Car rental USA

briansullivan

Hi,

anyone got any advice for renting a car in the US?
I going over there with two friends in December for two weeks and want to rent a car for a week to drive up into Canada.

Given we may be hitting some snow I'm think a 4x4 is the best option. Any tips on good sites to book through or can you get better deals just turning up and asking for a car?

Marcus.Aurelius

TBH, turning up on the day is the best way to get realistic prices. I always do that in the US or Australia.

If you want some good deals, check out Hertz.com and ask for the non-prepaid rate (Bottom of vehicles election page). I usually use Hertz as they will let drivers under 25 drive for a few extra dollars a day, and it's worked out cheaper than small cars from Budget/Avis.

Dropping in at the counter is usually good for asking questions, the staff in any of the car hire companies are usually quite well informed of what you would need for snow driving etc.

I think snow driving will cost you extra on the insurance side, and would probably limit your choice of car/jeep anyway.

briansullivan

Thanks, I'll check out Hertz anyway.

Also, yeah we figured there'd be an extra hit if we need snow chains or anything like that.

Stephen

Get the full insurance too.

Marcus.Aurelius

Often you'll find smaller rental companies in certain areas that specialise in that sort of thing. I'd be cautious of them, especially with regard to insurance cover.

AFAIK, Hertz US always rent their cars out will full insurance on the car. You might pay extra for personal injury insurance, but I think it's not too bad.

rebel.ranter

I wonder if there were any issues with taking the rental car out of US to Canada. I know when I was in US a few weeks ago I rented a car from Hertz & they were not too keen on me dropping the car back to them in a different state, it was only for certain models though.

Ferris

We went through a travel agent and got a great deal with Dollar rent a car. Then when we went to collect the car (4dr saloon) we were upgraded to a Mustang which was great.

Defo you need a car wih a bit of grunt for the highways, typically the sliproads are short and the traffic moves quite fast. LA is manic too if you're heading that way.

R.O.R

It's been a few years, but I'm pretty sure you are OK to take vehicles in to Canada with no problem, as long as returned to the states (with Hertz anyway). If you drop in Canada you could be looking at a fairly substantial 1 way drop charge.

I just ran quick figures on a Full Size 4x4 from Hertz, collecting in Boston. Coming in around €1100 for 2 weeks including standard insurance (CDW, TP). There is the the option of LIS (liability insurance supplement) at €12.44 a day.

Standard Insurance covers your liability (in case you are sued) for up to $30,000. LIS covers up to either $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 depending on State you rent in.

Pricing varies by location as there are different state taxes applied from the rental location. I think Massacheusets (Sp?) is one of the cheaper ones at around 5%.

briansullivan

Cheers for all the advice guys.

Our plan is to collect the car in New York, drive up to Montreal for a couple of days, then head to a ski resort somewhere in Quebec, then drive back to Boston. So we will be dropping off at a different location but still in the States.

One of the guys has a cousin in NY so might ask him to check any local places and see what they offer.

Martron

FULL INSURANCE!!!!!

especially when driveing on the other side of the road. accidents frequentle happen. you dont want to get nailed with a minor fender bender either. for extra couple of dollars it money well spent

preilly79

If you call the Hertz Dublin reservations number, and prepay using a Mastercard (don't know why it has to be a mastercard) you can get some very very good deals. I go to america quite often and i've never failed to get a good deal doing this.

Also, if dropping the car to another state Hertz will tack on an extra $60. If dropping to another state you also cannot get anything in the 'Fun' range of cars (Mustang etc).

R.O.R

Based on your details:

Ford Explorer or similar - Standard SUV. 2 weeks, collecting start of December dropping back to Boston Logan Airport.

€788 for collecting at NY JFK Airport
€562 collecting from Newark, New Jersey.

Costs include standard insurance (no LIS) and the €50 one way drop charge.

Berty

http://www.arguscarhire.ie

Very Reliable in my opinion. I have used them many times.

whiterebel

I booked a mazda 6 or equivalent for 3 weeks with hertz Orlando. They ended up giving me a PT Cruiser. Just managed to fit all luggage in, but it was a struggle. 2.4L Turbo Special Edition which was nice, especially for €420.00 for 23 days. Extra driver $50 for the 3 weeks. When I complained that the PT seemed a lot smaller than a 6, she said they carry the same luggage - and showed me her chart on the desk. Problem is, it was different to the one on their website. She then suggested upgrading for an extra $200......until my wife pointed out, that according to the Hertz chart, the bigger car only took the same luggage as the Cruiser. A bit smart on hertz behalf, i thought, but it was completely insured for the money which was an unexpected bonus.

juvenal

Brian,

I rent with Budget, and having lived in Manhattan and rented quite a bit there, it was substantially cheaper in NY than in other US cities. Also, make sure that you identify yourself as and Irish citizen and driving under an Irish driving licence.:)

When renting in New York City, they'll usually add LDW (Loss damage waiver - Protects you if car is damaged or stolen.) and SLI (Supplemental liability insurance - Third party injury/property damage coverage.) for no additional charge as an Irish tourist. It's well worth it, as even a small fender-bender can cost several hundred or even thousands of dollars without the full insurance.

From Friday 5th - Friday 19th December, pick-up JFK, drop-off Logan, total price is €674.00 with unlimited miles. That includes all taxes and charges, plus the additional insurance and you can freely cross into Canada (which I've done several times). www.budget.com

The Fusion is an American "mid-size", so it's probably a 2.3/3.0L petrol auto (forget about manual gearboxes for two weeks), similar to a large European saloon such as a Honda Accord/Opel Omega. It will carry four adults plus baggage with ease and comfort. Should be plenty big even in the Canadian winter, unless you're heading way out into the rural, isolated areas, in which case you may want to consider a large SUV. The Canadians are well used to dealing with harsh winters, and roads will be cleared of snow daily.

I would still shop around for the best price, try Hertz, Avis, National, etc, but I've always found Budget the best value (from NYC anyway). To echo what the other posters said, full insurance is worth the extra cost, as it will give you peace of mind. Even a small tip could end up ruining your holiday and costing you a large chunk of change. If you are under 25 you will see extra fees added, this is standard. I've always pre-booked online as it guarantees you the rate, and if for some reason they've mis-calculated and they don't have your car available, they'll give you a bigger one at no extra cost.

One additional piece of advice; ensure that you carry your driving licence with you at all times when in the car. The US local and state police will ask for this straightaway should you be pulled over, and it's expected that you have it on your person. The Irish situation of "ah shure drop it into the station in the next week or so. . ." doesn't fly there, and you don't need to be bringing heat on yourself should you be pulled over for speeding/random alcohol test etc.

rgunning

easycar.com

Found them extremely competitive and the price you see is all inclusive. No nasty shocks at the desk. They are the first I look at when we go to the states now and have always been way cheaper when I compare. They rent through Alamo I think so are well located as well.

Del2005

briansullivan wrote: »

Hi,

anyone got any advice for renting a car in the US?
I going over there with two friends in December for two weeks and want to rent a car for a week to drive up into Canada.

Given we may be hitting some snow I'm think a 4x4 is the best option. Any tips on good sites to book through or can you get better deals just turning up and asking for a car?

Just to point out that while a 4x4 will help you go on snow it makes no difference when trying to stop and due to their size and weight they can be harder to handle.

When booking the hire car always book the cheapest car as they usually all go and they will upgrade you. Or if they're still giving you the cheap car you can chance your arm for a free upgrade, give them a bit of the Irish charm it goes a long way:D or just pay for an upgrade it won't be too much extra.

green123

€ 382 on carhire3000

http://www.carhire3000.ie/

you might want to upgrade the car and the insurance and a one way fee may apply