Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with rentalcar

Driving in Brazil (RJ)

tss — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:31:02 -0800

We are considering renting a car and driving from Rio de Janeiro to Paraty and back. Advice? My S.O. and I will be in Brazil for the next week or so. We are staying in Rio, but for the last few days of our trip, we plan to spend time in Paraty. We've been thinking that we might rent a car and drive there from Rio, then drive back to Rio before catching our flight home. Does anyone have any experience with this, or pointers? More specific questions (answers to any one of them would be most welcome):

1. When is the best time of day to leave Rio de Janeiro, and when is the best time to return? We imagine that broad daylight is the best time to be driving in Rio, but are there any more specific times? (Luckily there will be a lot of broad daylight this week in Rio.)

2. What's the best way to leave Rio from the Zona Sul?

3. What should we expect from the BR-101 road along the coast?

4. What should we watch out for (e.g. traffic jams) when planning our trip back---to an airline flight we really would rather not miss?

5. Is there a particular kind of insurance we should get here, before we leave, or there, when we get the car?

6. We are confident, patient drivers in the US and wouldn't bat an eye at Manhattan or downtown Philly, say, but have not driven outside of USA/Canada or western Europe before. Is this car trip advisable or should we just take the bus?

I should add that we don't speak Portuguese, although we've had some luck reading webpages and such through triangulation from French, Italian, and Spanish. Naturally, we would plan to limit the need for conversations along the road by driving conservatively, during off-peak hours, at the speed limit.

Seeing Yellowstone from a ditch? Do I need AWD?

ydant — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:53:58 -0800

Driving from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone to Bryce Canyon during Christmas week. Everything's planned, except for the car... Am I screwed? Rental car options, and do I need AWD and/or chains? Last year I went to NV/UT/AZ this time of the year and I absolutely loved it. We flew into Vegas, rented a 350Z with sticky tires and had a blast. Our routing was set to "wherever", and our schedule was open.

We ended up in a snow storm that caught us off guard. Somehow I never really connected "winter" and "350Z" like I should have. This slowed us down a lot but we did fine on roads of varying levels of plowed and were never stopped by the snow. For example, Zion at 11pm during a heavy snow was exciting and thick with snow and icy spots but I managed.

This year I want a better set of tires at the least, so I won't be repeating my mistake. Ideally, I'd get AWD, but there's absolutely nothing for a reasonable amount of money. It's literally 1/3rd the price to get a mid-size car over an SUV at this point.

So, am I going to NEED snow tires, AWD, or chains to get where I want to go? Specifically from Salt Lake City up to West Yellowstone? Can I (barring a storm) make it up I-15 and 20 with the all seasons on a FWD car, or are chains/AWD required anywhere along the way?

I think going down to Bryce will be ok regardless, as I've done that in sub-ideal conditions and managed.

Ideally someone knows where I can rent a Subaru in Salt Lake City during Christmas week, but Google's telling me to be more reasonable.

Thanks!

New Hampshire over Christmas

inflatablekiwi — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:44:13 -0800

Going to New Hampshire over Christmas. Ideas for places to stay and a FWD car rental question. My wife and I are flying into Boston for 4 days/4 nights over Christmas. Ideally we'd stay no more than 4 hours drive from Boston for at least three nights, and be within reach of a ski field. We are currently thinking of staying near Woodstock, NH or near Mt Washington. My wife really wants to do the whole white Christmas, so suggestions on great little inns and locations to stay would be appreciated (the cuter, the better!)

Also, I've seen this previous thread about winter rental cars in Boston, which seems to suggest a FWD drive car + safe driving practices would generally be okay, but really wanted to confirm if the same holds true if we venture out north from Boston city and suburbs into New Hampshire. We'd like to be able to get to the local ski resorts (without too much hassle), and I doubt we'd be straying too far off the interstates at that time of the year. Is a FWD drive rental generally going to be okay in this situation?

Renting a car for the first time ever. What should I know?

madcaptenor — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:09:03 -0800

Renting a car for the first time ever. What should I know? I'm renting a car the weekend after next to go to the wedding of some friends. It's local, and I could get there by public transit, but it's an evening wedding so I'd have trouble getting back. (Plus I don't really relish the idea of riding Philly public transit in a suit and carrying a gift that's supposed to still look nice when I get there.)

I've never rented a car before. What should I know about How Car Rental Works? I'm 25; I have no car insurance of my own because I don't currently own a car. I do, of course, have a valid driver's license.

If it matters, this is with Avis, picking up at a downtown Philadelphia location and dropping off at a different downtown Philadelphia location thanks to the hours of the various locations. I'm using Avis because they inconvenienced my mother about something and so she ended up with some coupons for them that she won't have a chance to use. I already made the reservation; they didn't ask for a credit card number or a phone number, which worries me a bit.

Also, is there some other obvious solution to my transportation problem that I've missed? Since the rental car folks don't have my credit card info I can back out of the reservation. The distance is far enough that a cab isn't really cost-effective.

Colorado vacation advice: SUV rental necessary? & more...

mojabunni — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:37:08 -0800

Colorado (Denver/Vail/Boulder) vacation advice: SUV rental necessary? Weather adjustments for a Floridian? General suggestions? Boyfriend and I are taking a vacation to Colorado Aug 5-12. We're flying into Denver from Orlando, FL, but will be spending most of our time around Vail (where we're sleeping).

1) We've been told by others who've visited CO that an economy or mid-size won't cut it for a rental. Why is that, exactly? What risks do we take by renting an economy or midsize? I ask because renting an SUV for the week is ~$800-$1100. Economy/midsize prices are hundreds less. Before we rent an SUV, is it really necessary? We're not going skiing obviously, and I don't know what exactly we'll end up doing (probably festivals, tours, maybe some hiking/biking (most likely with guided tours), hopefully whitewater rafting, perhaps horseback riding), but we will be driving a bit, definitely every day. Also, it's just the 2 of us.

2) We're used to warm, humid weather at low altitudes. What should we expect or prepare for in CO? I've heard it's very dry, hard to breathe, and that Floridians tire much more quickly in that atmosphere. Boyfriend has asthma & allergies, though he takes meds for both.

3) Any other general advice or suggestions for anything to do or see in Denver/Vail/Boulder areas is much appreciated.

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.

My head hertz.

peanut_mcgillicuty — Sun, 17 May 2009 07:19:36 -0800

More rental car insurance confusion. I live in NYC so have no car/no insurance. I can't tell if I need to buy what the rental car company is selling. I'm renting a car for five days in Georgia this week. I got the car through Orbitz--the rental car agency is Hertz.

This previous question indicates that I need to purchase additional insurance, since the insurance my credit card provides is not liability. But this previous question indicates that Hertz DOES provide primary liability insurance up to a state's limit (which in Georgia appears to be 25/50/25).

Hertz's website says this: On all rentals commencing in the state of Georgia, Hertz will provide secondary liability protection. The renters personal/business insurance is used to its limits. In the event of no applicable liability protection, Hertz, by default, becomes primary. Hertz will become primary if the Liability Insurance Supplement - LIS - is purchased. LIS is available at USD 12.95 per each full or partial day of rental. I take that to read that they provide it at no cost--but you can purchase it to make their insurance, not yours, the primary. And if you don't have insurance, it's provided automatically.

But calling the location itself to verify that was not helpful, as the girl on the phone simply said, "If you don't have insurance already, you need to buy it." I'll be calling their corporate line as well, but it certainly appears that if I'm happy with the 25/50/25 coverage they're required to offer, I don't in fact need to purchase any insurance through them.

However, I haven't dealt with car insurance in about seven years and all this back-and-forth has me questioning reality in general. Am I reading this right? If you were in my shoes, would you pay for insurance through Hertz? (It's not a huge amount but I really don't want to pay for something they'd be providing me with anyway.)

Bonus question: either way, does that insurance cover me and a secondary driver (assuming I list that second drive with Hertz), or just me?

Very expensive to cross the Rockies.

Dec One — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:19:12 -0800

One-way car rentals. Why are they so expensive? I need to get from Denver to San Francisco over Memorial Day weekend... I arrive at the Denver airport at 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 21. I need to be at an event in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday night, and then in San Francisco to fly out late at night the following Tuesday.

The cheapest I can find for a one-way rental of an economy car is about $650. I've checked Expedia, Orbitz and some rental company sites. That seems awfully expensive for five days. What other options are there?

I've posted a notice on both the Denver and San Francisco craigslist site (in the moving and labor section), to see if anyone needs a car moved, but that's a long-shot. I also checked Amtrak, and it's about $300 for the two of us, but wouldn't allow a number of side trips we want to take. I'd rather pay the $650 than take the train.

As a side question, why are these one-way rentals so expensive? Everyone I talk to seems to think it's because the rental company has to get the car back to its origin, but that's silly. Rental places are buying and selling cars all the time. My one-way rental will just mean the San Francisco location has to buy one fewer cars, and the Denver location has to sell one fewer. Or SF could sell one more and Denver could buy one more. The cost for a five-day rental staying in Denver is $150, so the one-way premium is $500. I realize that they know I will be putting about 1,000 miles more than a normal renter would on the car, and that that slightly decreases the resale value of the car. But it's an economy car! 1,000 miles doesn't decrease the value of an economy car by anything close to $500, does it?

Spain by car

jckll — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:55:45 -0800

Tell me what I need to know to drive around Spain (mostly Andalusia) for ~4 days this summer. I'm going to be renting a car (probably from Granada) and driving around to a few cities in the region (the itinerary isn't 100% set, but Granada, Malaga, Seville are on the table).

I've been told I need an international driver's license/permit that can be attained at a local AAA office. True? No big deal.

There appear to be a ton of rental companies based on a quick google search. The "name" American companies (Avis, Hertz, etc) look to be much more expensive than what appear to be local Spanish rental companies. Is there any reason I shouldn't just get the cheapest I can find? Does anyone have recommendations for specific companies?

Is reserving the car something I need to do in advance, or can I take care of it upon arrival?

I don't need a large car (only traveling with 2 other people), I drive manual (stick) just fine, I am 24 and I speak Spanish. Not sure if any of those details are relevant.

Anyone have personal experiences? Anyone have general advice? I'm interested in any and all opinions!

What does "primary liability protection" really mean?

nemutdero — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:57:35 -0800

Scratched another car while I was driving a rental car. I don't have auto insurance and I didn't take out liability protection from the rental agency. They had previously said that they cover "minimum liability" automatically at no cost. Now they claim otherwise. Help! While driving a rental car yesterday, I managed to scratch the rear bumper of the rather expensive car in front of me. :(

I do not have auto insurance. I did not take out any coverage option offered by the rental agency. This was partly because when I was renting the car, the lady at the counter told me that they cover minimum third party liability automatically at no cost.

After the accident, I confirmed this on their website, which states: "Upon signing the Rental Agreement, [Rental Agency] provides primary liability protection. However, such protection is generally no more than the minimum limits required by individual state law." According to my state's law, the minimum limit is $5000 for property damage.

When I called Rental Agency after the accident, they told me that they would not in fact pay for the damages to the other driver's car. They explained that the "primary liability protection" exists for their purposes (e.g. if I flee the country and they can't get money from me to pay the other driver's insurance company, they could get the money from the state).

This sounds bogus to me, and I am desperate to know what "primary liability protection" really means. Is Rental Agency trying to lie to me when they should actually cover the third party damage?

Affordable rental cars in Orlando for New Years?

indyz — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:15:55 -0800

Is it possible to get a reasonably priced rental car at or near Orlando International Airport around New Years? The best rates I can find are about $500 for December 31st through January 5th. Needless to say, I'm not excited about paying $90+ a day to rent a Chevy Aveo. At those prices it would be cheaper for me to take an extra day or two off work and drive my own car from Chicago to Florida and back, and that's not even factoring in the cost of plane tickets.

Am I just out of luck due to the timing of my trip? Or do any of you more seasoned travelers know where to find deals?

What are my cheapest rental transportation options?

metamush — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:07:53 -0800

Is there such a thing as a cheap rental car? I'm headed down to Florida for Obama, until the election is over. I am headed to Tampa, FL to work for the Obama campaign until the election. I am getting free housing, however I don't own a car which could make things really annoying. Of course I can bum rides from others, but I want to know my options especially if I'm a 15 minute drive away from the office.

From my own internet research, it seems like finding a car for the month for less than $600 bucks is just not out there. Rent a Wreck says $700, and I'm 23 anyway.

Perhaps an Obama supporter in the area can lend me a car, but I know if I owned a car I'd be weary of loaning one to Jesus himself.

Thoughts?

Rental Car Insurance and Diminished Value Claims

coffeefilter — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:39:10 -0800

Rental Car Insurance - "Diminished Value" - Say you decline their insurance, and there's an accident. How commonly do car rental companies try to get around your personal car insurance and your credit card car insurance with a "diminished value" claim, or other sneaky end-runs? Because apparently, they can.

Liability Creep

Coverage Gaps

Visa does not cover "diminished value"

Rental cars for unpaved roads, Las Vegas

thirteenkiller — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:12:36 -0800

We want to rent a car in Las Vegas, and drive it on dirt roads in Arizona and Utah. What is the cheapest company that allows this (or who will be unlikely to notice we've been doing it)? Bonus points if they provide reasonably-maintained cars. Also, should we get a "Standard SUV" rather than "Mid-Size"? Do they use GPS tracking, and if so does it just check that we stay in permitted states, or do they also check that we stick to paved roads?

Car vs SUV rental for winter driving?

metahawk — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:05:46 -0800

What is the best rental car option for winter driving? I am going to be renting a car in Boston and driving up to Vermont. The rental agencies won't guarantee a car with 4 wheel drive. So am i better off with a regular car or an SUV?

Decision: Train vs. Car hire in the UK.

purephase — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:22:23 -0800

Decision: Train vs. Car hire in the UK. As I'm coming from North America, my personal choice would be the train. I'd like to see the sights, not worry about parking, gas, or learning to drive on the opposite side of the street. However, the cost seems rather prohibitive ($400 CND for two people to travel from Edinburgh to London).

Reading Bryson's Notes From a Small Island it seems rather easy for someone to jump around by train on a whim. I realize that he probably has a Rail pass in order to do this but they're fairly expensive as well. A 4-day pass is $652 CND for two people and I'm not sure that 4 days will be enough. 8 days is far too long.

So, I'm looking at rental cars and they are a lot cheaper. I can get an automatic 4 door for less than $500 CND and it would offer a lot more flexibility in terms of where to go, how long it takes to get there etc.

It feels like I'm missing something though. The UK seems like such a train friendly place but the prices indicate otherwise. I'm basing the costs above on quotes from BritRail and easycar.

I would really like to do this by train! Any advice or assistance would be appreciated.

Can I get one without a clutch?

Pocahontas — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:25:57 -0800

Traveling in Ireland and want to rent a car. I heard that all the rental cars there are standard (manual) transmission.. A friend said this was true the last two times she went. Any MeFites rent an automatic transmission car recently? I will be renting in Dublin, if it helps.

Or is it the "Redneck Riviera" for hubby and me?

thebrokedown — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:56:00 -0800

I am interested in the hive mind's ideas on how to either rent a car with terrible credit, or ways to get to and travel in deep woods Minnesota without renting said car. In about a year from now, I am having a canoeing honeymoon in the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota. We will be traveling from Mississippi, and we would prefer to drive, both for the trip, which is a great one, and also to be able to get ourselves and our gear into the north woods. I cannot find a way to get to the Ely area and a drop-off point should we fly/take a train, etc., without renting a car when we get to the Twin Cities. The problem is our credit. I'm a lost cause, while my SO is working on repairing his, but a year's time just isn't gonna do it. Does anyone have any ideas about alternatives to using a credit card to rent a car, or alternative travel in that area that won't crush our bank account? I am resigned to putting down a massive deposit on a car rental if Metafilter doesn't come through. Please feel free to ask questions if I have been unclear in any way.

Enterprise is defying logic and I'm the victim.

visual mechanic — Tue, 09 May 2006 19:22:41 -0800

How can I avoid letting Enterprise Rent-A-Car's Scam in Process Succeed? My wife took our new Saturn Vue in for service last week. We were promised a loaner vehicle. However, the car they had for loaning was promised to two people, so Saturn called the local Newark, Delaware Enterprise Rent-A-Car and they delivered a cheaply made Kia Rio to my wife. My wife declined the optional insurance since paying $20 a day for a "free" loaner seemed like a bad proposition to her.

The Enterprise rep and my wife walked around the car and noted all the cosmetic damage -- there was a lot of it. It was a really bad car, more than the 44K in mileage would indicate.

We had the car for a day and a half. One the day we were to return it, literally hours before we were to return it, my wife parked for lunch and locked the car. Upon returning to the car, the door would not unlock or open on the driver's side. From then on the driver had to crawl in and out of the car through the passenger side door.

Annoying, yes. And we complained to Saturn when we returned the car. A cheaply made, badly maintained car failed us.

After returning from dropping off the car and picking up our own, we had a message on our voicemail. It was Enterprise, telling us they needed our insurance information because of the "damage to the driver's side door."

I called them back and told them I would not be giving them my insurance information, because we did not damage the car, it failed us. In fact, I said, I had already complained because it was very annoying to have to drive a car with a door that wouldn't open for the driver.

He said that "unless it's a mechanical failure, the customer is responsible." I asked for a definition of mechanical failure and he couldn't give one. I told him that I thought mechanical failure was when a mechanism failed while being used in the manner which it was designed to be used. I added that I thought that locking a door was a proper use for the door lock.

It ended with me standing firm in that we weren't accepting any fault for this whatsoever, and would not be providing insurance or credit cards or anything for them to get payment. They said they would be in touch by letter.

Since then, I have told the Saturn dealership of the ordeal, and asked them to please contact Enterprise.

Any other ideas for me, what should I do? I really don't want to pay and don't think I should. Am I out of line? Also, isn't the Kia likely still under warranty anyway, why are they after me?

another thing: The car only had a quarter tank when we received it. And actually it was below the E after 8 miles. Not knowing how long our car would be in the shop, we filled it. . then returned it hours later. So they already made off with $30 in free gas! I complained about that too, with no response. "I'm sorry sir, with high prices in gas it is our policy to only put a quarter tank in every car." Not that this is really related to the door issue, but well they have already taken money from my pocket.

HELP ME.

Gas-economical rental car?

Joseph Gurl — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 19:25:58 -0800

What's a (cheap) rental car that will get me great gas mileage in CA? I'm going to be in the USA for the first time in a year in October. I'll be doing a LOT of driving on the west coast, in a rental car. Any advice on a (cheap) car, available to rent (in S.F. area, preferably) that will give me great gas mileage? I don't want to get killed at the filling station, since money is definitely an object for me.

BTW: there's no other option, I *must* drive.

Under-25 Car Rental

mhaw — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 12:58:30 -0800

I'm going to Phoenix for a couple of days in June and will need to rent a car. My only problem is I'm 22 and most rental car companies have strict policies about renting to those under 25. Those that will rent to those under 25 (Thrifty and Dollar), charge excessive surcharges ($20 a day when the rental is $25 a day). Is there any way of getting around this?

Rental Car Insurance

o0o0o — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 18:20:37 -0800

Is the extra insurance offered by rental car agencies really needed, or is it just a big scam? I always go for it, but that extra $10 a day can really increase the price. My personal car insurance company (Progressive) really doesn't say one way or another. I've searched around on the web and all I can find is wishy washy non-commital answers. I want to know once and for all.

Parking in and around New York City

striatic — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 11:36:53 -0800

Hi, i'm looking for a place to keep a rental car in or around New York City. My friends {travelling from toronto} and i will be staying at a hostel on 891 Amsterdam Ave and will be staying arriving Friday, overnight Friday and Saturday, leaving early sunday. Leaving the car outside of the city is fine so long as it remains secure.

Is it better to pay to keep the car in the city? the hostel people say that we should be able to pay 15 to 25 dollars per day at a nearby garage depending on the size of our car.

Is it better to park outside of the city and "commute" in by transit? if so, any suggestions as to where to keep the car?

any and all help would be appreciated, and thank you in advance.