When you are in the USA, usually you commute by public
transport (which takes up a lot of time, plus it's not
that frequent too.), or by means of your own transport.
If you don't own a car, temporarily, renting a car can
help you to manage other primary arrangements like looking
for the apartment, opening bank account, etc., which would
otherwise take a lot of time. It's good to rent a car
as soon as you get accustomed to driving in the USA, which
gives you freedom to travel at your own convenience.
You can hire a car at the airport itself, as almost all
rental car companies have their offices at the Airport.
This will give you freedom to commute. And if you are
here for some limited time, then it would be more economical
instead of going around in taxies.
Renting a car is also advisable (even if you own a
car), if you want to go on a long (10 to 14 hours) journey,
as it won't increase your own car's mileage, plus you
won't have to pay anybody in case of any damage. It
will be the renting companies headache. For renting a car you will need
to have:
- Driving License: You are required to have
either IDP (International Driving Permit) issued from
India, or the respective US state license in order
to be able to drive. On IDP, you can drive for some
limited period which is different for each state,
e.g. it is 2 months for California.
- Credit Card: You must have a credit card,
otherwise you won't be able to rent it, since not
all car renting companies accept cash.
Types Of Car: There are three kinds of car:
- Small Car: These are very light cars and
are not appropriate for Freeway Driving. They are
good to drive with the town.
- Compact Car:These are medium weight cars,
very good for in the town driving and also ok to use
on Freeways.
- Big Car:These are heavy weight cars and are
very good and safe for Freeways.
(These can be further divided into categories such
as: Economy, Compact, Mid-size, Standard, Full-size,
Premium, Luxury, Convertible, Mini van, SUV.) Generally there is a 2-5$ difference in the rentals
depending on the type you choose. Normal charges are
15-20$ for small, 18-22$ for compact, and 20-25$ for
big cars.
These rates vary from company to company. Popular Car Renting Companies are : Enterprise
Rent-A-Car, Hertz,
National,
Avis,
Budget
etc.
Or contact 1-800-number. Remember when you rent a Car:
- The person who hires the car, is suppose to drive
and nobody else.
- Include the name of other driver IF some else also
going to drive the car.
- Its advisable to get the insurance also , If you
don't have car insurance coverage.This protects you
in case of any accident.It may cost you some extra
(10-20$)/day. Though the cost of the rent goes up
a little high, but it is worth taking.
- A few credit cards provide facility to cover your
insurance e.g. Discover Card. So, if you use such
cards for renting, you can take such advantages.
- If you are going to drive outside the state, Do
notify it at the time of renting.
Tips
- Always check and note the mileage reading of the
car before leaving. This is because, some companies
let you drive unlimited, but on the other hand some
companies charge you extra for every mile you drive
over some particular limit. So, clarify this before
renting.
- Few companies offer pick up and drop back till
your residence. So, confirm this and make use of
this opportunity.
- Always compare the rates of few rental companies
prior to renting.
- In case of any problem contact the rental office.
Remember, it's totally their responsibility, so
don't hesitate for anything.
- There are different charges for weekdays and weekends.
So, take the maximum advantage as it's cheaper on
weekends.
- There will be some discount, if you want to rent
the car for a month or more.
- Some car rental companies are AAA certified i.e.
they give special discounts to AAA members.
- Always check the condition of the car properly.
Give a proper search for any kind of scratch or
damage, and clear it before hand, so that there
is no dispute at the time of returning.
- Always return the car before the time limit, otherwise
in case of delay by some nominal margin also, they
may charge you one full day extra charges. So, be
cautious.
Important Links:
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