Car Hire Canada

[ScoopyDoo]

Going to the rockies for two weeks later this year and need to hire a car for two weeks from Calgary Airport. Online quotes vary a lot but Thrifty look like they offer a good deal and seem reputable. I think I would also take out separate Collision or Damage Waiver Insurance.

Has anyone done this who can offer any tips/advice?

We went to Canada last year and arranged our car hire through Canadian Affair. Slightly disappointed by them as we had also arranged our flights with them but due to a change in departure time they didn't amend our car hire so we had to get to the airport hours before our flight or pay a huge extra amount. However upside is that Calgary airport has a great space museum that you can spend quite a lot of time in.

Anyway I digress. I'm sure Thrifty would be fine - maybe just check trip-advisor to see if any bad press on them, but I've not heard anything myself. You can usually get deals though that include the CDW. Also my top tip is when you pick up your car have your wits about you and a print out of what you've already paid for. They tried to resell me insurance I already had through the contract and then were dreadfully surprised when I pointed it out.

Thanks rookiemere

Also ensure you take photos or a video of the car at the time of picking up and date stamp it. Helps just in case they find something on return. Google reviews for Thrifty Calgary and see what people say.

theyre really all much the same. I usually go with Avis or enterprise just go on and compare prices

We take out excess insurance with Insurance4carhire - although so far we have never had to claim.

Have you tried rentalcars.com? A 5 door saloon for 15 days in August is coming in at around £600 with unlimited miles, with an excess of $500 Canadian (£270). A Jeep would be £675 with excess $750 CA.

We used this broker for US car hire, found them fine.

I think we went with Hertz, DH had airmiles to use which softened the blow - and we upgraded to get a bigger car for doing a lot of driving. We were going Calgary-Canmore, few nights stop, then on to the far side of the Rockies (near Lake Windermere) for over a week, and doing a LOT of driving there (like 90 minutes to a ski slope to see bears, and an hour another direction to go quad-biking on a silvermine) - before coming back through the mountains to Calgary (I think that return trip was 4 hours drive?).

Absolutely FABULOUS place - but there is a lot of distance between sights etc so be prepared for that. And speed limits are pretty low, and enforced, so it does take quite a while to get places (not dreadfully low - but a lot lower than we're used to for motorway driving here).

Oh yes good points Biddypop. Big distances and lots to see ( we went particularly slowly as DH was on a bear hunt). It's worth getting a SUV so a) it's high up so everyone can see everything and b) it's comfortable to spend long times in.

SUV -0 THAT's the word!! I knew it wasn't a 4WD. Well worth it for the views and comfort on a trip with a lot of driving and scenery. And to avoid luggage piled up in the back seat.

There are a lot of National Parks through the Rockies and limits are slow there, but worth it for the views.

We drove through sections which had been hit by wildfires 10 years before and were only starting to recover - so it makes me sad to see what's happening in Fort McMurray now and knowing how long it will take for nature to recover herself after this too.

I think we used Hertz in Nova Scotia. We upgraded to a convertible (just dh and I on the trip) for very little extra by answering yes to all sorts of questions like "are you members of Costco?" (actually we answered no, but the woman just said "I'll just put down yes for that one").