Talk me through hiring a car in the US

tightauldgit

Finally booked my trip to the US with daughter and got flights and  hotels all organised now so just the final few extra arrangements to do. We are arriving in LA doing a couple of days there then going down to Anaheim for a couple of days and then on to San Diego before flying to NY. So I reckon I need a car for the west coast section but I'm a complete newb at renting cars abroad as I never do it. So what do I need to do? 

I didn't fancy picking up a car after an 11 hour flight so I've booked us into a hotel near LAX for the first night (probably in a warzone knowing that part of LA haha!) and then plan to collect the car from the airport the next morning. Then it'll be a one way hire dropping off at San Diego airport in the wee hours of the morning 9 days later. 

Had a look at comparison sites like Kayak and getting quoted £300-350 for a compact for 9 days which is better than I thought but that's through gotrentalcars.com which seem to be a broker that then books with Budget. I know from booking hotels and flights that those kind of sites can be a nightmare - are they reliable for car hire? If I go direct to Budget for example it's about £100 more expensive for the same hire. 

I assume the cars come with insurance etc but I've also heard of people getting stung for additional insurance at the pick-up desk so what do I need to do to avoid that? Is it just excess insurance that I should be looking into or anything else? 

 

debsy42

When we hire in Orlando we use Alamo Brits, usually good prices and if the price does come down then we have cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper price. With Alamo you don't go to any check-in desk you go straight to the garage where the cars are parked, choose the car you want, drive it to a little kiosk, present your driving licence and within a couple of minutes you're on your way. It's very quick and easy. It included all the insurance requirements so nothing to upsell, zero excess and free additional driver.

tightauldgit

debsy42 said:

When we hire in Orlando we use Alamo Brits, usually good prices and if the price does come down then we have cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper price. With Alamo you don't go to any check-in desk you go straight to the garage where the cars are parked, choose the car you want, drive it to a little kiosk, present your driving licence and within a couple of minutes you're on your way. It's very quick and easy. It included all the insurance requirements so nothing to upsell, zero excess and free additional driver.

Good to know. I checked them out and they are still about £100 more than the best prices I am getting quoted but maybe worth that for peace of mind of having a direct booking. 

photome

debsy42 said:

When we hire in Orlando we use Alamo Brits, usually good prices and if the price does come down then we have cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper price. With Alamo you don't go to any check-in desk you go straight to the garage where the cars are parked, choose the car you want, drive it to a little kiosk, present your driving licence and within a couple of minutes you're on your way. It's very quick and easy. It included all the insurance requirements so nothing to upsell, zero excess and free additional driver.

Just to add you only go straight to the car if you have “pre” checked on online and input all driving license details etc

photome

tightauldgit said:

debsy42 said:

When we hire in Orlando we use Alamo Brits, usually good prices and if the price does come down then we have cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper price. With Alamo you don't go to any check-in desk you go straight to the garage where the cars are parked, choose the car you want, drive it to a little kiosk, present your driving licence and within a couple of minutes you're on your way. It's very quick and easy. It included all the insurance requirements so nothing to upsell, zero excess and free additional driver.

Good to know. I checked them out and they are still about £100 more than the best prices I am getting quoted but maybe worth that for peace of mind of having a direct booking. 

I have used Alamo Brits many times and checking in online saves a lot of hassle and no upsell

have been caught out many years ago with extra insurance upswell with Dollar at LAX

I can’t comment on the brokers as I have gone direct for many years now, but £300 ish for 9 days seems like a good price in the current climate, £100 extra is only £11 a day so not much in the grand scheme of things for peace of mind

Brie

I do suggest taking a video of the car before you get into to it to check for any dings or scratches.  And read the paperwork carefully before signing anything or driving away in case there's anything in the fine print about extras like insurance or one way  or early morning drop off.  Another video when you drop it off too so essentially you have before and after shots - just in case someone drops a piano on the car once you've left it. 

hugheskevi

As well as Collision Damage Waiver cover, ensure you understand Supplemental Liability Insurance and have adequate cover for that too - the statutory minimums are woefully inadequate. I found the cost of these to be much higher than the levels I am used to in Europe.

The USA doesn't have many road tolls, and they can usually be avoided, but check your planned route to see if you will encounter any tolls, and if so, ensure you understand how you will pay them as you do not pay at a booth like in many countries.

I found the USA was awful for getting transparent quote comparisons, especially with one-way charges which were only disclosed almost at the end of the booking process, so comparing quotes was difficult and time-consuming. Ensure you are comparing like with like by going through the full booking process for each quote you are considering.

For reference, I paid a total of £46 per day for car hire with excellent CDW and SLI and mileage allowance last year in the USA (check mileage allowance too - I've not found them a problem, but distances in US are large and the speed is fast, so distance can sometimes be a problem depending on your plans). That was for what I'd call a medium size new car, but which probably is classed as small in USA.

photome

hugheskevi said:

As well as Collision Damage Waiver cover, ensure you understand Supplemental Liability Insurance and have adequate cover for that too - the statutory minimums are woefully inadequate. I found the cost of these to be much higher than the levels I am used to in Europe.

The USA doesn't have many road tolls, and they can usually be avoided, but check your planned route to see if you will encounter any tolls, and if so, ensure you understand how you will pay them as you do not pay at a booth like in many countries.

I found the USA was awful for getting transparent quote comparisons, especially with one-way charges which were only disclosed almost at the end of the booking process, so comparing quotes was difficult and time-consuming. Ensure you are comparing like with like by going through the full booking process for each quote you are considering.

Shouldt be any one way drop charges as not going out of state…I believe Nevada and California have an agreement as well, so no one way charges between those states

bagand96

If Avis/Budget look like a good option then you can try booking through British Airways who have a partnership. They're usually competitive with the pricing and Executive club members get benefits like a free extra driver and avios. 

Either the main ba.com website or https://www.carhire-ba.com/

As mentioned shouldn't be a one way fee within California.

I've used brokers before without issue. Just research them first and check T&Cs. I. E. Some that take a deposit and advertise "free cancellation"  will only actually refund the deposit as a voucher.

Make sure you book through a UK/Europe orientated website. If you book via a US one it may seem much cheaper but that's because it won't include all the insurances you need (US citizens are generally covered for hire cars on their own motor insurance) 

phatbear

be on guard that they will try and upsell everything. 

get your cdw sorted before you arrive, have a three simcard in your phone so you have access to the internet which means you dont have to pay for their satnav, take a cheap phone cradle with you to assist, dont assume the car will have android auto etc. 

as others have said vid/take lots of pics of the car. 

and...........dont drink on your flight! this is one of those areas where a lot of people seem to let their guard down as they are "on holiday"