Driving in the US for the first time - tips?

[CurvaParabolica]

Come Friday I'll find myself on US roads for the first time. I know about the right-turn-on-red law, will have both parts of my license and I'm not going to be near any freeways so no worries there, but is there anything else I need to be wary of? Is it true that at Gas Stations it is common practise to pay for a certain amount of fuel first before pumping?

Also, for anyone who has hired a Mustang recently, any idea if they have ipod connectivity as standard? Going to be spending quite a bit of time in the car and would prefer not have to lug CDs over like it's the 90s

[CurvaParabolica]

Cheers guys, all good stuff

Cemesis said:

Make sure you have Sat Nav incase you get lost.

It's a Hawaiian island; there is one main road with a handful of offshoots - I better not get lost!! Was planning on limiting use of the credit card and taking cash instead, but might make an exception with refills.

[CurvaParabolica]

Never knew about the school buses so thanks for the info! Going on holiday to chill out so no plans to hoon around or do anything silly that would attract the law.

This might be a silly question, but assuming you pre-pay at the pump (or pay at the counter first) do you have to do anything after you've filled up (i.e. go back into the store) or are you free to leave? I know here you just fill up and go and I'm guessing the pump will only dispense the amount of petrol you've paid for so no chance of overstepping your mark.

Thanks for all the tips so far

[CurvaParabolica]

Jimmy No Hands said:

We're going to Florida next Christmas for three weeks. I'm really fancying a Mustang for a week or so. What's the best route to do this? Prebook on the net or wait till I arrive? Also I'm 23 will that be a problem? Can't wait!

I used the Skyscanner app to find the best price for my 8 day rental - $350 with Budget and that includes Loss Damage Waiver, unlimited mileage etc etc - nothing to pay at the desk. My confirmation mentions that there are surcharges for young drivers (18-24) of around $25 per day. But that is for the "basic" mustang only; if you were looking to upgrade to a Shelby or similar, I'm guessing only a few outfits offer such a service and I would imagine the age limit might be 30, like it is here for renting most high performance stuff.