Car hire in the US

[harvey]

Has anyone hired a car in the US recently? Need to do this in Sep for a few weeks, maybe a month. Any good search engines or recommedations?
I've got the insurance sorted.
Cheers!

[Torslanda]

Contact Mr. Larrington OTP...

[Mr Larrington]

SOP here is to bung the names of the big players - Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Alamo, Dollar, Budget - and the required pickup point into a Famous Web Search Engine and write down the numbers.  Then book the cheapest using a different browser and/or Babbage-Engine, because cookies.

Read the small print to see what's included, especially Collision Damage Waiver.  Paying at the time of booking is usually cheaper than paying when you pick the car up.

Age limit is usually 25 and no sneaking into Transmuralia, though Canuckistan is fine.

In theory you need the link to and/or the printout of, your driving record from the DVLA but no-one's ever asked me for that.

Some companies have a limit on the length of a single rental, usually 28 or 35 days.  Going via the local website rather than the .co.uk version sometimes circumvents this.

Take the option to bring it back full of fuel, as they'll charge about twelve dollars per titchy USAnian gallon if they do it for you.

Become very VERY British if stopped by the police

[seasider]

I have always chosen the cheapest car available.I have in twenty years never been offered the car booked, it has always been what they have at the time you turn up at the desk.Most occasions the car has been a upgrade from the booked one.If you don't fancy the offered one negotiate/deal for alternative.Having said all that there has only been my wife and I with two cases,if you are touring as long as your luggage is out of sight and the car OK for the terrain (tarmac roads), happy days.Alamo,Dollar,Hertz etc are much the same.

[Feanor]

I've done this a gazillion times, and it's basically a crap-shoot.
Depends a lot on whether you have any exact requirements. If you do, then you are entering a World Of Pain.

Stuff it into Google or whatever, and see what comes back.
All the majors will come back with similar offers, and they are all weasle-worded with "...or similar".

When you rock up at the desk, they will say they have nothing remotely like what you booked.
They will try to up-sell you whatever they happen to have.
Stand your ground, and say you don't want the upgrade; you just want what you have already booked and paid for.

Eventually, they will give you something, probably the 'upgrade' they tried to sell you.

But yes, it's a total piece of crap.
This is why the queue at the car hire desks is so stupidly slow.
It should be: "Why, hello, Sir. Yes, we have your booking. Here are your keys. Have a nice day!"
The reality is at least 45 minutes of Nickle-and Dime-ing you.

[ian]

This is probably still true. Make sure you learn how to deliver the 'I don't think you do.' Though they've had years to think of a defence they've not managed it. Americans take it for granted, though as a Brit with a vague expectation you can turn up and collect the car you've ordered it's a bit of a surprise.

Assume the police will stop and kill you. Probably with a main urban battle tank.

[Ben T]

My brother reckons you should a) book a generic 'class' rather than a specific model, and then b) be VERY friendly to the clerk, ask them about their day etc, almost what we Brits would deem sycophantic, and they almost always upgrade you. Swears they upgrade him most times with this method.

[Mr Larrington]

99% of the time the rental outfit's webby SCIENCE says "Chevrolet Dullard or similar" anyway.  This has only had consequences once, when the Avis bloke in Tampa agreed that, yes, a Chrysler 200 convertible is not remotely similar to a Ford Mustang convertible, but even after taking a quick shufti round the car park no Mustangs were to be had even for ready money and I spent the next three weeks composing a strongly-worded grink to Avis, who never replied.  Fortunately the Chrysler 200 convertible is no longer made, so they can't pull that one again.

My grate frend Mr Woolrich nearly always got upgraded even when he didn't want something with more space he didn't need and a greater thirst he didn't want to pay for.

[Ham]

Read the small print to see what's included, especially Collision Damage Waiver.  Paying at the time of booking is usually cheaper than paying when you pick the car up.

As ever, paying CDW as a separate policy is normally the cheapest way, eg https://www.insurance4carhire.com/ who I have used and had occasion to claim from. You do have to be prepared to take a deep breath and pony up any charges from the rental company before claiming back.

[ian]

I always got upgraded to something stupidly big that I didn't want and hadn't booked. You have no idea how many times I've said it's not just about the size to the bemused desk clerk who seems confused by my lack of enthusiasm about being upgraded to a Lexus Behemoth. Well, sometimes it isn't just about the size.

[harvey]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

[andytheflyer]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Arrive, de-plane, go through the sheer hassle that is US-immigration, get courtesy bus to cheapish off-airport hotel, shower, snooze, shower, courtesy bus back to airport.  Pick up hire car having cleaned up, rested and you're good to go for the trip.  That's what we do.  You start the trip off, driving an unfamiliar car, on unfamiliar roads, in the best frame of mind having put all the travel/immigration aggro behind you.  Simples.  Enjoy your trip!

[harvey]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Arrive, de-plane, go through the sheer hassle that is US-immigration, get courtesy bus to cheapish off-airport hotel, shower, snooze, shower, courtesy bus back to airport.  Pick up hire car having cleaned up, rested and you're good to go for the trip.  That's what we do.  You start the trip off, driving an unfamiliar car, on unfamiliar roads, in the best frame of mind having put all the travel/immigration aggro behind you.  Simples.  Enjoy your trip!

Excellent 

[Charlie Polecat]

Enterprise Car Rental. Consistent service, good quality cars, helpful employees. We use them whenever we need another vehicle in the States.

[Kim]

As ever, paying CDW as a separate policy is normally the cheapest way, eg https://www.insurance4carhire.com/ who I have used and had occasion to claim from. You do have to be prepared to take a deep breath and pony up any charges from the rental company before claiming back.

I'd no idea this was a thing.  Thanks   

[rogerzilla]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".

[Torslanda]

No practical experience - never visited the US for one, not likely to either - but an acquaintance used to expound on the virtues of being the very last person to leave the plane, immigration, baggage claim etc.

The reasoning was that by the time you get to the desk they will have undoubtedly run out of the class of car you booked and will be forced to upgrade you at their expense. YMMV & other caveats...

[Cudzoziemiec]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".

Or even better, ride it: http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/17-770/
 

[blackburnrod]

We winter in Florida where we have own car,and always use Enterprise from airport to home on arrival and vice-versa on departure. Excellent service,decent rates ,and though booking a compact car usually finish up with a Dodge grand Caravan free upgrade.Also offers one way trips and drop off.

[Jaded]

As ever, paying CDW as a separate policy is normally the cheapest way, eg https://www.insurance4carhire.com/ who I have used and had occasion to claim from. You do have to be prepared to take a deep breath and pony up any charges from the rental company before claiming back.

I'd no idea this was a thing.  Thanks   

Add a recommendation from me too.

Be prepared, though, for sad faces at the rental counter.

[Kim]

As ever, paying CDW as a separate policy is normally the cheapest way, eg https://www.insurance4carhire.com/ who I have used and had occasion to claim from. You do have to be prepared to take a deep breath and pony up any charges from the rental company before claiming back.

I'd no idea this was a thing.  Thanks   

Add a recommendation from me too.

Be prepared, though, for sad faces at the rental counter.

Works for the car club too.  (Co-wheels recently raised their excess from a reasonable £200 to a more scary £600, and offered a CDW to reduce it to £100 for an additional £5/month.  This is a no-brainer in comparison.)

[Thor]

As ever, paying CDW as a separate policy is normally the cheapest way, eg https://www.insurance4carhire.com/ who I have used and had occasion to claim from. You do have to be prepared to take a deep breath and pony up any charges from the rental company before claiming back.

I'd no idea this was a thing.  Thanks   

Add a recommendation from me too.

Be prepared, though, for sad faces at the rental counter.

Also https://www.reducemyexcess.co.uk/

It is said that you can't trust any insurance recommendation unless the reviewer has had to claim from the company concerned.  I have claimed from that lot twice.  In one year 

Car rental insurance sold at pick-up relies on your ignorance of such services.

[Mr Larrington]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Arrive, de-plane, go through the sheer hassle that is US-immigration [...]

These days US Immigration, at least at major airports, has been largely replaced by machines, which seems to have made the remaining humans a lot more cheerful.  Though I have to juggle two pairs of specs to use them.  Last year in Denver I managed "very back of a sold-out 747" to "lighting first fag for twelve hours" in under 45 minutes.

[igauk]

Another +1 for Enterprise. I quite like the random upgrade. Best yet was triple black Lincoln Town car with New York plates in rural New Hampshire and Maine, locals thought the mafia had arrived.

[ian]

Cheers, everyone!

Great stuff, although now extremely hesitant to face the car rental counter esp after a long flight.

Arrive, de-plane, go through the sheer hassle that is US-immigration [...]

These days US Immigration, at least at major airports, has been largely replaced by machines, which seems to have made the remaining humans a lot more cheerful.  Though I have to juggle two pairs of specs to use them.  Last year in Denver I managed "very back of a sold-out 747" to "lighting first fag for twelve hours" in under 45 minutes.

Even Chicago was pleasant. It was almost like they'd been sent to the Camp Cheerful Re-Education Center somewhere in Wyoming. In Portland last week our agent spent a good few minutes detailed his favourite drinking holes (some nice recommendations) amongst other matters.