Car hire in USA - any tips?

[StackOfOranges]

We want to hire a 7 seater people carrier from Boston's Logan airport for 10 days..

Any tips for hire companies - good/ bad experiences?

Needs:
reputable company
Pick up from the airport and return to airport

Any other suggests about getting out of Boston to head north to Maine would be very welcome!

Thanks in advance

we have always booked our car through British airways when we booked the flight. do you need 7 seats plus luggage space? if so then go bigger because the 7 seater wont have space for bags. we paid to put usa maps on our sat nav and took it with us. made it all a lot easier. make sure you sort all the insurances before you go and don't get conned into anything else. whenever we have booked a 7 seater for the 5 of us they always try to give us something bigger so make sure you see the car they are trying to give you before you sign for it as you could end up with a juggernaut.

Generally cheaper to book before you fly than to turn up and book something when you arrive. Also can get real choice about what model you drive. Some companies let you choose exact model as part of booking.

You won't get a choice about transmission, though. I hate automatics but it's all rental companies offer. Very hard to get a 7-seater nowadays that isn't an SUV, too.

Book in advance and use price comparison sites. Getting out of Boston from Logan up towards Maine is very easy and roads are well signposted. I did it earlier this year.

Agree to book before you go, get the fully inclusive insurance and then don't let them hassle you into buying even more insurance when you pick up.

I think all the companies are similar. We usually use Alamo though.

We have used BA and this worked well. A smaller car though. Driving is Boston is ok and is a pleasure on the open road but we book a sat nav just in case. These do make life easier. Stay a bit in Boston though. It is a great city.

You may get a much better deal if you pay in full by credit card booking in advance than if you pay when you return the car (on Hertz website now it is less than half price for 7 seater for a week in September).

If you need booster seats, they tend to charge ridiculously high prices for renting them. Take them with you if you can, or even plan to stop at a nearby store to buy them on the way out of Boston.

I would try to have a sat nav. Driving around Boston in my opinion is confusing, although I salute those who say it's easy! Once you are out of the city it should be straightforward. Where are you going in Maine?

Maine from Boston is a very easy drive, but get a GPS anyway. You should easily get a Chrysler Town and Country (Grand Voyager) from any of the main companies, that are all much the same as each other. And, yes, it will definitely be an automatic. Definitely book online beforehand.

Where are you going in Maine?!