Heading to FL in a couple of days for spring break. Flying in and out of Orlando, but spending the first half of our trip in Tampa area. Rental car company toll costs will be $63 for our stay. Sunpass costs like $20 plus the cost of the tolls. Is the convenience of not having to buy a Sunpass outside of the airport worth it? If I have a Sunpass do I still need to be wary of Toll-By-Plate? Our traveling will consist of trip from Orlando to North of Clearwater on day 1, down to Tamp on day 2 and then back to Orlando toward the end so I don't think we'll use $63 in tolls.
Less than 10 in tolls for those trips if any at all. Or you can buy a sunpass at most grocery and convenience stores. Probably even cheaper to do nothing and let the rental car company pass along any toll by plate fees. Even with the surcharge they tack on you'll be 10 or less.
The company that the rental company uses will most likely nail you for a "missed toll" even if you don't miss paying any. See if you can just do what Ben mentioned and pay through the rental company.
If you get a sunpass. Pick up the $5 sticker style and sunpass loads $5 on to the card for you, so you are getting the card "free". Add whatever else you need for your stay and trash it when you leave. As notbostrom mentioned, gas stations, grocery stores, CVS, Walgreen's , should all have them. You will have to register the card and license plate at sunpass.com and you can also load the money there. Definitely worth it in my opinion.
if one were to "obstruct" the plate when driving down a toll road... there isnt "active" enforcement. I had to do this because some idiot took the transponder out of my work truck. $63 seems excessive. Pretty sure most of the roads around Orlando have a cash option although it can be a pain in the ass if you dont have "exact change".
If yiure going to use the toll roads, get the pass. There's a lot of check points (where you get charged) that don't have booths. And if you don't have a pass, it takes a picture of the license plate and bills you in the mail (or whoever the license plate belongs to). It called toll by plate. Anyway, that means the bill would be sent to the rental car company, and who knows how much extra they'll bill you if they get the bill. So, go to Publix and pick one up. The packaging will explain how the smaller $5.00 sticker pass gets reimbursed into your Sunpass account and other info.
There was a couple of times when I was driving around Tampa and inadvertently ended up on a toll road with no cash option, but no bill ever showed up in the mail. Maybe cause I was out of state?
Rental company charges $15 + toll if you don't get their coverage (up to $105 max) so I need to get something.
Just carry some change. Know that exits and on ramps with a toll booth are not staffed. Also virtually any exit from OIA is going to put you on a toll road.
exit the airport onto 436 and stop at the Walgreens about one mile up the road on the right hand side and buy the $5 sunpass sticker and enjoy your stay https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Orl...85a5f03e93!2m2!1d-81.3089868!2d28.4683782!3e0
Also know that there are toll roads near in Tampa (Lee Roy Selmon Expressway) that dosent have toll booths in any way. It has spots where the detectors are set up as you drive past. If you don't have a Sunpass, it takes a photo of your plate and bills you in the mail. And someone said already, a Sunpass gets discounted toll road rates.
