Winter is coming, and in Florida, so are the tourists. Each year, the major car rental companies shift their inventory to where the business is, and now that summer is ending, Hertz needs to shift its cars to Florida for the winter season.
That's where you come in. Hertz wants you to do the driving. The company will let you have a car for just $7.99 a day if you agree to drive it one-way from the American Northeast to Florida and leave the vehicle there.
The promotion for this ultra-cheap road trip is good for Economy and Full-Size cars. You must pick up and drop off at an airport and take 10 days or fewer to complete your journey. Although you must return the car by December 9, you'd be wise to make reservations as soon as possible, since there is a cap to how many cars will be sent south.
The starting date depends on where you pick up the car. Beginning now, you can pick up at these airports, as they are listed on the Hertz website:
Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, NY
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, NY
Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), Rochester, NY
Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), Syracuse, NY
Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, WV
Starting October 14, add these airports as pick-up locations:
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Baltimore
Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), Roanoke, VA
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston
Bradley International Airport (BDL), Hartford, CT
Burlington International Airport (BTV), Burlington, VT
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, VA
Long Island MacArthur Airport-Islip (ISP), Islip, NY
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York City
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, NJ
Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Norfolk, VA
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Pittsburgh
Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, ME
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington, D.C.
Richmond International Airport (RIC), Richmond, VA
T. F. Green Airport (PVD), Providence, RI
Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, NY
And starting October 17, add these as starting points:
Charlotte Douglas International Airport, (CLT) Charlotte, NC
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Raleigh, NC
And now here's the list of Florida airports to which you must return the car. Pretty much every major airport across the state is included.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Ft. Lauderdale
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Ft. Myers
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Jacksonville
Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami
Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Sanford
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), West Palm Beach
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH), Tallahassee
Tampa International Airport (TPA), Tampa
You'll find more information about the sale, including the fine print, at Hertz's website.
Feel like heading north instead? Hang on until late spring, when the process reverses itself and the big renters discount drives out of Florida.
Photo: Postcard of "The Line Up" for an automobile race, Ormond-Daytona Beach, Florida, 1908
