[OK, not sure whether this should be in the Amtrak forum or the "non-rail" forum, but I'm putting in the Amtrak forum because it focuses on car rentals at Amtrak stations.]
So you've arrived somewhere after your pleasant relaxed, on-time (
) Amtrak ride, and you want to know how you can get a rental car. Here are some of my experiences. They may or may not be up-to-date, as some of these happened a decade ago or more.
My most frequent use of rental cars is at Boston South Station, as I rent almost every winter for my New England cross-country ski trip. There's no rental counter at South Station. At first, I used Hertz, as they have (or had?) a partnership with Amtrak and you got 150 AGR points per rental. However, you had to take a taxi to the closest Hertz office, which was in the Boston Park Plaza hotel in Back Bay. Hertz would reimburse your cab fare from the station, but it didn't reimburse cab fare from the rental office back to the station. Eventually, I swi8ched to Enterprise, mainly because they pick you up and drop you off. I did it first at their government center office, which was very convenient to the on-ramp for the Big Dig going north. Then they told me that if I wanted a ride from South Station, I needed to use their South Boston office. That one's not so bad, either, and I get to stop for a lobster roll at Yankee Lobster before I hit the highway.
When I arrive, I go up to the Metropolitan Lounge and call Enterprise. I leave my bags with the redcap downstairs. When Enterprise arrives, I go down and have the redcap wheel out my stuff to the front door where the car is waiting. The Boston redcaps are great, and the service is well worth the tip, as I'm usually hauling around a small wheelie, a large wheelie, my skis, and my daypack. Enterprise drives you the 5 minutes to their office where you do the paperwork, and you're off.
Upon return, there's a gas station right around the corner from the rental agency, so you can easily fill your tank right before you return your car. When I have checked baggage, I go to the station before I return the car. Enterprise would be happy to drive me back to the station, but usually I don't want to have to haul around all my checked and carry-on baggage to the baggage check. Access to the baggage room is around the side of the station, off Dorchester St., between the station and the post office building. You have to drive through a gate, which they let you through if you say you're going to the Amtrak baggage room. Parking is a little flaky, but you're only there for a couple of minutes dropping off your bags, and I've never had a problem. One thing to keep in mind is that this office usually closes at 6 (maybe earlier on Sundays). They'll let you leave the car in the lot and throw the keys through a slot if the place is closed, but you are responsible for damage if anything happens to the car between the time you drop it off and the time they check it out when the place opens.
Next stop -- BWI
So you've arrived somewhere after your pleasant relaxed, on-time (
) Amtrak ride, and you want to know how you can get a rental car. Here are some of my experiences. They may or may not be up-to-date, as some of these happened a decade ago or more.My most frequent use of rental cars is at Boston South Station, as I rent almost every winter for my New England cross-country ski trip. There's no rental counter at South Station. At first, I used Hertz, as they have (or had?) a partnership with Amtrak and you got 150 AGR points per rental. However, you had to take a taxi to the closest Hertz office, which was in the Boston Park Plaza hotel in Back Bay. Hertz would reimburse your cab fare from the station, but it didn't reimburse cab fare from the rental office back to the station. Eventually, I swi8ched to Enterprise, mainly because they pick you up and drop you off. I did it first at their government center office, which was very convenient to the on-ramp for the Big Dig going north. Then they told me that if I wanted a ride from South Station, I needed to use their South Boston office. That one's not so bad, either, and I get to stop for a lobster roll at Yankee Lobster before I hit the highway.
When I arrive, I go up to the Metropolitan Lounge and call Enterprise. I leave my bags with the redcap downstairs. When Enterprise arrives, I go down and have the redcap wheel out my stuff to the front door where the car is waiting. The Boston redcaps are great, and the service is well worth the tip, as I'm usually hauling around a small wheelie, a large wheelie, my skis, and my daypack. Enterprise drives you the 5 minutes to their office where you do the paperwork, and you're off.
Upon return, there's a gas station right around the corner from the rental agency, so you can easily fill your tank right before you return your car. When I have checked baggage, I go to the station before I return the car. Enterprise would be happy to drive me back to the station, but usually I don't want to have to haul around all my checked and carry-on baggage to the baggage check. Access to the baggage room is around the side of the station, off Dorchester St., between the station and the post office building. You have to drive through a gate, which they let you through if you say you're going to the Amtrak baggage room. Parking is a little flaky, but you're only there for a couple of minutes dropping off your bags, and I've never had a problem. One thing to keep in mind is that this office usually closes at 6 (maybe earlier on Sundays). They'll let you leave the car in the lot and throw the keys through a slot if the place is closed, but you are responsible for damage if anything happens to the car between the time you drop it off and the time they check it out when the place opens.
Next stop -- BWI
