It can be one of travel'smost frustrating experiences, trying to figure out the Byzantine options (andresulting paperwork) that car rental agencies subject you to. Should you takethe CDW, and what do all those other mysterious initials mean? The Canadians, asturdy and forthright sort of people (by their own telling, too) think rentinga car shouldn't be so difficult. So Wheelsabroad.com has got a deal for you,claiming they are cheaper than their 8 major competitors in Canada by at least 21%.
Among those eightcompetitors listed (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, Nationaland Thrifty included) the price for an Enterprise rental was C$676.55 (about US$419) and for Wheelsabroad C$528.75 (about US$328). (The top price was forHertz, quoted at C$1,243.80, US$772). Comparisons are based on a 10-day compactcar rental picked up in late August at the Toronto Airport.
If you rent for seven nights,a 4-door economy automatic, AC included, costs C$38.50 a day without CDW,C$42.30 with. That's US$24 a day without CDW, $26 with.
Generally speaking, yourtotal rental includes use of the vehicle with unlimited mileage, third partyliability insurance, airport concession fees and premium location surcharges,vehicle license fees, all other mandatory fees and charges, and local taxes onthe above items at time of booking. So you shouldn't be surprised by the extrassome agencies tack on at time of settling up, often not even informing you atthe time of booking of the different surcharges (an "airport usage fee" is myall-time favorite with many firms).
Not included are things likeadditional or young driver (21-25) charges, child seats, ski racks, personalaccident insurance, refueling charges, parking and traffic fines or tickets,and local taxes, fees and surcharges on the items just listed.
You may change the detailsof your booking up to 2 days before the pick-up date. If you want to get fancy,a full-size sedan with automatic transmission and air conditioning will runC$56.70 without CDW, C$63.20 with. (That's US$35 and $39, respectively.)
At the moment, Wheelsabroad,which is based in Oakville, Ontario, has offices in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal,Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, though there are often several pick-upspots in one city (Vancouver has seven, for instance). The minimum rental isoften four days, so be sure to check.
To view their Web site (where you can also reserve), go to www.wheelsabroad.com or phone them at 416/420-1338, fax 905/847-6005.