US Rental Car Guide For Foreign Travelers.

If you plan to visit the US and go beyond the metropolitan, like New York City or San Francisco, then you should plan to get a rental car as the country’s public transportation cannot easily get you from place to place. Here is a US Rental Car Guide to make your next rental car process easier to understand:

Major Rental Car Companies

There are numerous rental car companies to choose from, but in case you need reliable customer support, book your car with one of the major companies such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, or Thrifty.

If you plan on coming back to the US and rent a car again, then sign up for your preferred company’s membership program to earn points and rewards.

Foreign Driver’s License

In the US, an international driver’s license is not required. You are only required to show your valid driver’s license from your home country (but note that an international license may help if the attendant does not recognize your home country).

If your foreign license does not show a photo ID, you will be asked to show your passport. You may be required to show an International Driver’s Permit if you have that in your possession.

Age Restrictions

Rental car companies vary according to the minimum age allowed to rent a car. In general, you must be 21 years old and have a license for at least one year.

Avis, however, permits 18 year olds to rent, while Hertz has a minimum age of 25. For drivers under 25, you will have higher fees.

Also note that some companies will not rent to those over 71.

Rental Car Insurance

When booking your car online, you will be asked if you want rental car insurance. You may also be asked it again when picking up your car. The price is typically a daily rate. You should pay for rental car insurance in case anything may happen. Note that your credit card may already cover rental car insurance.

Notes & Tips

In the US, most rental car companies will only offer automatic transmission.

Also, you may see a great base rate for the day, week, weekend etc, and then the final price turns out way higher. Take into account all the extra fees and taxes which are added on per day. Expect to pay at least an extra $100 more from the advertised base price.

If you plan to pick up and drop off your rental car in different locations, you will be charged a higher drop off rate.

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