MDOsprey travelers - rental cars...

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     Howdy all!

     A number of good birding area airports charge an airport tax of at
     least 10%.  The airport tax is tacked on before state taxes are
     applied--a double whammy!  Texas and Arizona are notorious spots.

     Here are a few ideas to save money (there are trade-offs):

     *** Go with a smaller car, or a lesser-known company (10% on less
     money)

     *** Call ahead and make reservations with a rental agency that has a
     non-airport location, but may offer free pick-up (check local
     libraries for yellow pages of your destination city or if you have
     internet access, check the yellow pages for your destination city at
     some site like http://www.yahoo.com under regions/states/cities...)

     *** If you arrive in the evening, consider a hotel with free airport
     shuttle (saves a day of rental; $30 to $40 savings); same if you
     depart in the morning (turn your car in at night and use the shuttle).

     *** If you're a power birder and drive a lot, make sure you ask about
     unlimited mileage.  Some companies allot you 100-200 free miles/day
     and charge $.30/mile after you exceed the total.  This can really add
     up fast when you're in big areas like Arizona and Texas (and don't
     forget the taxes on top of that, ad nauseum...).

     *** By all means, if you have the time, shop around!

     Happy traveling and good birding!

     Greg Miller,
     Lusby, MD

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