Rental Car Toll Pass - Yay or Nay?

[DisneyGal2017]

We are considering getting the toll pass with our rental car. Any experience ?

 

[cedricandsophie]

It's very expensive and there is a per day charge...not just if you use it but every day you have the cAr. Depends on how much you are driving, what stAtes, etc.

 

[pigletto]

We never do. If only travelling between the airport and Disney or Universal, you can just use the cash lanes. We make sure to have a bag of change in the car. I can't remeber the exact amounts but we never spend more than $10 in change for the tolls on the way to and from MCO.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

We never do. If only travelling between the airport and Disney or Universal, you can just use the cash lanes. We make sure to have a bag of change in the car. I can't remeber the exact amounts but we never spend more than $10 in change for the tolls on the way to and from MCO.

We do this as well and make sure we ask for receipts (just in case.) We've never had an issue.

 

[bankr63]

Check the terms and conditions of the program with your rental car company. Last time I checked, Budget and Hertz charged a fee for every day of the rental whether or not you used it (7*daily fee per week). National/Alamo only charge for the days you use it (2 fees if all you do is to and from the airport). It was worth it (to me) last time I rented with National, think I paid $3-4 above the cost of the tolls, but I believe the daily fee has gone up a fair bit since then.

If you travel to Florida a lot, you can get your own transponder, but you have to register the rental car plate on the website, and you have to make sure that the rental company disables their transponder in the car.

We drive down most often and I have a Sunpass transponder mounted on my windshield.

Also note that eventually you should be able to use any US transponder in Florida (EZPass etc.) Congress legislated that this was to be completed well over a year ago; no word on when it will actually happen though... I'm looking forward to universal tolling so I can drive anywhere in the great USofA without worrying if I have enough US change to pay the tolls.

 

[DisneyGal2017]

Thanks everyone. We are planning on only going to Disney (at this point) and Alamo's website said you are only charged for what you use. The problem I am worried about is coming from Canada I won't have US change before I arrive.

 

[Sue M]

We use Alamo, and that's correct. You're only charged for the days you use it. Plus an admin fee of $3.95 for each day of use, capped at $19.75
They use toll by plate. No transponder in car.

Since we usually fly into Ft Lauderdale and stay 10 days, then drive up the Turnpike to Orlando we have used this a lot. There are a lot of tolls on Florida roads, and many between Ft Lauderdale to Orlando.
Last year while down in Lauderdale I bought a transponder for rental car, it uses suction cups to stick on windshield. It's very easy to set up. Register transponder online, pre load with $10 or more, depending on what you anticipate the tolls will be.
I also downloaded the SunPass APP. So while still in car rental garage I put in the cars licence plate and dates of rental. That was it.

Edited to add, if you have a transponder tolls are cheaper than toll by plate.

 

[ottawamom]

Are the tolls coins only or can you go up to a gate and hand them small bills to pay?

 

[isabellea]

If it's to take the 417 from MCO to WDW, there are toll plazas where you can pay with change or bills. If you need to take the FL turnpike (e.g. Ft Lauderdale to Orlando), there's no toll plaza and need a Sunpass account. Without a Sunpass, you will be fined 100$ USD (my uncle got the bill). We always drive to FL where we always take the 417 to WDW and often stay in St Pete beach where there's a toll to pay so we decided to get the Sunpass transponder with suction cups. We keep 10$ minimum in our account and never have to worry about tolls anywhere.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Are the tolls coins only or can you go up to a gate and hand them small bills to pay?

There are manned booths on 417 that accepts any USA dollars. When you exit 417 there is a cash only unmanned booth and the toll is either fifty cents or seventy five cents or the epass lane. You really only need less than $5 for the tolls on 417 each way to the airport. There are money exchange booths in the airport to convert your money.

 

[Sue M]

If it's to take the 417 from MCO to WDW, there are toll plazas where you can pay with change or bills. If you need to take the FL turnpike (e.g. Ft Lauderdale to Orlando), there's no toll plaza and need a Sunpass account. Without a Sunpass, you will be fined 100$ USD (my uncle got the bill). We always drive to FL where we always take the 417 to WDW and often stay in St Pete beach where there's a toll to pay so we decided to get the Sunpass transponder with suction cups. We keep 10$ minimum in our account and never have to worry about tolls anywhere.

Best thing I did. Paid for itself in one trip. Don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner when they came out with suction cup model. I got one in Publix.

 

[isabellea]

Best thing I did. Paid for itself in one trip. Don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner when they came out with suction cup model. I got one in Publix.

We also got ours at Publix and keep it in the car year-round. I wished we could used Sunpass in the north east (NY, NJ, etc). One day maybe... I also wished they had those suction cup transponders for the tolls we have in QC (we don't take them enough to be have hideous stickers in the windshield).

 

[Sue M]

We also got ours at Publix and keep it in the car year-round. I wished we could used Sunpass in the north east (NY, NJ, etc). One day maybe... I also wished they had those suction cup transponders for the tolls we have in QC (we don't take them enough to be have hideous stickers in the windshield).

Our one toll road in BC had toll taken off years ago, and the 2 toll bridges just got toll removed when NDP got in a few months ago. The sticker we have is behind rear view mirror on windshield so I don’t see it!