Car rental for weekend trip

Question

I am going to Portland on a girls trip - there will be 7 of us total. We plan to hang around Old Port area and go to Freeport one morning for some shopping. I was hoping to uber/ Lyft since we want to do quite a bit of drinking but wondering if we should rent a car for the weekend to make it easier to get around. Do people recommend a car rental?

Answer

For a girls’ weekend trip in Portland, Maine, with plans to spend time in the Old Port area and take a morning trip to Freeport for shopping, whether to rent a car depends on your priorities for convenience versus nightlife safety.

Portland’s Old Port district is very walkable, with plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops within easy walking distance. Parking can be limited and expensive downtown, so for evenings when you plan to drink, relying on Uber or Lyft is generally safer and more convenient than driving.

However, for the Freeport shopping trip, having a car would make the journey much easier. Freeport is about 20-25 minutes from downtown Portland by car. While rideshare options exist, coordinating transportation for 7 people may be costly or complicated, especially if you plan to visit multiple stores or make multiple stops.

If the group wants to prioritize drinking and evening outings without worrying about parking or costs of multiple rideshares, skip the rental and rely on Uber/Lyft in Portland, but consider a group shuttle or taxi to Freeport.
If convenience and flexibility are important, especially for day trips like Freeport shopping, a car rental may be helpful. Keep in mind that you’ll need a vehicle large enough for 7 passengers, which might mean renting a van or SUV.
Another hybrid approach is to rent a car for a single day trip (e.g., Freeport) and return it before the evening, relying on rideshare for nightlife and downtown exploration.

In summary, for a weekend with a mix of walking around Old Port, enjoying the nightlife, and a single excursion to Freeport, most visitors recommend either:

Relying on Uber/Lyft for the entire weekend if you prefer not to deal with parking and plan to drink.
Renting a car for the day trip to Freeport and returning it for the evening, combining convenience and safety.

Ultimately, renting a car is optional rather than necessary. Portland’s compact downtown area is best experienced on foot, and rideshare makes it easy to avoid drinking and driving, but a car is convenient for short excursions outside the city.

Car rental for weekend trip

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