Just got back from a week in the UK, where we rented a car with AVIS. It was pre-paid, I rented it as a package deal together with airline tickets for British Airways, but we still ended up being charged another £99 when we got there. Hate it when that happens!

what airport? denver? The only reason I ask is because I book rental cars when I travel for work but still find the best deals for the money (what can I say, I am a company man). I have had really good luck with hotwire. Example:

Mid-size SUV

Hotwire Hot Rate
Car rental

Car daily rate:
$28.95

Rental days:
7

Taxes and fees:
$87.65

Subtotal:
$290.30

Trip Total
$290.30



That should be all you pay on hotwire out of denver for the type of vehicle you want (Rav4). Plus I like to pay up front so that way if they ask for my credit card for other then to hold the standard amount I tell them no. Car rentals are the only thing I book through these websites as they are usually cheaper then going direct to the dealers. Airfare I always book through Southwest since they run their own deals.

I rented cars once a month on average for about 10 years until we bought our car in December 2011.

In my experience Enterprise was always the best for pricing and service (especially like their "we'll pick you up" service). The one thing I really DID NOT like about Enterprise was their practice (which they deny, of course) to overbook and tell you you'll have to wait 40 minutes (often stretching to 1 hr +) for a car to be shuttled from a different location.

Re: airport car rentals: the rental car companies usually get dinged with additional special charges/taxeds for operating at the airport and pass those costs on to the customers. In my experience, if you do some searching you can often find an agency that will rent "from the airport" but in fact are located off the airport and provide a pick up from the airport and therefore can be price competitive as against the other rental agencies which are located at the airport... at the expense of convenience, of course.

Enterprise FTW.

Seriously if that's the worst you get on that section you could do it with a Ford Fiesta. Or a Dawes Galaxy (road touring bike)... 4WD might! be an overkill for that.

Uh..you did look at the picture right? A Ford Fiesta will become a permanent part of Chihuahua Gulch if I take it up that road. Not to mention I'd probably have to buy two or three new tires...