Need a car for that Orlando vacation?

If you're one of the many visitors for whom an Orlando vacation means spending all of your time at Walt Disney World, and you're booking a Disney hotel or villa and everything you need can be taken care of by Walt's people without you having to set foot on any other Orlando soil for the duration of the holiday, then you're probably not too interested in thinking about the best way to hire your car.

But if you have ideas about something a little more varied and adventurous, or if you just need to explore Florida beyond the confines of the theme parks, then the only practical way to do it is by driving yourself.

Oh sure, you can use a taxi for one or two trips, but the expense is likely to be greater than hiring your own car. And when you've been ferried to the Mall by taxi and had a tough day working your way through all of the delights on view there, do you really want to wait around for that guy who promised to pick you up but who has now found a better deal taking a new client to the beach for a bonus fare?

That's not a relaxing vacation in our view!

So let's assume that you're in the market for a hire car. Which company should you choose, what choices do you have and what meets your needs the best?

Well, what we can't do here is to give you the definitive course of action for every circumstance and for everyone taking an Orlando vacation because each family's needs are different. And because car hire prices and services change regularly, you can only get the latest information from Expedia, Travelocity or other online sites that give an excellent comparison of prices.

But a vacation is about more than just price for many people, and what we can do is to give you the benefit of our experience so that when you come to plan your Orlando vacation package you can balance price and quality and get just what you want. So here's a few notes for you to bear in mind.

• Not all car hire companies are located "on airport"

What that means is that if you get one of the "off airport" companies (often the lower priced ones who save money by avoiding the expense of an in-airport desk, but note that Hertz is in this category at Orlando International Airport surprisingly) you will need to call up a shuttle bus (or wait for the routine stops they make at the airport) and then clamber on board. You will then have a short journey to the car hire company where you have the privilege of standing in line to get your car.

We were usually too impatient to tolerate this, especially after a long transatlantic flight, but if you can make a saving by using one of the off-airport companies and you're ok with the delays and inconvenience, then why not go for it?

• Some companies are better than others (believe it or not!)

We've used all of the large companies at Orlando International Airport and many of the smaller ones. Our experience is that in the main you get what you pay for. They all have their off days of course (don't we all!) but Avis and Hertz were usually high-quality customer service, National and Enterprise worked out fine most of the time and Dollar and Alamo were good but sometimes left a little to be desired.

We had one car from one of the smaller off-airport companies one time that felt unsafe almost from the beginning and we were pleased to hand it in after a day or so. So how much is your time and safety worth? How much are you prepared to risk that dream vacation of a lifetime for the sake of saving a dollar or two? It's your choice!

• What size car?

Driving around Orlando in the latest Mustang convertible may add to the joy of your vacation, in which case, book it! But if you're just looking for a basic transport between theme parks, restaurants and the Malls, are you wasting the extra cost that the convertible will cost?

From the opposite perspective, bear in mind that too small a car can make it tricky to get everyone and their luggage crammed into for that airport transfer!

• The gas tank decision

"The tank is full when you collect the vehicle - would you like to pay for the gas or bring it back full?" is one question to prepare for. We've always opted for bringing it back full, otherwise we would be handing back a part-filled tank of gas when we turn the car in. There is the slight inconvenience of finding a gas station close to the airport, but that's our preference. Yours may be different.

• Upselling pressure

We suspect that car rental counter clerks are incentivized to persude you to to move up to larger or more expensive cars. "For an extra five dollars a day, you can have that bigger car and be more comfortable - wouldn't you like that?" is a common ploy. If you would be more comfortable with the larger car, fine - but if you are quite happy with what you've booked, be prepared to stand your ground.

Another question is "We have nothing available in the grade of car you booked - would you like to upgrade?". Our experience is that answering "no" to that question normally gets you the bigger car anyway, because the hire company is required to fulfill its contract and can't downgrade you without breaking the terms of the contract - so the only way is up!

• Alternatives

You don't have to pick up the car at the airport. In fact, arriving after a long flight and getting out onto unfamiliar roads can be exactly the wrong time to drive. One alternative is to get a taxi from the airport to your hotel or vacation home and collect a car the next day. Some companies such as Entreprise will deliver the car to your hotel or vacation home. Some hotels have car hire desks located in their foyer.

And failing all else you can get a taxi to the car hire company in Kissimmee or wherever (there are several on Highway 192 or close by). Any extra cost is likely to be offset by a reduction in taxes, because you will avoid the Airport Tax (9% or more) added to on-airport pick-ups.

• More alternatives

Do you need the car for the whole time you're in Orlando? If you're chilling out for the first few days around the hotel or vacation home pool and you're within walking distance of a choice of restaurants, how about signing up for the car only when you need it? It is more restrictive because you can't go off to the Mall or explore the area - but it may be an option for you.

So the choices are yours. Think it through and pick the car and company that's going to make your Orlando vacation as perfect as it can be.