Last week my family and I made a trip to South Carolina to see my stepson, Billy, graduate from the Marines boot camp. We were planning on leaving early Tuesday morning, but decided to get our rental car a day early so we could get it all packed up the night before. So on Monday around noon we headed to the airport in Nashville, TN to pick up our waiting SUV.

I had made our reservations through Orbitz.com and was set to pick up the SUV at the Alamo counter. It is located on the ground floor, one level below the baggage claim. We parked in the short term parking and walked to the floor inside the airport where the rental car companies are. We immediately spotted Alamo as we walked in and headed over to the counter.

We were getting all checked in when the cashier told us that only my husband was shown as a driver. I told them that there must have been a mistake because we intended for both of us to be drivers. He told us that was no problem, but there would be an additional $7 a day charge. I have rented cars several times in the past and there has never been an additional charge for an extra driver as long as it was a spouse.

That was immediately going to add $49 (+ taxes) to my bill so my great deal was no longer so great. I asked the cashier was there a fee to cancel the transaction and he told me there was not. So my husband and I walked around the airport from counter to counter seeing if we could find a better deal. We went to all of the rental car places on that same floor. My husband thought I was crazy, but I thought it was worth checking around with the other places. It wasn’t going so good, and I expected I would soon be heading back to Alamo to complete the transaction.

The last counter I went to was AVIS. There was one person in line so we had a very short wait. The cashier was very nice and friendly. I asked if they charged an additional driver charge if it was your spouse. She said no that they did not. So far, so good. So I told her my situation and what we were looking for. She checked her computer and found that she could rent us a SUV for a 7 day period for $326. This price was about $30 cheaper than the price at Alamo. I was thrilled! My husband went to cancel Alamo and I stayed at Avis to finish up the transaction. She told us we would be renting a Chevrolet Blazer and we headed to the parking lot to pick it up.

I wasn’t impressed when I saw it. It was bright red. The inside looked cramped. There was no CD player. I did not like this vehicle at all. My son and I looked around at some of the other SUVs in the parking lot. Right next to the Blazer was a nice Ford Explorer. On down the row was a cool 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. We went back in to find out what the price difference was in the different vehicles. The cashier had a customer when we came back in. She was looking at us like she knew there was something wrong. I asked her if she could check the prices for me.

She didn’t see the Ford Explorer in her computer so it must have already been rented. However, she did she the Mercury Mountaineer in the computer. It was available and for the same cost. I was thrilled! She made a few changes in the computer and we were all set to leave. I was really excited about this vehicle that we were getting. It was so much nicer than the Blazer. We drove to the checkout gate where the attendant checked our paperwork and my driver’s license. He was very friendly. We were set to go.

The vehicle drove great for our entire trip. We did not have any problems at all. We came to return the vehicle 7 days later. When I drove to the airport I followed the signs to “Avis Car Return”. We drove into the garage where an attendant was waiting for us. There were no other customers returning cars at the time so there was no wait. The attendant asked me how the trip was and if I had any problems with the rental car. I told him that I was very pleased. He was friendly. He checked the mileage and printed me a receipt.

All of the employees of Avis that I came across were helpful and friendly. The vehicle that I rented was a very nice vehicle. I do not have any complaints at all about my transaction from start to finish.

Payments Accepted:

Air Travel, American Express, Amoco Multicard, AT & T Capital, Avis, Carte Blanch, Diners Club, Discover, GE Capital, MasterCard, Optima, PH & H, Visa

Contact Numbers:

Reservations & Info: 1-888-897-8448

24 Roadside Assistance: 1-800-354-2847

Online Site: Avis.com

Minimum Age to Rent:

Drivers must be 25 years old. Avis may rent to those younger for an additional fee.

Additional Fees:

3% Vehicle Rental Charge
9.25% Concession Recovery Fee
Sales Tax, which for TN is 9.25%

You can also add the following options for an additional fee: Loss Damage Waiver, Personal Accident Insurance, Personal Effects Protection, Additional Liability Insurance

Hours Avis is Open:

5:15 am - 12:30 am

Additional Drivers:

There is no extra fee for an additional driver if it is your spouse, life companion or a fellow employee on company business. According to the website there is a $25 fee to add an additional driver that is not any of the above people.

Recommended: Yes