Not sure about STX, but I find the best deals for STT on Hotwire. I always end up with a car from Avis - and a steep discount off of the normal rate. I expect to spend about $160 wk for a midsized car - taxes and fees included.

Bluwater:

I just tried your suggestion for hotwire....for my trip in January (5 weeks) they wanted $800. more (from Avis) than I got quoted and confirmed from Avis' own web site. It might be wise to check all sources.

F.I.

Really? Wow. What is the Avis site quoting per week? I used Hotwire for my Feb 06 visit and I think I paid $150/wk - taxes included. Just checked it for my upcoming visit and got a quote of $330 for two weeks. Is there a better deal out there? Fill me in!

5 weeks, FI? MAJOR Limin'!!

Bluwater:

I went to the Avis web site (www.avis.com)....I also used an Entertainment Book coupon (I believe it was a 10% - 15% discount). Total cost for an intermediate size car was $827.26 plus $187. taxes & fees, total $1,014.26. Note: I booked this in April 2006.

The $150/week is great! I wish I got that.

Hotwire quoted me $45.00 per day plus fees with Avis....ouch.

Another tip....Hertz has a good rate with a AAA discount of 10%, but still higher than Avis with the Entertainment book.

F.I.

BLU,

Thanks for the Hotwire suggestion. I will be down on-island 7/14 for 10 days. I previously checked all the agencies and settled on an Avis reservation for about $515. Today I made a reservation thru Hotwire and got a rate of $340 thru Avis.

Good Deal !
Lucy

Lucy,

Excellent! I am sort of compulsive about getting the best deals - making spreadsheets to track the offers from the rental companies, resorts, villas, dining, etc....so I am glad to be able to share this one with you. Hotwire hasn't failed me yet for STT rentals. Amazing deals - even when compared to the discounted local agencies.

I'm hoping to put it all into one comprehensive guide for budget minded travelers who want to have a luxurious VI vacation for much less.

Another VERY important Hotwire tip for everyone: play with the dates. Example: today, I went to the Hotwire site to book my car. I had already checked a few days ago and knew that a mid-sized car for my dates was $21.95 per day. But, when I looked today, if was $44.95. I wanted to cry! Then I recalled that I had originally planned to depart a day earlier, so I changed my Hotwire request to match my old itinery and there was the $21.95 rate. For grins, I tried it with a return date another day earlier and got a rate of $24.95 per day.

Point: the rates seem to change with the various days you'll be renting. Make sure yoe select your REAL arrival date, then play with the departures. By selecting a return date of 1 day sooner than I really plan to return, I will save $23 PER DAYon my car.......and I'll just add a day directly with Avis once I arrive....or something.....will let you all know how that works out.

Enjoy your trip! Looking forward to your trip report~