Conveniently located on the Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland sits in the heart of Florida. Home to the largest onsite collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, it is also famous for it historic and art district which is full of antique dealers, art galleries and museums. Some thirty miles east of Lakeland, lies Winter Haven. Home to over 70.000 people, the city has fifty lakes and a multitude of water related activities. With a typical small town vibe, it also boasts a lovely mix of arts and culture, sporting activities and a thriving gastronomic scene.
Pfeiffer Chapel, Lakeland (Photo: joiseyshowaa via Flickr/ CC BY 2.0)
For those looking to explore Lakeland, Winter Haven and the area around it, we have compared the various rental car companies on a variety of factors, such as opening hours, available cars and of course, daily rates. Here are our favourites.
Lakeland – Hertz
Situated a few blocks from Lake Parker, our pick for the best car rental company in the Lakeland area goes to Hertz. It picks up the award for its ability to consistently turn around cars quickly and the overall friendliness of its staff. In the parking lot, they have a fleet of cars for all budgets with the Ford Focus, Fiat 500 and the Ram Pick Up being the stand-out vehicle in their respective categories. Renting cars in this part of the world tends to be cheaper than elsewhere in the US, so you could easily be driving off with a daily rental price of $40 per day. Opening hours Monday – Friday 7.30am – 6pm; Saturday 9am – 12pm; Sunday closed.
Lakeland Highlands – Enterprise
Polite and helpful staff, a great selection of cheap car rentals, competitive prices and a killer location (just off the Highway 98) makes Enterprise our choice of best agency in the Lakeland Highlands area. Regulars are also quick to point out that staff are not over pushy on selling extras, focusing instead on putting together a package best suited to needs (a rarity in the industry!). On our chosen dates, we found vehicles like the Toyota Rav4 and Nissan Maxima at $60 per day and in the economy category, the Kio Rio at $39 per day. Opening hours Mon-day – Friday 8am – 5pm; Saturday 9am – 12pm; Sunday closed.
Winter Haven – Hertz
Right next to both Budget and Enterprise on Cypress Garden Boulevard, Hertz shaved our award as the most recommendable agency due to its better selection of cars and marginally cheaper prices. Hertz rents out the Mirage Mitsubishi and Nissan Versa at $39 but has scores of other models in all its categories. One recurring complaint, as is the case in so many agencies, is the time it can take to get a car on the road. For this reason, we’d strongly advise you to arrive early for your appointment or in Hertz’s case, sign up to the Hertz Fast Lane program which allows you to fast track the whole process. Opening hours Monday – Friday 7.30am – 6pm; Saturday 9am – 12pm; Sunday closed.