It took over an hour for us to be collected and then 40 minutes at the desk when we got there. The car I got was not what I ordered. It was a van, not an SUV. But that was the same for everyone. Nobody got what they asked for. Check in was hectic. The car was dirty and didn’t have a full tank. The website of Routes is not understandable.

It was fine.

The employees are extremely friendly. Because of this, I would absolutely rent from Routes again. The shuttle driver who drove during my trip from the airport was patient and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The driver on the way to the airport was, well, the opposite -- his stories made it clear that he has a road rage problem. The rental car itself was fine -- it was in ok condition. There was trash left in the vehicle (e.g., a large cup under the seat) from previous occupants, and the car had quite a bit of minor cosmetic issues (doesn't bother me at all). The main problem was that it took an extremely long time for me to pick-up the car, despite being second in line upon arrival at the rental car office. I waited over an hour. The staff was friendly, but didn't explain (until 50 minutes into the wait) that they were trying to find the car off-site. It was given to me with a quarter tank of gas. I guess, for the price, I shouldn't expect things to be smooth.

The only thing I found odd and slightly annoying is their renewal or extension policy. Normally when I rent a car and I wish to keep it for a few days longer, I phone up the company and they let me keep it at the same price for however long I need it for. With Routes, when I phoned to ask them if I could extent for a couple more days, they quoted me a price that was twice the amount of original rental. The only way I could have it for the normal price, was to rebook online, drive all the way back to the rental place (on the day my contact expired) and then sign and start a new contract for the extra few days. That was super annoying. There was no flexibility in term of returns, extensions, rebooking, or price. That's where a larger company like hertz or enterprise are better. Luckily I was still in the city on the day of my scheduled return, but had I been away, I would have either had to drive all the way back to Vancouver, or I would have been stuck paying twice the daily rate.

The location was a bit off the beaten path, but easy to find and navigate to. We got our car within a reasonable time, and it was a very new model, a great value for the price. My only complaint was the faint cigarette smell in the car, but a minor issue.