Car Hire in LA USA with Breakdown Cover

shinyahashimoto

Hey,


Travelling in the USA in May and will be based in LA for 6 days which I will get a hire car to drive around California. Just wondering if anyone knew of any companies which include breakdown cover within their agreement? I'm abit wary of being stuck in the middle of nowhere in California if the car isn't up to much, I plan on covering quite a few miles. Thinking of splashing out on a convertible, I've looked and can get it for around 280 with GPS from Hertz but they don't seem to mention breakdown cover, neither do the other main ones like Dollar etc etc...

Any help much appreciated :-)


Stu

Mr_Lahey

shinyahashimoto wrote: »

Hey,


Travelling in the USA in May and will be based in LA for 6 days which I will get a hire car to drive around California. Just wondering if anyone knew of any companies which include breakdown cover within their agreement? I'm abit wary of being stuck in the middle of nowhere in California if the car isn't up to much, I plan on covering quite a few miles. Thinking of splashing out on a convertible, I've looked and can get it for around 280 with GPS from Hertz but they don't seem to mention breakdown cover, neither do the other main ones like Dollar etc etc...

Any help much appreciated :-)


Stu

You will be offered it upon collection of your vehicle, its a couple of dollars per day extra.
I never bother with it tbh.

CliffWalker_2

Hello,

I used to live in LA and have travelled to the US many times and rented cars a lot.

Firstly, you will already be covered for breakdown in the basic rental cost (after all, its THEIR car you are using, so its not your fault if it breaks down! It's their responsibility to rent you a car that won't break down)

However, what they WILL try to sell you is cover in case you;

a) get a puncture.
b) run out of gas.
c) have a window smashed.

Having said that, they do try to make it sound like it's breakdown cover but I actually asked them (in a very, very loud voice, so all the other renters in the shop could hear)
"So, I'm already covered for breakdown and what you're trying to sell me is extra insurance in case I get a puncture, run out of gas or a window gets broken?"

The person at the counter had to admit that was the case, I heard a few people nearby telling their counter staff that they didn't want the cover either...

I'd also recommend NOT having a convertible. In theory it sounds like a great idea but the reality is that you'll be way too hot and get terrible sunburn, especially on top of your head! (Baldies beware!)
All rental cars have air-con, much better.

Another tip, book the smallest, cheapest car available. They'll call it a sub compact or similar but it will be Ford Focus size (maybe slightly larger) and quite happily take four adults (but if there's four of you plus eight large suitcases, you may want bigger). Don't agree to upgrade at the desk, they'll offer great prices that get cheaper and cheaper.
Just say no.
They'll ask you in a snotty tone if you're aware how small the car you've booked is, just tell them yes, that's the size of car you have at home.
It will be plenty big enough unless there's four rugby players in your party.

Hope this helps.

CliffWalker_2

Forgot to add, you say 'in case the car isn't up to much'.
Rental cars in the US are usually less than a year old and generally the base models are Hyundai or Kia or a US brand of the same size.
Not sure you need GPS either, I've never bothered with one. Getting around is pretty easy, where are you going to be based and where are you thinking of going?
Cheers.

CliffWalker_2

Just had a quick look and you can hire a compact car for under $200 for a week with Alamo (who I generally use)
Make sure you opt to take the car back with a full tank, don't let them do the refill. There's a couple of gas stations right next to the airport, so you top it up just before you return it.

shinyahashimoto

CliffWalker wrote: »

Just had a quick look and you can hire a compact car for under $200 for a week with Alamo (who I generally use)
Make sure you opt to take the car back with a full tank, don't let them do the refill. There's a couple of gas stations right next to the airport, so you top it up just before you return it.

Thanks for much for your help.

Regarding GPS: We are based in Carson in LA and will be wanting to visit, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Universal Studios, Six Flags theme park some of the beaches like Long Beach, Venice Beach. Also plan to go down to San Diego and finances permitting, stay there for a night before heading back up. Do you have any other advice of where to visit please let me know! I thought I'd need GPS we will be driving about most days and I'd be a little unsure of where we are going.

Regarding the car thanks for the tip. There is only 2 of us so I may just go for the smallest car. I'm thinking with a convertible we would be limited of when we can put the top down anyway.

ferf1223

if you have a satnav already you may want to check the price of renting without one - they can bump the price up quite a lot. We bought North American maps for our Garmin for £40 on ebay from someone who bought the maps new, used the SD card for a trip to Orlando and didn't need it anymore - and that was the least expensive one on ebay...so if you have a satnav, buy the relevant maps on SD card - then sell the card when you get back. Worth considering anyway.

For LA driving I personally think having GPS would be helpful.

CliffWalker_2

Okay, my laptop just shut down for no reason as I was almost finished writing this...
Here we go for a second time, fingers crossed...

My reason for not bothering with a satnav is that most of your travelling will be up or down the 405 or 5 as they are the main routes to and from anywhere to anywhere. Signpposting is pretty good and I've never had a problem finding my way around. Even if you miss a turn off, the next exit is usually only a mile away, so coming off and returning is not as bad as on our M1 where the exits can be a loooong way apart. Having said that. you could always buy a satnav from Walmart for $99 and then sell it on ebay when you return...

Hint: The on ramps to the interstates don't always follow a pattern, sometimes they're on the left of the road you're on, sometimes on the right. If you're trying to look at your satnav you may miss the ramp anyway...

With regard to the places you want to visit;
Some of these areas are very run down now and a bit seedy (think Soho in London) The area around Mann's Chinese Theatre (where the stars handprints are) and the Walk Of Fame (where the stars are in the pavement) are full of adult shops, so go for a visit, just drive through with the doors locked!
Beverly Hills is a residential area so not much to see, Rodeo Drive is full of designer shops that probably won't let you in unless you have a celebrity entourage.
Universal is worth a visit but its not as big as the Orlando versions.
Six Flags is a bit further out of LA and only worth it if you like old style rollercoasters.
The beaches you mention are okay if you like your beaches long and flat (but the sight of a business man in a pinstripe suit, carrying a briefcase rollerblading along the boardwalk is worth seeing...)
The best beach and a lovely area anyway is Laguna Beach, down the coast a little (San Clemente is also a nice place, drive down the Pacific Coast Highway road though for Laguna and San Clemente, a lovely road.
Laguna is full of quaint shops and art gallery type places.
The best beach in my opinion is Woods Cove (google it) especially the private, hidden beach under the old Bette Davis's house (yes underneath - the houses are alongside the beach and some hang over it!). To find it, drive south on the PCH for a few miles from the main Laguna area then turn off at Pearl St.
If you haven't booked anywhere to stay, I can recommend a place we found by accident last time we went, its a 1 bedroomed apartment only a minutes walk from Woods Cove and cost about $600 for the week (1 bedroom, a full kitchen, bathroom, living room - with sofa bed, balcony to have breakfast, sea views from some of the rooms) most places in Laguna charge upwards of $1500 a week.. eek!
Its a private self contained flat above someone's house with its own entrance.
Its a bit more than staying in a cheap hotel, but cheap hotels in LA aren't always in decent areas...
Its nice to have a place that feels more like a home from home.

San Diego is only an hour or so drive from LA (depending on where in LA you are) and its straight down the 5.

Hope some of this helps, let me know if you want the contact details of the place I mentioned. Next time we go we're definitely staying there again.

shinyahashimoto

Thanks very much for your help. We've already the LA accomodation booked. We will try and check out Woods Cove. I don't suppose you know if the drive down from LA to San Diego is any good? We don't have time to do the drive north to the Big Sur unfortunately. We will definitely bin something and try Lagauna Beach. I thought San Clemente is maybe somewhere we could stop on my way back up from San Diego from LA? Heard good things about both.

ferf1223

CliffWalker wrote: »

Hint: The on ramps to the interstates don't always follow a pattern, sometimes they're on the left of the road you're on, sometimes on the right. If you're trying to look at your satnav you may miss the ramp anyway...

Our satnav tells us to prepare to exit left or right well in advance...

CliffWalker_2

The drive from LA to San Diego is nothing to write home about, its just an hour of motorway type driving.

The drive North of the Pacific Coast Highway (especially up near Monterey and Carmel) is stunning but you're probably right thinking you wouldn't have time (the Danish village of Solvang is worth a visit too - like a Christmas town)
Some friends of ours came to visit us when we lived in LA and went up the PCH. The guy said that he got so fed up of stopping every ten minutes to take pictures of yet another stunning view and not actually covering any distance that he told his wife,
"I am not stoping to take any more bl**dy photographs."
Two minutes later they went round a bend in the road and he said to his wife...
"Quick get the camera out and I'll pull over..."

ferf1223 may be right about some satnavs telling you in advance which side the turn off is, my point is that not all sat navs do warn you and you may miss the actual turn if you're trying to figure out how far the turn is, rather than what side of the road it is.
I'd still say, buy a cheap satnav at Walmart for under $99 and sell it when you return to the UK, if you think you'd feel safer with a satnav.

Personally I like the adventure/unknown aspect, sometimes the best places we've found were ones we weren't looking for - Wood's Cove, for example, we only found because we turned into Pearl St to turn round (missed our turn) saw the beautiful beach and thought, 'this looks like a nice place to visit...'. But of course, some people prefer to be organised!