Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and rental

Next Week's AskMe: I Think My Mother Has The Hots for Me

rokusan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:19:26 -0800

Doc Brown Christmas Filter: Help me get my own DeLorean, if only for one day! (Posted for a dear, dear friend, obviously. From the future.)

My company is hosting a sci-fi themed Christmas party in Tampa this year, and it would be amazing super cool if we could find a DeLorean as a 'prop'.

I've e-mailed the local DeLorean group and posted on DMCTalk in my area's forum to no avail. I came *this close* to buying a local Delorean to meet this desire, but the price was too great for the car's condition and our ability to spend time and money on a project car for such a short-time special event: one day (Dec 19). It doesn't even have to run, really, as long as there's some way to get it there.

Does anyone have any other ideas, links, suggestions, pointers or help?

Who can hire me a car to drive from the UK to the Netherlands?

gonzo_ID — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:10:17 -0800

I need to hire a car to drive from Bristol, UK and to drop off in Haarlem Netherlands. Avis says no, europecar says no, hertz are difficult to get hold of. Suggestions? Recommendations?

My rental was hit by a taxi

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:30:23 -0800

I rented a car and a taxi hit me while I was parallel parking. The car was not dented, but there is a bit of yellow paint on the bumper. Unfortunately, I declined all coverage. What advice do you have before I return the car (in a few hours) to the company? I'm not sure yet if my credit card or driver's insurance covers rental cars. I havent seen the police report yet --- of course the taxi said it was my fault and I said it was his (it was). If it matters, it is Thrifty car.

Thanks for your help and advice. Anonymous so as not to help the car company. Throw away email: M8R-ddtycs@mailinator.com

Rental Car Scratch

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:55:49 -0800

Ever scratch a rental car in Europe? Relatively minor bumper scratch. Looking over the paperwork, it appears I've screwed up and not purchased the coverage I intended to, so I'm assuming I'll have to pay (and there's no need to discuss that further, lesson learned). Credit card coverage not active. I do have US insurance, no access to the policy wording right now.

How much did it cost you? Online travel forums have interesting answers, but they tend to attract the most unhappy examples. Question anonymous just in case there's a dispute pending. Thanks.

It's cheaper in LA.

SLC Mom — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:32:20 -0800

Is there a cheaper way to rent a car at JFK? I will be in the New York area Aug. 27-30, and need a car for the 4 days: Thursday Morning to Sunday evening. The cheapest car I can find on line is $72 a day!!! I am more accustomed to paying $20-30 a day (plus gas) in my local airport zone. Is this rate typical for New York? Are there cheaper car-rental options?

Quibbler-filter: 1. I already bought tickets. So it will be JFK.
2. I do need a car, as I will be driving out of the city with huge amounts of luggage.

The Fun Can Not Be Halted.

indiebass — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:21:59 -0800

Going to Milwaukee for a wedding next month. Need to rent a car, and would love to try a Nissan cube. Is this even possible? Whenever I have rented a car, it has always been utilitarian, and of course: American. So I've ended up with some Ford Focuses and the like. But I wanted to try something cool for a change, and I'll admit that those commercials have worked on me. I'll be driving to Lake Geneva from MKE, and the gas mileage seems pretty decent. I can't seem to find a way to search for a rental by vehicle, and I admit my Google-Fu may be weak. Any help from the Hive (or Milwaukee-based MeFites)?

(Any additional advice on the trip are welcomed, too. Never been to WI before, and already know I need to try 'cheese curds'. But the CUBE was the real question here)

I need an international drivers license.. on the double!

nakleh — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:53:41 -0800

Has anyone from the US ever had to apply for an international drivers license? I'm a dummy and didn't realize it supposedly takes 4-6 weeks to get one! We learned from the DMV you MUST get them through AAA [which is weird, but whatever].

I'm leaving on August 14th for Israel [staying 8 days, want to rent a car for the entire stay there] / then off to Paris [staying 9 days, need to rent a car for 3] and don't have 4-6 weeks to wait. Can anyone offer some advice or personal experiences obtaining one? We found a few places online that say they can expedite for a fee, but they all look shady.

I live in NYC, and have a valid US drivers license. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

Rental Car Accident filter

spacefire — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:43:10 -0800

Hertz fender bender, do I need to file police report, and am I covered? I backing up out of my parents driveway, I hit my mom's car with the rear of my Hertz rental car. Dents and scratches , but no other damage. I have Liability Insurance supplement but no Loss Damage Waiver as that should be taken care of by Visa since I rented using my Visa card. Should we file a police report?

Another question, related: The liability protection states, quote:
Within the limits stated in this subparagraph, hertz will indemnify, hold harmless....which by definition EXCLUDES ANY OF YOUR OR ANY AUTHORIZED OPERATOR'S FAMILY MEMBERS...RESIDING WITH YOU OR THEM..."
I don't live with my parents, I was just visiting, will the liability thing cover the damage to my mother's car?

Can I bribe the car rental clerk for a sweeter ride?

There's No I In Meme — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:40:28 -0800

Can I bribe the car rental clerk for sweeter wheels? I have an upcoming trip where I'll be renting a car (from Alamo) for an extended drive. I've reserved a medium-grade car, but would love to have something that makes me excited for driving halfway across Michigan. Would bribing the clerk get me a free upgrade that's worth the bribe? How much I have to offer?

In the past, I've been bumped up for seemingly no reason, so I assume the clerks have some leeway when assigning vehicles.

Zipcar Update?

The Whelk — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:30 -0800

Daytrip Dreamin': I've read the previous question about Zipcars in NYC, but it's about a year old and I have some specific questions. I am considering joining, but have heard that the availability is not terrific. What's it like for a daytrips out of the city? Any big problems? Does it make sense if you're only planning to use it 2 or three times a year?

Marin Car Rentals Accessible Via San Francisco Public Transport

justcorbly — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:55:12 -0800

I'm thinking of flying into San Francisco (SFO), renting a car, driving up the coast, and flying home from Portland. I'll spend a few days in the city before heading north. I want to avoid renting the car either at the airport or in the city. (This is a fun trip. Driving in San Francisco is never fun for me.) I've rented before from a small Hertz shop within walking distance of the ferry landing in Sausalito. Are there other rental car shops within equally easy reach from public transportation or a cab from the city into Marin?

Where to go around SF in a Rental Car?

gregr — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:20:02 -0800

I'm vacationing in San Francisco, and I have a rental car that gets returned tomorrow morning. What things outside SF should I go check out? I will be in SF for the rest of week, so I have plenty of time to check out the things in the city. Oh, and I've already been to Muir Woods.

Car Rental in France: The Return of M. Hulot

gimonca — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:19:28 -0800

Car rental in France -- how easy or difficult to get an automatic? I'm hoping to be able to travel to France later this year. I'd like to rent a car, but like a typical American, I've never had to drive a manual transmission. If I reserve a car with automatic in advance, how likely is it that I'll actually get an automatic--or how likely that the company would substitute a stick? Any company more likely to stock them than others? I'm aware that prices are higher for automatics. Pick up/drop off would probably be in Toulouse.

One way rental in Northwestern Canada

hylaride — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:34:50 -0800

I would like to do a one way car rental from either Edmonton or Prince George to Anchorage, Alaska (but would settle for Whitehorse, Yukon). I'd like to take a long drive up through the Yukon and through Alaska. Ideally, I'd like to drive straight from Edmonton to Anchorage over a two week period. I'm having trouble finding a car rental company that can accommodate me.

I'm also willing to settle for starting in prince george, or going the other way and starting in alaska. I'd even be willing to drive back from anchorage to yellowknife if it's easier to keep the car in the country. Can anybody help?

Car rental without a credit card and bad credit?

lizjohn — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:18:30 -0800

Help! Stranded at the airport. This is kind of embarassing, but here it goes. Due to bad timing, my husband and I are without a credit card to use until midnight tonight. We need to rent a car to get out of the airport, but my husbands credit isn't good enough to use a debit card, and I can't use my debit card
because I am under 25. Are we simply stranded at the airport until we have a useable credit card? Does anyone know of a car rental company that doesn't have a credit check? The family we are visiting is 6 hours away and I couldn't ask them to pick us up. We're in the Louisville airport and it has the standard car places. We're willing to put as large a deposit as needed. Anyone have any ideas? Greyhound is out of the question.

How to cheap out on car rental?

asciident — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:09:32 -0800

Looking to find a way to save money renting a car, with a few wrinkles... Boyfriend and I are wanting to rent a car to go from Oregon to Michigan, one way, over the course of 2 days. He'll be driving the car, and he's not 25 yet, so we know there'll be an "underaged driver" surcharge. But while comparing rates online, it's obvious that otherwise identical service (unlimited mileage, same car, etc.) is crazy less expensive for a round trip rental than a one way, to the tune of over $100/day difference. (Example: Hertz economy car renting at $30/day if dropped off at the same location vs $140/day dropped off at another location).

Reading some previous AskMeFi questions, it seems some people go the route of renting round trip but dropping it off and saying the trip was cut short, much like buying round trip and only using it as one-way makes for cheaper travel in other areas. Are we just asking to have ourselves surprised by extra fees when we drop off the car if we try that? What other options do we have to make this cheaper than $140/day + surcharges?

Requesting a specific model from a car rental company.

bchaplin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:27:54 -0800

How can I rent a specific model of car from a rental car company in Baltimore Washington Airport? I need to fly into BWI and rent a car for a weekend. I do this a lot. The catch is, I only like specific models. I.e., Ford Focus is fine, Fusion is not. Certain cars are comfortable for my body shape, some are not. And in my experience, there's no way to guarantee that I'll even get a model in the class I ask for. Lots of times I've paid for a subcompact and I end up getting an SUV because that's all they have. It all seems fairly random.

I am a short person, and for me comfort in a car has to do with seat shape, viewing angles, and a lot of other factors. Cars I like include Ford Focus, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Nissan Sentra.

Is there any company that is better than others at letting a customer request a specific model?

Minnesota Car Rental: convertible

pithy comment — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:35:47 -0800

Where can I rent a convertible this summer in the twin cities? We're hoping to rent a convertible for 3 or 4 days in July for our wedding. Nothing super special or specific, just a fun car to have available before and after the wedding and to drive off from the ceremony in. None of the standard car rental places seem to have convertibles available on-line.

how do I rent a car?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:12:45 -0800

I need to rent a car (in France). How do I do it and what do I need to know? I've never rented a car before but family members who want to see me have now offered to pay for me to rent one to visit them. I have been told that if I reserve the car in advance, it will be a better deal but I really have no idea how to go about this other than a vague idea that I probably need something with insurance included and unlimited kilometers

Relevant info: I am in Lyon, France. The primary driver will be a 26 year old American male who knows how to drive manual. We will be driving a total of ~1000km (to/from Milan, Italy) on March 7-8, 2009. We have no strong car preferences (money trumps type) but if it were possible to get a Smart Car as our rental I would be delighted.

I have no idea where to start on this and no experience with rental cars, so any information is welcome.

Renting a 4wd

nat — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:22:49 -0800

How do I rent a 4wd car (in Santa Barbara, CA)? I plan on driving to San Francisco and then Tahoe over MLK weekend.

Because part of the point is to get up skiing in Tahoe with a friend, I would really like to have 4wd so I don't have to worry about chains (I no longer own a car so I don't have a pair, and I wouldn't want to put em on a rental anyways). But, since there will only be 2 passengers, and it's a lot of flat miles from here to SF, I really don't need a full SUV-- what I want is the smallest, cheapest car I can find, which I can drive in snow as-is.

I can't figure out how to search rental agency offerings for 4wd cars; I can ask for an SUV but they are pricey and more car than I really need (esp. because the roads might not be snowy that weekend anyhow!) Do any of the other common designations mean 4wd and I just don't know?

Extra fun: I actually don't care how I get to SF, but flying from SBA is too expensive (c. 500$), flying through LAX would take as long as just driving up, and the Amtrak is *so* slow. If you have other methods of getting up there feel free to share!

help my wife and cats get home

crazylegs — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:33:47 -0800

Looking for one way car rental, ride share, or other transport east from Toronto. On October 26 my wife is flying into Pearson Airport with our two cats. She needs to get from there to Prince Edward County, about three hours east of Toronto. I've been researching car rental agencies and most of them don't seem to allow return of the car to Belleville or Kingston, which would mean her having to drive the car all the way back to Toronto and then take a bus back to P.E.C.
I'm looking for any or all of the following information:
1 - A car rental company that will rent a car at Pearson and allow it to be returned in Belleville (ideally, or else Kingston).
2 - A ride share opportunity where I might find someone driving east on that day who would be able to give her a lift.
3 - Any other means of transport that would allow a relatively tired woman and two fairly stressed out cats to get from point A to point B (note: the terms 'tired', 'woman', 'stressed', and 'cats' rule out hitchhiking, and probably a bus).
If by some intervention of Providence, you, yourself, the person reading this, are a Torontonian who has just been thinking "saaaay, I'm up for a trip to Prince Edward County around about October 26... if only I had some cats to entertain me on my journey...", then by all means get in touch!
Thanks!

US auto rental advice

daveyt — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:38:25 -0800

Some advice please on auto rental in the US please? I'm travelling from the UK to LA later this month, we're doing a car trip round CA and NV. I've done it before a few times, but my girlfiriend hasn't so its a chance for me to show the place off for a while. I've booked a car through Alamo, i'm reasonably experienced with auto rental in the US, but this time i actually paid attention to the little things.

I would like to get the Sirius thingy so we can listen to BBC, I only have a small tolerance for RRRROCK RADIO and preachy guffins and I dont like Country or Western.

When comparing 'like for like' on the hertz site for a car with sirius, to a car on alamo of same size but no sirius, the cost is quite different, and more importantly, Hertz dont seem to include the protections Alamo do for the price - ie they include LDW, but not CDW. So the price is significantly higher for Hertz with CDW than Alamo without. Is there something about Hertz that makes them special?

I know there are USians who must rent cars all the time and have vast experience of this, whats some general advice around all of this?

(The car is being picked up/dropped of at LAX btw)

An American in Germany - keep me mobile!

FlyByDay — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:47:42 -0800

Help an American traveling in Germany get around for a month this summer - car or train? For a friend: I will be in Germany from June 5 through July 2. While I'm there I might rent a car or travel by train. However, I know nothing about doing either of those things as an American -- apparently there are different rules for buying tickets and renting cars when you are not German, nor an EU citizen.

If I could get an all-I-can-ride train pass (e.g. Eurailpass) for say $500 for the month I'll be there, then we're done -- I'd do that. I'm afraid it might be a lot more, though, in which case I'll need more research to figure out how to best get around.

For reference, I'm flying into Frankfurt and will get picked up at the airport... but after that, I'm interested in visiting Munich, Stuttgart, Saarbruecken, and very possibly Hannover and a few towns near Hannover.

Thanks so much!

Best way to get to a store from an airport

stratastar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:27:53 -0800

[Little Rock Transportation Filter]: I have a 3+ hour layover in Little Rock, Arkansas and during that time, I need to get to a store that is near the intersections of route 630 and 430. What is my best option? I will be there this Friday during the afternoon. I have the option to

a.) take a taxi (20 miles round trip= ~$45?)
b.) rent a car (they quoted me online as $24.98, but I'm under 25 so there will be a litany of charges on top of that)
c.) taking some sort of public transportation provided near the airport?

Punctuality is a key, because I don't want to miss my flight, but is there anyone familiar with the area that could suggest an economic course of action?

Cheap 3rd party car insurance

aerotive — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:17:28 -0800

I'm looking for reliable, inexpensive 3rd party car rental insurance. I rent cars occasionally , for business use, and am reimbursed on a per-diem basis. I rent the cars under my name. My personal insurance covers liability while renting but not collision. None of my credit cards provide car rental insurance.

CDW usually costs $30 or so per day from the car rental places and I'm looking for something cheaper. Anyone know of any reliable companies that provide this sort of insurance on the cheap?