Posted on October 07, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

Argus Car Hire realises that renting a car in the US can be as bewildering as it is exciting for foreign drivers.  Depending on your home country, you may be driving on the other side of the road, or you may be reading road-signs in a foreign language.  With this in mind, we’ve come up with the following tips to help you on your way.

Expect an Automatic:

US rental cars usually come equipped with automatic transmissions, air conditioning and a radio cassette player.  Manuals are extremely hard to come by, so it might be worth spending some time familiarising yourself with the workings of an automatic before you hit the open road.

Belt up:

If you are travelling with children under 2 years of age, make sure you have a child’s car restraint seat or request one from the rental agency.  It is illegal to carry small children in a car without safety restraints in most states.

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No Special License Required:

Contrary to popular belief, an international driver’s license is not compulsory in the US.  In most cases, you can rent a car and drive with a valid driver’s license from your home country.  An international license will come in useful if you need to convince the car rental agent that you have a valid license when they cannot recognise or understand your license.  Some car hire agencies will not rent cars to anyone under 25 years old.  Other companies will charge a higher fee for renting to younger drivers.  It is also common for some agencies not to rent to anyone over 71 years old.  Be sure to check restrictions if you fall under these age categories. 

Where to find the cheapest car hire:

Car hire prices are most competitive in popular tourist destinations such as Los Angeles and Florida.  Fantastic deals are up for grabs when you book during the low season too. 

Do You Need CDW?

No mater where you travel in the world, car hire companies will always offer you collision damage waiver insurance (CDW) and theft insurance that can increase the overall cost of your car rental considerably.
Under no circumstances should you risk driving without insurance, especially when you can usually secure it at a much lower price.  Check your own car insurance at home to see if it covers driving in the US.  You may also be covered by your credit card when you rent a car.Â
Credit card companies such as American Express offer travel insurance that provides CDW coverage at cheaper rates than car hire agencies.

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