I don’t want to know specific companies, but here is the deal:
My family is planning a trip to the Grand Canyon from New Orleans. We are planning on driving there and then driving around the northeast corner of Arizona. My father wants to rent a car as any of our cars are not really pleasures to drive. My question is this: Do national chain rental car companies allow you to rent cars for cross country travel? I have looked online and seen cars available for rent by the week, but does that mean you can take them and drive them for a week anywhere? Has anyone ever driven cross country using a rental car? Do you pay by the week? Is the mileage taken into account?
Thanks for any help you may give. Like I said, I just want to know if it’s possible and whether we have to re-think our transportation strategy.
Most of the big-name rental companies are now offering unlimited miles per day, so go with whatever’s convenient and cheapest.
Look at your current auto insurance to see if it covers rentals, or if you can buy a “rider” on the policy to add loss/damage coverage for a rental. The rental company’s insurance will cost about $25 - $45 a day for the liability supplement, LDW and personal accident insurance / personal effects coverage and whatever else they can think of insuring. On a rental for a week or more, this can really add up to serious money.
Also, don’t rent from an airport location - there’s usually a 10-15% surcharge for airport rentals.
Right - one of the most notorious ripoffs anywhere. They charge something like 10 times what the insurance should cost, no doubt on the assumption that most renters are not very insurance-savvy and/or someone other than the renter is paying.
Some credit cards have provisions to cover rental car insurance when you use that card to pay for the rental.
I have a similar question regarding this. I’m planning a long trip as well. Is the expensive insurance really necessary? I have heard some bad stories about people returning cars with VERY minor dents or scrapes and being charged hundreds of dollars for it. Are they really this crazy?
It isn’t generally necessary if you have your own liability/collision/comprehensive insurance. The only way to know is with a quick call to your agent to check about your specifics. Paying by credit card often gives you additional protection. However, it would be rare to be a car owner with your own full insurance that needs to rental car company insurance. It is generally known as one big scam for most people to avoid.
My family goes on a ~7500 mi road trip around the United States every four years (3 of them so far!).
We always rent from Avis.
Last summer, we were driving down I-5 near Sacramento CA, thousands of miles from home, when a tire on the truck next to us exploded, smashing our windshield on the passenger side.
We made it down to our stop in LA, and the next day at noon I picked up an even better vehicle for the drive back, no charge, no insurance issues, just a form to fill out describing what happened.
The car is actually not the most expensive part of our trips – gasoline, food, and hotels cost more, since we like to stay in nicer hotels and eat in restaurants instead of cooking our own. It’s worth it to me, though.
As already mentioned, don’t use the daily insurance. State clearly your intentions of going across the country. I remember that at one time Enterprise told me flat out that their cars do not cross the Mississippi, no ifs, ands, or buts. May have changed.
Are you talking about one-way rental?
That’s where you don’t return the car to the place where you rented it from. Like you rent it in New Orleans, drive to Nevada & around, and return it to that rental company’s office in Phoenix, AZ.
That happens a lot, especially when people are moving cross country. Any national rental company can handle that. You’ll pay a bit extra, because it leaves their car located elsewhere, and eventually they have to do some moving of vehicles around.
If you return the car in any condition other than the way it was rented to you, you will pay for it. Be very careful to check the car yourself before you take it out of the lot. If there is ANY damage regardless of how minor, bring it to their attention so they can make a note of it on your contract. Both you and the person renting the car should initial it. Check the inside too, including seats, mats and radio. Rent the car during the day.
As far was whether the additional protection it’s necessary (it’s not insurance), if you own a car check with your insurance company. They’ll advise you.
A few years ago, Enterprise told me the car couldn’t go beyond a bordering state. I live in Maryland and was driving to North Carolina…not a bordering state. The agent renting me the car asked me where I was going, I said “to the Maryland - Carolina game…”.
Ten minutes later I was at the Hertz counter.
But yes, I think they recently changed their policy to not letting their cars cross the Mississippi.
If your going to do that, check the different agencies. Sometimes they have a car that was dead-headed. (ex. NY - Florida). They may have one of the cars and if they do they usually don’t charge you if it’s going back to that general location.
Over the years we’ve gone on over a dozen cross country trips using rentals. Some round trip, some one way and then flying back.
If you do your homework you can find some real deals and avoid mileage and drop charges.
The important thing to watch for is if there are any travel restrictions in the contract. I use Enterprise a lot for business, but they only allow travel to states that border the state you pick the car up from. Go outside of them and they want 25 cents a mile.
I don’t really know how they’d find out, but it’s still something to watch for.
Enjoy your trip. I don’t know how much time you have, but if you really want to see “Americana”, especially in the southwest, you have to get off the interstate and take some back roads.
One thing to think about - esp. if you are going to Grand Canyon and environs - you want a high clearance, preferably 4WD. Not for the road to the South Rim, of course - but there are a tremendous system of state and county maintained roads jeep trails, sometimes well signed, sometimes not. Grand Canyon is really just one component of the southwest - a must see, but if you have a bit more time - it is possible to travel several hundreds of miles far from any pavement (or anything else for that matter) if you and your guests are so inclined…
Strange. I’ve rented from Enterprise in Ohio perhaps 6 times in ten years. Been to upstate NY, Wash DC. Never was I told I couldn’t go beyond a neighboring state. And never paid for it. Strange.
You can definitely have some fun off-road, but you’re likely to pay substantially more to rent a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, and then to put gas into it. As there are huge numbers of great destinations accessible with a 2WD vehicle, the extra cost may not be worthwhile.
I rent at least twice, and occassionally four times every month from them. Half the time in Minneapolis, the other half in Milwaukee. Everytime we pick up a car they tell us if we go beyond the states that border (Wisconsin or Minnesota, depending on where we pick up) there will be a mileage charge.
It’s no big deal to me as I don’t intend to leave the border states, but someone taking a cross country might be affected.
Following the general advice, avoid Enterprise. They are great for locals, not so much for long hauls.
Going against the general advice, get the daily insurance. Sure it is a ripoff, it costs a lot more than regular good insurance. Thing is, you can walk back with just a steering wheel in your hand, hand over the keys, sign th return form and forget about it.
Take it from a guy who lives 3 months a year sitting on a rental car. Things happen to cars (more so if you feel like you don’t need to care for it because it is not yours ). If you go with your insurance, you have to pay the rental company off your pocket and then deal with your insurance. Nothing you really want to do.
You are paying for peace of mind and it is nothing when you put it next to the rest of the expenses of the trip.
My mom actually looked into it with one of the major chains. My dad want’s an SUV to rent. My mom said the company she looked into willl give her a discount with her AAA membership and we’ll get unlimited miles. And we are planning on staying in Flagstaff to explore that area for a while and see the Grand Canyon, and then moving into the Monument Valley area to explore up there. I can’t wait! (I’ve never been further west than San Antonio). Oh and we’ll be renting round trip. So, pick up and return to the same place.
). If you go with your insurance, you have to pay the rental company off your pocket and then deal with your insurance. Nothing you really want to do.