Q. Driving in the USA - all OK with a UK licence?
Discussion
Hi,
I'm off to Minneapolis for 10 days to see some mates. I presume I can use my UK licence to drive out there? They are mentioning something about having an international licence, but mine (paper one) just says european version. Is there such a thing as an international UK licence? Am I OK out there?
Ta.
I'm off to Minneapolis for 10 days to see some mates. I presume I can use my UK licence to drive out there? They are mentioning something about having an international licence, but mine (paper one) just says european version. Is there such a thing as an international UK licence? Am I OK out there?
Ta.
Confirm UK licence is OK. Ditto re importance of insurance
Not sure what costs will be in Minneapolis but in Seattle I paid Hertz (loss damage waiver) LDW plus (Liability insurance supplement) LIS @$32 per day plus tax @ 18.5% - GULP. This was on top of rental @ $56.99 per day plus tax for a Ford Escape SUV.
Worth checking with your credit card provider if you're going to pay with that since there may be some insurance cover there, or you own car insurance may cover you to drive abroad.
Not sure what costs will be in Minneapolis but in Seattle I paid Hertz (loss damage waiver) LDW plus (Liability insurance supplement) LIS @$32 per day plus tax @ 18.5% - GULP. This was on top of rental @ $56.99 per day plus tax for a Ford Escape SUV.
Worth checking with your credit card provider if you're going to pay with that since there may be some insurance cover there, or you own car insurance may cover you to drive abroad.
Your UK licence will be fine.
1) You will get a MUCH better rental price if you book in advance.
2) Expect daily insurance charges to be MORE than the cost of rental. If you have plenty of time you can look into seperate hire-car insurance which can be cheaper..not all rental companies will accept this though. You can also specify the level of insurance cover in advance which can get a better price. Make sure you insurance for
* Damage to the hire car
* Damage to anyone else
* You can decide if you want insurance to protect damage to YOU
* You can decide if you want insurance to protect your property when in the car
The kind of acronyms they have are
CDW - Collision Damage Waiver (only covers damage to the hire car)
ALI - Additional Liability Insurance (covers damage to other people/cars)
You want the sort of insurance where if there is a problem/prang you walk away and just let the rental company deal with it...
(I spent a lot of time in New Jersey in rental cars, rented off most of the companies and I can honestly say I reserve my especial hatred for car rental businesses...
)
1) You will get a MUCH better rental price if you book in advance.
2) Expect daily insurance charges to be MORE than the cost of rental. If you have plenty of time you can look into seperate hire-car insurance which can be cheaper..not all rental companies will accept this though. You can also specify the level of insurance cover in advance which can get a better price. Make sure you insurance for
* Damage to the hire car
* Damage to anyone else
* You can decide if you want insurance to protect damage to YOU
* You can decide if you want insurance to protect your property when in the car
The kind of acronyms they have are
CDW - Collision Damage Waiver (only covers damage to the hire car)
ALI - Additional Liability Insurance (covers damage to other people/cars)
You want the sort of insurance where if there is a problem/prang you walk away and just let the rental company deal with it...
(I spent a lot of time in New Jersey in rental cars, rented off most of the companies and I can honestly say I reserve my especial hatred for car rental businesses...
)Also no problem with UK licence either paper or new photo version, need both parts!!!!
Good advice above to book in advance. Stick with the major operators.
You need LDW rather than CDW. CDW as said above covers cost of damage to the car. All the majors will give you (OK sell you) LDW which covers the car plus all the other incidental losses, eg loss of earnings to the hire compnay because their fleet is down one unit.
Hertz did a rate called WOW which last time I checked was extremely competitive even against the hire car brokers and included all you will need except the sort of stuff you have got included in your normal travel insurance. You do have travel insurance I take it!
Up to you but I never take the offered prepaid fuel, always return it full, much cheaper than the hire car rate.
Might be worth checking out if there are any upgrade offers on the desk.
FINALLY! If this is your first visit to the USA, why not treat yourself, hire a big Yank Tank, eg Town Car or at least a full size then you won't stick out as a tourist. Just a bit of security advice.
Edited to add the following,
One other thought. When you visit the hire companies websites very often they will ask where you live "so as to give you a better web experience" and all that load of bull.
What they are really doing is figuring out if they can apply a "market price" premium to the hire rates.
If you DO book in advance and seeing as you are visiting mates then say you are resident in US, give their address as the place you are "resident" and you will save yourself typically $100/week on the rental compared to presenting yourself as living in UK.
>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Friday 5th September 09:53
Good advice above to book in advance. Stick with the major operators.
You need LDW rather than CDW. CDW as said above covers cost of damage to the car. All the majors will give you (OK sell you) LDW which covers the car plus all the other incidental losses, eg loss of earnings to the hire compnay because their fleet is down one unit.
Hertz did a rate called WOW which last time I checked was extremely competitive even against the hire car brokers and included all you will need except the sort of stuff you have got included in your normal travel insurance. You do have travel insurance I take it!
Up to you but I never take the offered prepaid fuel, always return it full, much cheaper than the hire car rate.
Might be worth checking out if there are any upgrade offers on the desk.
FINALLY! If this is your first visit to the USA, why not treat yourself, hire a big Yank Tank, eg Town Car or at least a full size then you won't stick out as a tourist. Just a bit of security advice.
Edited to add the following,
One other thought. When you visit the hire companies websites very often they will ask where you live "so as to give you a better web experience" and all that load of bull.
What they are really doing is figuring out if they can apply a "market price" premium to the hire rates.
If you DO book in advance and seeing as you are visiting mates then say you are resident in US, give their address as the place you are "resident" and you will save yourself typically $100/week on the rental compared to presenting yourself as living in UK.
>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Friday 5th September 09:53
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