Booking.com lists Universal Orlando Resort tickets. Check each listing’s date rules and what’s included before you book.
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Rent at your hotel, return by the port
If you’re staying at a Universal hotel, don’t rent for the parks — Universal’s shuttles, water taxis and walking paths cover them, and hotel parking runs $30 to $36 a night where we could check. On sail morning, rent from the Avis desk in your hotel (or the closest one) and drop it at Avis Port Canaveral, which says it shuttles cruise passengers and their luggage to the pier. Leave by about 9 and weekends are comfortable; Avis’s port office closes at 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
The one-day rental fits if
- You’re at Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, Helios Grand or Terra Luna, or near one
- You’re three or more with luggage
- You can leave for the port by mid-morning
Look elsewhere if
- You’d reach the port office after about 2 PM on a weekend
- It’s one or two of you and a car service quotes less
- You’re staying on International Drive: Enterprise’s Rosen Centre desk closes at 2 PM on weekends, so check its hours first
Booking.com lists airport taxis you can book ahead. Check the pickup point, the price and the cancellation terms before you book.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure.
The rental desks, and their hours
| Desk | Address | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avis, Hard Rock Hotel | 5800 Universal Blvd | 7 AM–7 PM every day | Avis |
| Avis, Loews Royal Pacific Resort | 6300 Hollywood Way | 7 AM–7 PM every day | Avis |
| Avis, Universal Helios Grand Hotel | 8505 S Kirkman Rd | 7 AM–7 PM every day | Avis |
| Avis, Universal Terra Luna Resort | 5500 Epic Blvd | 7 AM–7 PM every day | Avis |
| Enterprise and Alamo, Rosen Centre | 9840 International Dr | Enterprise lists Mon–Fri 8–5, Sat–Sun 8–2 | Enterprise |
| Hertz, Destination Pkwy | 6001 Destination Pkwy | Mon–Fri 9–4, Sat 9–noon, closed Sunday | Hertz |
As each desk’s own page listed them, read Sept 27, 2026. Avis says most of its locations don’t charge a one-way fee; your quote shows whether this pair does. Checked Sept 27, 2026
What a car costs you at Universal
| Where | What Universal charges | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Portofino Bay, Sapphire Falls | $36 self / $45 valet a night, plus tax | Universal |
| Stella Nova | $30 self a night, plus tax | Universal |
| Theme park garages | Theme park garages: $35 regular, $50–$60 Prime | Universal |
Read Sept 27, 2026. The pages for Cabana Bay, Endless Summer, Royal Pacific and Hard Rock didn’t load, so their rates aren’t shown. Checked Sept 27, 2026
Universal hotel guests get complimentary transportation to the parks: shuttle bus, water taxi at select hotels, or walking paths. Epic Universe is a walk from Stella Nova and Helios Grand, and a shuttle bus from most other Universal hotels. So a car sitting in the hotel garage all week costs you parking and rental days for nothing — the case for renting only on sail morning.
About an hour and a quarter, most of it on the tolled Beachline
| Leg | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Universal to cruise terminal CT-1 | About 59 miles, about 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic | Our route estimate (OpenStreetMap routing). Universal and the port publish no figure Estimate |
| Tolls, one way | $4.24 with a transponder, $6.54 by plate | Sum of the Beachline West, Beachline Main and Dallas plaza rates Checked Sept 27, 2026 |
| In an Avis rental | e-Toll: $6.95 for the day, plus tolls at non-discounted rates | Budget/Avis e-Toll |
Four of you, Universal to the ship
| Plan | What it costs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One-day rental, Universal-hotel Avis to Avis Port Canaveral | about $88 | $60 base assumed (roughly a standard SUV), Orange County tax, no airport charges, Avis e-Toll, fuel. Add a one-way charge if quoted. |
| Private car or car service | Your quote | We found no published Universal-to-port fare we could verify. |
| Uber or Lyft | Your app estimate | Not published. |
Illustrative: the base rate is our assumption, not a quote. Illustrative
Price it for your group
The rental, line by line
Illustrative: type the rate you’re quoted. An Orlando desk carries Orange County’s 6.5% tax and shouldn’t carry airport charges; switch to MCO to see what the airport adds. Tolls are the Universal-to-port plaza rates. Fuel assumes 30 mpg at AAA’s Florida average on Sept 27, 2026.
Book Avis to Avis
Search your Universal hotel’s Avis desk (Orlando) to Cape Canaveral, one day, your sail date, and check that the drop-off shown is Avis Port Canaveral at 6650 N Atlantic Ave. If a comparison site only offers “Cape Canaveral”, book the cruise-passenger location on avis.com, or call the office on 321-783-3643 to confirm the shuttle.
- Many companies, one search
- One-way fee in the total shown
- Free cancellation up to 48 hrs before pickup
- Supplier ratings from real renters
Universal Orlando and Port Canaveral: FAQ
How far is Universal Orlando from Port Canaveral?
Neither Universal nor the port publishes a figure. Our route estimate is about 59 miles and 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic, via I-4 or International Drive and the Beachline, with about $4.24 in tolls on a transponder.
Can you rent a car at Universal Orlando?
Yes. Avis has desks at Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific, Universal Helios Grand and Universal Terra Luna, open 7 AM to 7 PM every day. Enterprise and Alamo have a desk at Rosen Centre on International Drive.
Does Universal have a shuttle to Port Canaveral?
We didn’t find one. Universal’s hotel shuttles and water taxis serve its parks, and Mears Connect’s published service area covers Disney-area hotels, not Universal.
How much is hotel parking at Universal Orlando?
Universal lists $36 self-parking and $45 valet a night, plus tax, at Portofino Bay and Sapphire Falls, and $30 self-parking at Stella Nova. Theme park garages are $35 regular and $50 to $60 Prime.