Car hire USA - coast to coast ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Car hire USA - coast to coast

Replies: 24 - Last Post: 30-Jan-2008 01:58 Last Post By: cachinnate

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Posted
27-Jan-2008 00:05
by: NeilGB

Posts: 2
Registered: 11/01/08

Car hire USA - coast to coast

Hi

My wife and I are planning to travel coast to coast (NY - LA) by car. Our trip will last approx 6 weeks.

Can anyone recommend a good car hire company?

We want to avoid untrustworthy companies charging hidden fees/extras...

Thanks

Posted
27-Jan-2008 00:50
by: akirakhan

Posts: 1,287
Registered: 21/09/01

1

What do you mean by a "car hire" company? Do you want to rent or lease a car? Do you want to hire a car and driver?

Posted
27-Jan-2008 01:32
by: NeilGB

Posts: 2
Registered: 11/01/08

2

Hi - no, just need to hire a car, no driver needed.

Posted
27-Jan-2008 02:27
by: TallTravel

Posts: 1,421
Registered: 13/10/06

3

Are you asking about a car rental from a company like Avis, Hertz, etc? Their prices for a one way across the country will be astronomical, similar to purchasing the car you are driving.

Or are you asking about " driveaway " services where you drive a private auto across the country? If this is what you want, forget about 6 weeks. They will give you a week to drive it across the country, not six weeks.

For that length of time you might be far better off purchasing a car in one part of the country and selling it when you are done traveling.

Posted
27-Jan-2008 03:41
by: Willysnout

Posts: 6,056
Registered: 06/04/03

4

You will not be better off buying a car! It will be a big hassle, and at best you'll break even relative to what you'll pay for a rental.

See FAQ posts 148: "Tips on Renting a Car in the U.S. and Driving It Here" and 218: "Should I Buy a Car For My U.S. Trip?" You might also benefit from 243: "The U.S. Highway System" and 208: "Mansions and Grand Houses of America"

Life's a bitch, and then it has puppies

Posted
27-Jan-2008 03:45
by: nutraxfornerves

Posts: 10,417
Registered: 09/06/01

5

There's a langugage problem here: in the US we rent cars and hire drivers. In the UK, you hire a car. The OP wants to rent a car for a cross country trip.

It's going to be tough to find a 6 week rental for a cross country drive. Well, not cmpletely tough, but there may be a seriously high drop off fee. Some rental companies will not rent you a car for longer than a month. You may seriously want to consider doing some of your travel by plane, train or even bus, and renting locally.

Nutrax
The plural of anecdote is not data

Posted
27-Jan-2008 03:54
by: Willysnout

Posts: 6,056
Registered: 06/04/03

6

OP, the car will cost about $350-$400 a week (cheaper for a smaller car, more expensive for a big one), including the drop-off charge but not including the insurance. Try shopping at a UK travel agent. Sometimes they have deals that include insurance. Be sure to have liability coverage, as noted in FAQ 148. If you have a car at home, your insurance policy might cover the rental car. Talk to your agent, and pay close attention to rental duration limits in that policy.

I have never heard of a rental car agency with a maximum limit on rental periods, but if that happens (or if your personal policy has such a limit) then you could rent for one month between the East and San Francisco or Vegas, and then get a second car there. Also, bear in mind that in the big cities of the East a car is not only unnecessary but is an actual hindrance for someone unfamiliar with the streets and local highways.

So, you might want to do the big cities via train (FAQ 200: "Washington-Philadelphia-New York-Boston Via Public Transit"), and if you want to take regional excursions from those places use short-term car rentals. I highly recommend a GPS system, which by the way will probably make sense to just go buy at an electronics store rather than pay extra from the rental car company. Best Buy or Circuit city would a great place to look.

Boston would be a great travel base for Cape Cod, the rest of New England, and New York State, as long as you don't drive the car within the city. (FAQ 147: "Tourist’s Boston and Environs") Washington would be a great travel base for the mid-Atlantic Coast, i.e., the Outer Banks of North Carolina and even down to Savannah, GA and back, and the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.

Also, you don't need a 4WD vehicle, even if you're going into the wilderness. See FAQ 234: "I'm Visiting the U.S. in the Winter: Should I Rent a 4WD Vehicle? A very experienced driver's common-sense tips on road safety"

Life's a bitch, and then it has puppies

Posted
27-Jan-2008 04:08
by: nutraxfornerves

Posts: 10,417
Registered: 09/06/01

7

Willy, I should have been a bit clearer Sometimes the car company does not want you to keep a car for longer than a month, so they can do maintenance & all that. You exchange the car for a new one and off you go.

Nutrax
The plural of anecdote is not data

Posted
27-Jan-2008 04:18
by: Willysnout

Posts: 6,056
Registered: 06/04/03

8

I've only rented for that length of time once, so I can't say I'm familiar with standard practices. Nutrax, I'd have to figure that they're not going to charge an extra drop-off fee to exchange a car for the purpose you've described. The major agencies do tend to work to the letter of their contracts, but I've never had them pull any weird stunts on me and I'd rented literally hundreds of times for shorter trips.

By the way, OP, the one longer-term rental I did was in the summer of 2005 when I crashed my car in New Jersey and needed something to drive to Seattle by way of Mt. Rushmore and the Baslands, the Grand Tetons, Salt Lake City, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Lake Tahoe. My Mercedes replacement was a Chevy Malibu, and I was pleasantly shocked by how much I liked it. In fact, for the past several years I've recommended Chevy Malibus to people who need a reasonably cheap car. (For that saga, see FAQ 120: "Links to Willysnout’s Epic U.S. Roadtrip circa 2005")

The agency was National, which is one of the biggies.

Life's a bitch, and then it has puppies

Posted
27-Jan-2008 10:51
by: Marocfan

Posts: 3,859
Registered: 13/07/03

9

I also suggest you consider buying a reliable used car if there is such a thing. And nutra is correct: some rental car companies will not rent a car for over one month.
I too suggest using rail service (not as good as Europe of course) or flying portions of your trip. And willy is right, having a car in large cities can be a disadvantage (as NYC, Chicago, Atlanta). If you do decide to drive yes, get one of those portable GPS systems but be aware they are sometimes not completely accurate. Car companies: stick with Hertz or Avis if you can afford them; they have offices everywhere. Beware Budget, I have had problems with them. Read the rental contract c a r e f u l l y. Obviously you would want unlimited miles.

"I am never gratuitously rude. My rudeness is carefully calibrated to the stupidity and obtuseness of the people I am dealing with." -- Adam Carr

Posted
27-Jan-2008 11:05
by: bzookaj

Posts: 5,188
Registered: 08/04/06

10

#9, a car in Atlanta is a disadvantage?? You must be joking. Some cities, Atlanta and LA spring to mind, are best with a car.

For six weeks, you may be best flying to cities and renting for loop tours. For example, do the Boston-DC corridor using public transit, renting a car to see the countryside and returning to the same city, then fly out to, say, Las Vegas to rent a car to do the popular national park loop.

This way, you won't really have to worry about long-term rentals, and you miss most of the monotonous inner US. Plus, you get to use those days driving through nothing to drive through something worth seeing. Of course, it it your choice, so don't do this if you really want to drive the whole time.

Garbage in, garbage out.
(In other words: the quality of responses is related to the quality of your posts)

Three phrases you should never post:
1) "I want to see the 'real' America." It's all real. If you want fake, stay home and watch tv.
2) "My situation is unique." 99% of the time, it's not, and most of us can easily cite FAQs or other threads to prove it.
3) "I am interested in everything/anything." Because everyone likes spending their honeymoon hopping between strip clubs and hookers.

Posted
27-Jan-2008 11:13
by: Ragz

Posts: 422
Registered: 10/08/06

11

Buying a car presents potentially major problems. It might end up costing more, it might cost less. It is not convenient, in fact it is a major hassle. Selling car in California from any other state is a big problem legally. Six months, yes, six weeks - no.

One way rentals are expensive. Consider driving a west coast loop from say, San Francisco. Take Amtrak to Salt Lake City (or Glenwood Springs), the train is far more scenic than the highway, the wildlife viewing is better because an four or eight lane road has nothing to see. There are no elk on an interstate. Then take Amtrak to Denver, then drive a loop from Denver. Do the same in New Orleans, and everywhere, never using a one way rental. The savings on the one way fee will probably pay for the train. Driving is a great way to see the US, but interstates are not. Plan your long hauls on the train, it is much more comfortable, and tain scenery is always better than interstate scenery.

Don't forget if you are near Seattle to take the Alaskan State Ferry to Alaska. Try to get to Glacier National Park, that park and Yosemite are the two with great train access. Driving really is the way to go, you do have the right idea. Just don't drive the interstates.

Posted
27-Jan-2008 11:45
by: Fandango2008

Posts: 103
Registered: 17/12/07

12

I have no experience of what you are trying to do but have noted some people on this forum seem to criticise peoples plans rather than help. There is also an American obsession with flying, you will get lots of suggestions to fly rather than drive. so I thought I would try and help and give you a suggestion.

You have probably looked into the same thing yourself if you haven’t give it a go it solves the problem of the length of time of your trip. Pick a half way point and rent a first car to there and a second car from there. Do your own calculations with your own half way point and timescale but I came up with the following:

NY to Dallas and Dallas to LA three weeks each leg approximately £1000 for the full six weeks.

I used a company called Auto Europe as I am using them for a four week rental in the south west and found them to be very competitively priced http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/ I picked a Chevy Malibu; a mid price car. You could spend as much as £200 more or less depending on the car you choose. The company I chose are an internet intermediary the rental company they have placed me with are Alamo. Please note the price is £ (GBP) not $ (USD) and includes tax and insurance.

By the way as far as advice goes I have come across Willysnout of this forum a few times and he seems to know what he is talking about.

Edited by: Fandango2008

"I want to be a non-conformist, just like everybody else" Banksy

Posted
27-Jan-2008 12:08
by: bzookaj

Posts: 5,188
Registered: 08/04/06

13

There are no elk on an interstate.

But there are plenty lying on the side. ;)

There is also an American obsession with flying, you will get lots of suggestions to fly rather than drive.

Because of the long distances involved, much of which is through un-motivating scenery (to say the least), and the hassles of renting cars one-way and for extended periods, it often comes out cheaper and easier to fly certain legs.

However, I agree that the OP should compare prices, distances, sights, etc., to determine what it is exactly that they want. Many people fly and do short excursions, many others drive cross-country. The many of us who suggest flying are just pointing out these aforementioned hurdles so they don't come as a shock, or to get the OP an extra day somewhere they want to be.

There is a reason the plain states are nicknamed the "flyover states," after all.

Posted
27-Jan-2008 16:00
by: grichard

Posts: 175
Registered: 12/08/05

14

A quick shot at answering the question that you actually asked:

Any car company that's big enough to offer one-way rentals over a significant distance is going to be reputable. This includes, off the top of my head, Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Alamo, Thrifty, and Enterprise. All of these companies do significant corporate business and have national reputations to keep up. Any one of them may try to play games with selling you overpriced insurance or a tank of gas, but unfortunately that's ubiquitous with car rentals in the US.

Truly fly-by-night operations tend to be local; none of them is going to try to rent you a car to drop off on the other side of the country.

Having said that, I generally agree with the idea people are putting forth above: rent a car for a week or two, then return it when you're stopping for a few days in a big city. Rent another when you're ready to move on. If you're taking a northernish route, Chicago would probably make a good such layover. But by all means price stuff out in advance.

My personal experience is that the big search engines (e.g. Travelocity, Orbitz) aren't always too hot at estimating prices when one-way dropoff charges are involved. You might want to price things out using the individual car company websites.

Finally, willysnout's FAQ posts about renting cars and buying cars are accurate.

Good luck!

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