travel and Adventure Show!
Tomorrow morning, Jim and I are flying to Los Angeles. This has been planned for months; I’m speaking and exhibiting at the Travel and Adventure Show and we’ll spend time with his parents, who live in Oceanside.
It’s been planned for months, but for weeks we weren’t sure if we’d be going. Beginning January 7, 359 fires burned nearly 60,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures. Twenty-nine people died.
Fortunately, the fires have stopped, but the recovery is of such a scale I can’t wrap my mind around it. Can anyone?
It feels… conflicting to be speaking at a show in the midst of this devastation. However, an email from the producers have said they’re expecting record attendance. This tells me Angelenos are ready for escapes, to think about things that are fun and not life-threatening.
I, for one, am going to be darn glad to hug my in-laws. Fires encroached to within thirty miles of their home, and while they insisted they weren’t in danger, when you’re watching from across the country it’s hard not to feel anxious. My parents finally have their house back in one piece after Hurricane Helene. I’m just glad his parents don’t have to go through their own version of that.
This uncertainty is why I didn’t book a rental car until Friday. (That, and I’ve been busy with two other shows and publishing a new book.) I was afraid rates would be astronomical.
I found one for $155. Yes, a mid-size (Toyota Corolla or similar) for eight days in Los Angeles for $155.
My travel booking engine of choice is Expedia. Since the pandemic, I’ve booked nearly all my travel through the aggregator. Their package deals are fantastic. They even allow you book a hotel for a portion of your trip instead of the entire stay. This comes in handy when we go to California for the show since we only need a room in LA for two nights.
I booked roundtrip nonstop flights for two with a hotel next door to the convention center (a nice hotel, not a sketchy one) for $678.87. Friday I searched for a rental car, and because I’d already booked the flight and hotel, received a significant discount. It’s with Midway Car Rental. Their LAX location has a 4.5-star rating with 10,287 Google reviews.
$155. For EIGHT DAYS!
Part of the reason I got such a discount is because I’ve booked enough that I get a discount. Plus, I can use all my rewards programs for my flights, hotels, and rental cars and I still earn points as well as get cash back from Expedia.
One of these days, I’ll write a whole guide.
If you’re planning any travel, I highly recommend checking Expedia first. You might be surprised.
And if you’re in Southern California and are able and interested, you can get a free ticket to the LA Travel and Adventure Show. Click here for details.
Until next week…
Love and Wanderlust,
Theresa Goodrich
