Car Hire USA

[joydivisionovengloves]

I'm off to Boston this summer and want to spend a few days driving up the Maine coast but have never driven abroad. Any tips on which car hire company to use? Also what to look out for in terms of Insurance cover? Any other advice gratefully received!

I am also searching at the moment, but what I heard, it is allowed to drive with 21 if you are not an citizen of the US but actually to rent a car you have to be over 30! Might not be true for every car rental.

Think it's 25, not 30, although I suppose it might very from state to state.

I'm over 30 so no problem there!

We have always used Alamo and never had a problem. You absolutely must take out CDW insurance (collision damage waiver). We found it cheaper to book the car and insurance in the UK, but it is many years since last visited the US.

Every car we have hired has been an automatic so no worries about changing gears with the gear stick on the wrong side. Unless otherwise stated you can turn right on a red traffic light provided the road is clear, and there are very few roundabouts in the US.

I don't know whether you need an international driving licence so it is worth checking. We have driven abroad in many countries and find driving in the US, outside of towns, much more relaxing than anywhere else, even the UK.

Driving in Boston itself can be ghastly, and parking is expensive, so you might want to just hire the car as you are leaving.

I agree with alark. You won't need a car for exploring Boston.

And if you are getting car from Alamo, their downtown Boston pickup place is so close to the airport (and on a direct line too) that it's not worth doing a drop at the airport on return - we only realised that as we collected it after paying extra (afraid we'd ahve to come right into town and spend hours getting to airport afterwards - but it was so handy that it would have been less than an hour extra time allowed and saved $$$$!)

We go to the States most years and always hire a car - these days CDW is usually included when you hire. DH always does hires in this country; it doesn't stop the hire companies trying to sell you other things when you get to the US. We never take out the insurance which covers damage to tyres, though. Do remember to keep your driving licence with you all the time when you are driving (we didn't know this was a rule until we tried to go to a museum on a US Army base and were confronted by a marshall. Quite an impasse as he didn't want to let us continue illegally, but also wanted to be helpful. Fortunately I remembered I had my licence with me, and he waved us on with me driving!).