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[Q] Renting a car in the USA

Blogs > ManBearPig
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ManBearPig
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
Belgium207 Posts
March 21 2009 14:45 GMT
#1
So, me and some friends are thinking about doing a roadtrip in the US. We would probably want to check out the more sunny, chillout states like San Francisco or California, do some chilling on the beach, some parties, little bit of sight-seeing. But right now, we're just contemplating, seeing how much it would cost and how feasible this would be.

I think the regulations concerning renting a car differ from state to state? How old do you have to be? How much do you think it would cost to rent a car for about 3 weeks? Where would we best start our journey (which airport should we fly to?) ?

RaGe
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
Belgium9947 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-03-21 15:01:09
March 21 2009 15:00 GMT
#2
Afaik you have to be 21 to be able to rent a car in the US. The older you are, the cheaper the insurance though, probably (aren't you like 22/23?). The north-south tour in california is probably the most popular road trip in the US, so you won't have too much trouble finding a good one way rental. The deciding factor on where to start and where to end should be your plane fares. Plane fares can vary a lot, especially if you don't do a full round trip. I can for instance imagine a trip Brussels - Chicago - SFO, drive from San Francisico to San Diego, San Diego - SFO - Chicago - Brussels, being a lot cheaper than Brussels - Chicago - SFO, drive, San Diego- Chicago - Brussels.

Air fares are such a bitch, you might want to consider contacting a travel agency for the cheapest formula. Rental fares shouldn't vary too much depending on direction (north->south or south->north).
Moderatorsometimes I get intimidated by the size of my right testicle
Oystein
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
Norway1602 Posts
March 21 2009 16:09 GMT
#3
I rented a car in Vegas 2 years ago and drove to California. The rules was rather strict, only I who paid for the car could be the driver since everyone was younger than 25 I think the reason was. I was 22 at the time and could rent, not sure if there are any age restrictions, but only having one driver (me) sucked big time, when the other 2 was drinking beers I had to stay sober all the time while driving

As for costs I think we paid 800ish $ (+ gas in addition) or so for 5 or 6 days for a Ford Mustang cabriolet, but it might be cheaper to rent it longer for all I know. Should be rather easy to check out online before going there or just stop by some local office of the big car rental agencies and make them check it out for you.
God Hates a Coward
Sirakor
Profile Joined April 2003
Great Britain455 Posts
March 21 2009 16:29 GMT
#4
I've done a few road trips over there, best one along the PCH in a convertible but Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley was also pretty cool, higlhly recommended

Most rental companies require you to be at least 21 y/o, although few companies also let you rent from 18 on. However, if you, or any driver, is under 25, there are a few complications: 1. you have to pay a costly insurance premium and 2. you don't get to rent any of the cool cars - small - midsize maybe, but no convertible, sports car, etc for you.

As for costs, there are no fixed prices, so it's difficult to tell. Costs depend on state, pick-up location, demand (both temporary, locally and for a specific vehicle type), pick-up location, one-way fees and your nationality. Yep you heard me right, the more civilised they think your country is, the higher the rental rate as they think you won't be able to cope with lunatic drivers ;-) This you can't do anything about, but the rest you can.

Since you were talking California etc, do NOT rent in Vegas, it's ~2x as expensive as in California. Drive over from San Diego if neccessary. Also, never rent a car at the counter, always always book in advance, as early as you can. Rates increase almost weekly if not daily as you get closer to the date you want. Any of the larger companies let you book and reserve online, so you can compare prices easily. If you book early enough, you can get pretty sweet deals (if got a Mustang convertible for the same price a mate rented a midsize no-frills thing over the counter). Fix your destinations, play it through in each direction for a couple of companies online, and then book ASAP. Also, if you're a cheapskate and secured the cheapest small size car for 5$ day online, beware of the guy at the counter talking you into upgrades and whatnot.

One more thing when comparing prices (and if you're not used to the US way of doing business): beware of various taxes and surcharges being added, don't trust the first number you hear. If booking via the european sites of the large rental companies this usually isnt an issue, but it happened to me that I thought I got a good deal at the counter (renting at the counter is schoolboy error #1), until they added %VAT, %state tax, %blah surcharge, %yadda surcharge and %fuckyoucharge.
Sirakor
Profile Joined April 2003
Great Britain455 Posts
March 21 2009 16:34 GMT
#5
One more thing: know your credit card limits. If you're cheap and don't take out the full insurance package, they may authorize (ie reserve, not cash in) rather large amounts on your card which may leave you stunned when checking in to the hotel and being told you card doesnt work (because it's over the limit due to the reserved amount in case you crash...)
LordofAscension
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
United States589 Posts
March 21 2009 18:20 GMT
#6
If you're under 25 years old you're going to get nailed with something close to a $25 a day charge... I just did this in FL and spent an extra $300 because I'm only 22... Ouch.

~LoA
~WelCoMe tO My rEaLm SC:L - sclegacy.com
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