to rent a car or not...

I%26#39;m really debating whether I should rent a car. From reading alot of previous threads, it appears I could do most things without, but it would be nice to have one. However, I%26#39;m afraid that by the time I rent a car, pay parking fees everywhere, pay for gas, it is going to be really expensive. My main concern is the parking fees, since it seems you have to pay to park everywhere in San Diego:) Any guestimates on what I can expect to spend on parking fees over 7 days? We%26#39;ll be doing all the touristy stuff (zoo, sea world, etc.). I assume we%26#39;d also have to pay to park at the hotel.

to rent a car or not...

Mostly you%26#39;ll have to pay to park a t your hotel.

Where are you staying and who all is in your group?

There is no parking fee at the zoo or anywhere in Balboa Park.There is no parking fee at Old Town State Park either. Sea World charges for parking and so does the Wild Animal Park but there is free street parking at beaches and in malls so it really depends on where you go and what you do while you are here.

to rent a car or not...

most if not all hotels in SD charge for parking and it will vary...downtown is probably the most expensive...but you can also park on the street or in a public lot for less...a lot less !!!

I couldn%26#39;t imagine staying in SD w/out a car, but it is possible and I%26#39;m sure many from the UK don%26#39;t want to deal with the right side or the road same as I don%26#39;t want to fool with the left side when in the UK.

why don%26#39;t you contact your hotel first and ask?

I could give you a few tips about how to save on your rental if you tell me the number of days you are interested in

I haven%26#39;t chosen a hotel yet. If I don%26#39;t rent a car, I want to be downtown so I%26#39;ll be close to the public transportation. If I do rent a car, I guess I have more options for a hotel. If I do rent a car, I need a cheaper hotel to offset the extra expense. We are going October 4-11. I usually do my hotels on Priceline, but that isn%26#39;t set in stone at this point. Basically, I have no idea what I%26#39;m doing at this point, %26amp; I%26#39;m pretty overwhelmed:) Also, I%26#39;ve never rented a car before, so that is a little scary to me, too.

You really have to decide on a hotel .

I don%26#39;t remember if we have discussed your price range but if you are using Priceline then when you actually get your hotel we can discuss if it%26#39;s one where we think you%26#39;ll be better off with a car. I tend to use Priceline for car rentals too.

so you don%26#39;t think the renting a car/parking fees will be as expensive as I think? Like I said, I%26#39;ve never rented a car before, so I have no idea. I really can%26#39;t pick a hotel until I decide this issue, as that will determine where I%26#39;m willing to stay. I%26#39;m really not trying to be difficult, I promise:)

As mentioned hotel parking charges will be the biggest cost and previous poster told you what it will cost to park at major attractions. The latter is 1 fee per car vs fee per person for public transport which isn%26#39;t so great. You need to look at some hotels, find out what their parking fees are, and do the math. I don%26#39;t think we can zero in on it anymore than that.

go to www.betterbidding.com

and see what you might be likely to get through Priceline...then call the hotels and ask what it costs to park.

I can not imagine a big difference between the downtown...Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt.

Same goes for the non-downtown ones.

I once had a room via Priceline at the Del Mar Hilton by the racetrack...was 3 or so years ago and I think I paid something like $35 for the room and $11 to park the car....my good luck was that you can easily walk to Denny%26#39;s for breakfast vs. eating at the Hilton

agee, Perhaps instead of talking about the car we should talk about your budget.

See if you can come up with an amount per day that you%26#39;d be comfortable spending on your hotel +car and we will tell you if it%26#39;s possible.

For example, IF your budget is at about $150 per day then we%26#39;d help you find a hotel room that%26#39;s lower and we could factor in car costs and even find you a place where you don%26#39;t have to pay for parking.

I have gotten rental rates as low as $12 per day with Priceline but lets say $15 for an estimate.

Ok, I booked my hotels, %26amp; I know I%26#39;ll rent a car at least part of the trip, but now I need to decide if I%26#39;ll need the car the whole trip, or just part.

We%26#39;re staying at Sheraton San Diego Mission Valley Oct 4-8 (Priceline $86/night), %26amp; Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter (Priceline $102/night) Oct 8-11. I know we%26#39;ll rent a car while staying at the Sheraton, since it%26#39;s not really in town. Here%26#39;s my tentative itinerary:

Sunday: Seaworld

Monday: LaJolla (kayak the caves, Children%26#39;s beach)

Tuesday: drive to Disneyland!!

Wednesday: beach, shopping

Thursday: Zoo

Friday: museums

If we stick pretty close to that schedule, will we really need a car once we move to the Marriott on Wednesday? It seems that most of the driving activities will be at the first part of the week. Or since we%26#39;ll already have the car, would it just be better to keep it the whole week?

Also, any tips for renting a car on Priceline?

thanks!!

www.hotwire.com

You can get a compact car for these dates at Hotwire

for 11.95 a day.

Total for the week incl fees and taxes is $107.44

The Marriott will cost you / parking wise ...but I stayed right across the street from it and needed to park one night on the street. I found a spot easily on J Street. There are outside lots close by with prices lower than at a garage (Marriott)