Cars in USA

peanuthead

Hello

Im wondering can anyone help me, im going to usa for 3months on a holiday, Im gonna buy a car when i get there, but im not sure about what i need, for example, do they tax their cars in usa, or is that included in fuel price? How do i go about insuring a car for 3months over there with no fixed address? Is my irish full licence enough or do i need to get an international driving licence? How do I get one of them? Thanks for the help

PeanutHead:D

DublinDilbert

peanuthead wrote: »

Hello

Im wondering can anyone help me, im going to usa for 3months on a holiday, Im gonna buy a car when i get there, but im not sure about what i need, for example, do they tax their cars in usa, or is that included in fuel price? How do i go about insuring a car for 3months over there with no fixed address? Is my irish full licence enough or do i need to get an international driving licence? How do I get one of them? Thanks for the help

PeanutHead:D

Can you even buy a car there without a valid US licence?? In canada your car is tied to your licence, so you need a valid licence to purchase a car in your name.

Holsten

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign_Visitors_Driving.shtml

bazz26

I think at least one of the conditions for applying for a US license is that you must be a US citizen.

If going for only 3 months I think the easiest solution is to rent a car.

L1011

US licence used to only need an SSN, but you're not going to have one of them if you're there for a 3 month holiday...

peanuthead

so does this mean that its not possible to buy a car over there?

peanuthead

bazz26 wrote: »

I think at least one of the conditions for applying for a US license is that you must be a US citizen.

If going for only 3 months I think the easiest solution is to rent a car.

would that not end up being very expensive?

bazz26

peanuthead wrote: »

would that not end up being very expensive?

It maybe the only legal option available to you however.

irishpaul70

If you buy second hand - that should be ok - you can use a foregin driving licence - but advise you go online and check.

Just as a fyi - you can do the USA driving tests on-line (multiple choice) while having the online manual open !!!!- most of it is drink driving and drugs related and speed distances. then do a driving test when you arrive - takes 20-30mins. Just remeber the 'Turn on RED' rule - at traffic lights you can turn RIGHT on red (unless there is a sign say NO TURN on RED)

For example the Florida the driving website is per county - I lived in Tampa (Pinnellas County) - west coast of Florida -
Try this site - they may help you remote via the web
https://www7.hsmv.state.fl.us/VirtualOffice/faces/assistCenter.html

FYI - In America - it is the Tax Collector that deals with New Licenses and Tags for Vehicles.
Also give the Florida Tax Collector Office: +1 727 562 3262

In american - if a US citizen moves state - they are required to re-apply for a license for their new state within a set amount of time.

There is little or no tax on petrol (called GAS) in the USA.
If you buy a car - you will have to pay a TAG fee - but that can be about 30 US Dollars per year. There is no tax disk etc - just a tag sticker that goes on the licence plate.

Renting is cheap - use the hotels.com site or other large websites (expedia.com) - and make sure you sign up for loyalty schemes - serious those points can be used for hotels/flight booking - I suggest you sign up with the airline you are flying with - Like One World (American Airlines or BA or Air Lingus)

You should also try to see if your current Car insurance over here in Ireland will cover for a car in the USA for those 3 months.

I drove in the USA for the last 7 years and it is a easy as piss... just drive the same speed as every one else (usually 5miles/per hour over the speed limit) and take a GPS with you - some of the road sides are way too close to the turn off itself so opps you miss them!

Any idea on where is the states you going for this road trip?

Paul

CreepingDeath

peanuthead wrote: »

Hello
Im wondering can anyone help me, im going to usa for 3months on a holiday

I can fill in some of the blanks here.
I'm nearly finished working in DC for 3 months.

I didn't buy a car, the company rented one for me.
A "compact" car cost a little under $800 per month to rent. (Enterprise)
Now compact means different things to the Americans... I was driving a Kia Optima and Mazda 3. They're not physically small cars at all.

A foreign visitor can drive on their own license plus the international license for up to 3 months. You can walk into the AA Shop in Dublin and get an international license, they'll make one up there and then.

One of the guys I work with failed his US driving test 5 times so far... there's apparently a lot of statistics you need to memorise. He had passed his test in
his home country of Belgium.

I believe car tax is much lower than Irish car tax over here too.

Also, factor in the price of a GPS system... say $350. You'll be absolutely lost without one.

irishpaul70

ps - I applied for a US License when I got there - had to take the test as I could not find my Irish and UK licenses.
I was in the USA on a work visa - so I had already a SSN for tax reasons - which I think you can apply for - I think I gave them a hotel address when I applied for that.
a lot of things in the USA are linked to the Social Security Number (cars/houses/credit cards/bank accounts).

Paul

towel401

800 per month is expensive since you can buy a banger over there for $400, drive it for a year and then sell it for $500. You can drive in america on a european license, but not sure for how long. buying a banger there shouldnt be too hard though i never tried it.

peanuthead

Paul

Some great info there, thanks!!

We will be going on the visa waiver programme, for 90-days, so wont have work visas, so therefore wont have SSNs!!

We are flying into San Francisco, and then flying home from New York, so the idea was to travel various places along the way. Not exactly sure where yet.

So we will be there on holiday, and will be in and out of different states. Im wondering if this will make it possible for us to be allowed to buy our own car.

We will be staying in hostels, camping, that sort of thing, so we would ideally be looking for a saloon type car or a pick up. My boyfriend has his sights set on a Mustang!!!!!!! He will go out of his mind if he doesnt get to drive on this holiday!!

What do you think our best option is?? Ps: Are there companies that rent cars that are not brand new, ie: cars that have been through alot, im just thinking in terms of how long we would have it for, i would be very nervous in a lovely shiny car, i would feel much more at ease in a sh*t-box!!!!! haha!!

Thanks
Sarah

irishpaul70

I think you can buy an old banger - you should get a VW Van like in the movie Little Miss Sunshine - LOL

As to the Mustang - That is the car I have in the US - but the 2006 model with convertible :cool: - hey it is Sunshine state!!! and I love that car - fun to drive - tell the boyfriend to rent one for a few day - Hertz usually do a 'FUN' car rentals deal in the sunny/warm states (CA,TX,AZ,FL)
Sadly I have mine locked away - and I wouldn't even let my brother borrow it if he went to USA for a holiday trip.

One thing - you should think about getting a thing called - PPI Personal Protection Insurance on your car insurance- in a lot of states (like Calinfornia and Florida) - there s a lot of un-insured people on the road - so the idea is to protect yourself or your passengers (and the other car) if physical harm comes to anyone. It should not be costly - recommend you add that to your question list for the Dublin AA office or when you call that phone number - they are very helpful to tourists.

Also little tip - are you over 21?? you might want to apply for a ID card when there - so that you don't have to carry your passport around with you when shopping/resturants/drinking etc - If you are even under 38 like me - I still got asked my age all the time - the rule is - if you look under 30yrs old - they will ID you. Take it as a compliment :-)

Also I hear you can buy fake US ID in Europe anyway - usually for people under the 21 limit for drinking.

If you buy a car - you will need to tell the tax office anyway and purchase a Vechile Registration in your name - 2 things cops ask for when they pull you over is... Drivers License & Vehcile Registration. All that is easy to apply for - just call the AA office and also the florida number (of course you will have to call an office in the state where/when you buy the car).

Paul

DublinDilbert

peanuthead wrote: »

We will be staying in hostels, camping, that sort of thing, so we would ideally be looking for a saloon type car or a pick up. My boyfriend has his sights set on a Mustang!!!!!!! He will go out of his mind if he doesnt get to drive on this holiday!!

What do you think our best option is?? Ps: Are there companies that rent cars that are not brand new, ie: cars that have been through alot, im just thinking in terms of how long we would have it for, i would be very nervous in a lovely shiny car, i would feel much more at ease in a sh*t-box!!!!! haha!!

Thanks
Sarah

Has either of you ever driven an automatic? if not you should try get someone to show you the basics before you go over.

http://rentawreck.com/ is a company that rents car's a few years old...

If your doing a one way trip (ie san-fran to newyork), there'll be a massive fee also, as your dropping the car back 4000 miles from where you picked it up. Also with rentals there may be charges based on mileage also, but you shouldn't go over these as you would have the rental for quite a few months.

Steve

peanuthead wrote: »

would that not end up being very expensive?

peanuthead wrote: »

Paul

Some great info there, thanks!!

We will be going on the visa waiver programme, for 90-days, so wont have work visas, so therefore wont have SSNs!!

We are flying into San Francisco, and then flying home from New York, so the idea was to travel various places along the way. Not exactly sure where yet.

So we will be there on holiday, and will be in and out of different states. Im wondering if this will make it possible for us to be allowed to buy our own car.

We will be staying in hostels, camping, that sort of thing, so we would ideally be looking for a saloon type car or a pick up. My boyfriend has his sights set on a Mustang!!!!!!! He will go out of his mind if he doesnt get to drive on this holiday!!

What do you think our best option is?? Ps: Are there companies that rent cars that are not brand new, ie: cars that have been through alot, im just thinking in terms of how long we would have it for, i would be very nervous in a lovely shiny car, i would feel much more at ease in a sh*t-box!!!!! haha!!

Thanks
Sarah

TBH, I'd rent one. Most of the mainstream hire co's do good long term rates - use their insurance as well (LDW).
It'll save all the hassle of buying one, insuring it (impossible without a US address) and then selling it afterwards.

Don't be afraid of it being a shiny new car, once you pay the insurance they generally don't complain if something happens to it - also if something goes wrong with it, they'll replace it there and then.
If you buy a banger and expect to do a 4000 mile road trip then factor in some unscheduled stops and possible costly repair bills.
Most states don't have an 'NCT' so a banger over there will literally be a POS with 4 wheels.

irishpaul70

peanuthead wrote: »

Paul

So we will be there on holiday, and will be in and out of different states. Im wondering if this will make it possible for us to be allowed to buy our own car.

This should be no problem - american drive a car registered in one state to another state all the time. It is only when they move address to a new state do they re-regisited after say about 6-12months - so this should be no concern to you.

One thought - might work... there may be a company that wants you to take a car for west to East - u should google it - 'borrow your car from xx to xx (or west to east).

My Opinion is - buy a 2nd hand car - say a ex-rental - even the new car deals sell trade-in - so they are 2nd hand.

have fun and remember the exchange rate is great now - 1euro - nearly 1.60 USD. Keep us updated - as I might pop back to florida to check on my house & car for a few holidays this year.

One more thing.... A lot of people in the USA rent or buy an RV (big camper van) and then travel coast to coast!!!

also recommend you go to the www.meetup.com website and sign on and join in there - there is a forumn for every city/town in the usa and will tell you what is going on events/advice/meetings and even people selling cars etc - also try craigslist.com - put an advert on there saying 'looking to borrow a car/rv and drive america west>east' etc

Enjoy

paul

peanuthead

This is all excellent information, thanks alot to everyone!!

I dont know what to do now, as I said I would be worried about harming the car, but its true that this is why we pay for insurance!! I would just be afraid of having to pay, for example, the first couple of hundred dollars off the claim, because at the end of the day, id rather spend my money on having a good time!! It would be easier to get the rental car though, it would save us having to get registrations, insurance etc,,,

But i also like the idea of getting a car of my own for the three months...so we wouldnt have to do any driving test for a 90-day period??

I will check out all of those websites, any extra info you have would be excellent!

Paul - That is exactly what I want - one of those campervans, we will rent one for a while id say!! and the mustang is a must too

Oh and were over 21, im 24, and my boyfriend is 25, so alcohol shouldnt b a problem, we will be staying in hostels so we probably will be carrying our passports with us anyway!!

On another note - can anyone recommend some cool things to do in USA - ANYWHERE!!!!!

irishpaul70

Recommend you buy the 'Rough Guide to USA and also the Lonely Planet guides.

If you visit florida - A must is to rent a boat for 4-5hours on one of the coasts - and visit a empty island and enjoy it yourselfs and then speed the boat through the channels and in the Bays - I also recommend Jet Skis - great fun.
Also Check out http://www.myflorida.com/taxonomy/visitor/
Every state should have a site like this.

Go to Vegas - even if you do not gamble - it is fun and load of shows and cheap hotels deals, and rides out to do the site seeing there.

Also check out http://www.usatourist.com/ for things to do in each city/state - always check the state Parks - i.e. yellowstone

If you get a chance - go to Clearwater near Tampa (west florida) - it has the #1 Beach in USA - Caladesi Island State Park in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area America’s Top Beach for 2008.
see - http://www.visitflorida.com/articles/florida-wins-best-beach-for-2008
Tis my fav beach as it is 20mins drive from my house - and the tourist do not know about it and even the local tend to forget about it and there is 5USD fee to use it. You can even camp on it. To access it you have to take a short ferry from Honeymoon Island (also a very good beach) and both have amazing sand finer than the sand you put in Hour glass Timer.

Also - go to a book store and look for a book called '100 places to visit before I die - some on that list are USA cities/parks etc.

Have fun.

Paul

nmacc

stevec wrote: »

Most states don't have an 'NCT' so a banger over there will literally be a POS with 4 wheels.

Don't take this at face value. Most states (32 out of 50) have a mandatory inspection, although some are for emissions only. In states that require inspection you'll find that the cops are pretty quick about spotting an absent or expired sticker on your windshield and can be inflexible about issuing tickets; in most states the revenue from tickets goes to the local police department, so they're motivated. If you buy a car, make sure the inspection will outlast your stay.

In general beware of state-to-state differences; what's legal in one state may not be legal in another. An example is the previously-mention Turn Right On Red rule; that only applies in certain states; similarly with posession of a radar detector, the legality of sleeping in a car, etc.

It's especially important to check the tax rules. Some states regard a change of vehicle ownership like a retail sale and when you go to the DMV to register it, they'll demand the local sales tax. If it's a cheap car it won't be a big deal, but be prepared. Also change of ownership rules can be tricky; for example Pensylvania requires that all vehicle ownership changes are notorised; that is, signed in the presence of a Notary Public. You don't want to find that out when you turn up at the DMV with the original owner long gone.

Remember too that insurance has its limits. Here in Ireland we normally think that when you're insured, you're insured, but in the states it's different. Some states don't require insurance while others only require insurance up to a certain monetary amount. You can pay a premium to cover you up to that amount (say $1 million), but if there are damages above that you must pay the balance yourself.

Buying, driving and selling is certainly possible (I've done it), but the devil is in the details.

nmacc

Almost forgot - auto club membership.

Members of the AAA can avail of all sorts of discounts and services. I found the free maps to be most useful. Just call into any of the 900 AAA offices in the States and pick up as many free maps as you like. These are excellent maps, certainly up to the standard of the Irish OS and absolutely free. They can offer this because the USGS takes the novel approach that, as the taxpayer pays their wages, they have already paid for the cost of producing the maps and the data can therefore be issued free to organisations like the AAA.

The AA are afiliated to the AAA, so if you're an AA member you can get the same services on production of your AA membership card.

If you're confident of your map-reading abilities you could save on the cost of that GPS:)

peanuthead

Great, so we can buy a car, say, in san francisco. Then we need to insure it. How do I do this with no fixed address?

Where do you get these stickers from? Or maybe just make sure we buy a car with one valid up until the time we leave.

So when we get insurance and sticker, were ok? We will be travelling to New York in the car, going to a few places along the way.

If we have gotten insurance/sticker according to the law in san fran, we are ok to drive anywhere?

I kno these q's are prob stupid, but i dont have a clue!!

What is a good price for a GPS anyway?

Steve

nmacc wrote: »

Most states (32 out of 50) have a mandatory inspection, although some are for emissions only..................
...but the devil is in the details.

Indeed it is, I seem to be missing some states - I only got 20.
(Edit: My point was: no safety inspections = bangers = POS cars.)

States and Federal Districts with periodic (e.g., annual) vehicle safety inspections

*Delaware (every year)
*District of Columbia (every two years)
*Hawaii (every year, except brand new vehicles receive an inspection valid for two years, ambulances, rental cars, vehicles used in public transportation, and other, every six months)
*Louisiana (every year; emission test in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area)
*Maine (every year; emission test in Cumberland County)
*Massachusetts (safety inspection every year, emission inspection every two years)
*Minnesota (Motorcycles; Random, annual)
*Mississippi (safety inspection every year)
*Missouri (every two years; emissions testing in the St. Louis area)
*New Hampshire (every year)
*New Jersey (every two years)
*New York (every year)
*North Carolina (every year; emissions inspections in 48 of 100 counties, exempting diesels and cars 35 years or older)
*Pennsylvania(every year; emissions inspections every year in 25 of 67 counties)
*Rhode Island (safety and emission inspection every two years)
*Texas (every year; emission test in the largest urban areas - Houston Metro, Dallas Metroplex, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso)
*Utah (every two years for the first eight years, then every year)
*Vermont (every year)
*Virginia (every year; emission inspection every two years in urban and suburban jurisdictions in Northern Virginia)
*West Virginia (every year - safety)

Source

peanuthead

nmacc wrote: »

Almost forgot - auto club membership.

Members of the AAA can avail of all sorts of discounts and services. I found the free maps to be most useful. Just call into any of the 900 AAA offices in the States and pick up as many free maps as you like. These are excellent maps, certainly up to the standard of the Irish OS and absolutely free. They can offer this because the USGS takes the novel approach that, as the taxpayer pays their wages, they have already paid for the cost of producing the maps and the data can therefore be issued free to organisations like the AAA.

The AA are afiliated to the AAA, so if you're an AA member you can get the same services on production of your AA membership card.

If you're confident of your map-reading abilities you could save on the cost of that GPS:)

If we have AA membership here in ireland, does that mean that we can use it in USA for motor rescue?

MCMLXXXIII

peanuthead wrote: »

Great, so we can buy a car, say, in san francisco. Then we need to insure it. How do I do this with no fixed address?

Where do you get these stickers from? Or maybe just make sure we buy a car with one valid up until the time we leave.

So when we get insurance and sticker, were ok? We will be travelling to New York in the car, going to a few places along the way.

If we have gotten insurance/sticker according to the law in san fran, we are ok to drive anywhere?

I kno these q's are prob stupid, but i dont have a clue!!

What is a good price for a GPS anyway?

I'm pretty sure you can't actually buy a car and insure it without a fixed address. You need to register it to get the necessary sticker tabs, and you need insurance to register it. I'm sure, if you wanted, you could pay the insurance up front in cash, but you still can't register it without an address. They need to know which state you are from, because they all have different laws and taxes.
FYI, California and the other western and costal states have the highest taxes, which go by vehicle weight. There is also a "Gas Guzzler" tax for cars that use a lot of petrol (don't know what the exact standard is), that is to be paid when registering. My "luxury" car (300) in Michigan is $82 to register, and last I checked it's $750 in Colorado, and slightly more in California.
Also, buying a car on the spot is easy (probably more expensive), but selling it when you are done might be tough...if that's your plan. Renting from Enterprise will total about $2,600 for an Aveo, $2,650 for a Versa or all the way up to $5,700 for a Tahoe (Chevrolet (base) version of the Escalade) if you rent regular, but they have deals for long-term rentals. It also gets MUCH more expensive if you are under 25 years old. Those prices are for day-by-day renting for 3 months.

dave2pvd

MCMLXXXIII wrote: »

Renting from Enterprise will total about $2,600 for an Aveo, $2,650 for a Versa or all the way up to $5,700 for a Tahoe (Chevrolet (base) version of the Escalade) if you rent regular, but they have deals for long-term rentals. It also gets MUCH more expensive if you are under 25 years old.

And....if you opt for comprehensive insurance from the rental company, your rate will probably double the above-quoted amounts.

So, to sum it all up: it doesn't look like you can buy and insure a car over here. At least, not easily. You have no fixed address, no social security number, no US driver's licence and no credit history (for insurance). And even if you somehow manage it, it will be tough to sell it. And what will you do in the event of a breakdown? PS: don't depend on a state's 'vehicle safety inspection'. In most cases, nothing like the NCT.

Renting is expensive. So stay for extended periods in places that have transport: NY, Chicago, SanFran,.... When you want to travel, rent a car. To satisfy the Mustang-lust (why, oh why???), rent the Hertz retro-Shelby. Or, a real sports car, the Corvette.

Rent the car in your BF's name. Keep in mind you'll pay extra if you decide to officially place you on the rental document as a driver (24). IIRC, some rentals cos use U30, some use U25. Note: Budget and Enterprise are best value. Hertz and Avis often cost double. Look up Travelocity for the best rate, then call the nearest Enterprise office and ask them 'how much for...'. They will quote high. Mention what you just saw in the innernets and they will match/beat it. Then (the best part), they will come and pick you up.

I would recommend calling your car insurance company in Ireland and asking how much it would be to add a rider for US rentals. It can be done. Insurance at the counter in a US rental agency is full of mark-up, therefore very expensive.

Let me second what a previous poster said about things being different from state to state. Includes rules of the road, vehicle registration, tax, insurance,....

Buy your GPS over here, not in Ireland. You can find great ones for a low as $250. But hold on - there are 2 of you....maps are a lot cheaper. Since you are Irish, that means you will actually be able to read a map.

AA membership in Ireland means 0 in the US. You need AAA membership. Perhaps the AA can help you with that?

Carrying your passport around all the time is a bad idea. What would you do if you lost it?

Steve

dave2pvd wrote: »

To satisfy the Mustang-lust (why, oh why???), rent the Hertz retro-Shelby. Or, a real sports car, the Corvette.

+1
I rented a mustang (free upgrade 'cos Hertz didn't have what I booked), and it was a bit like driving a sofa on top of a waterbed. The noise it made was nice, no poke though.

Esel

peanuthead wrote: »

If we have AA membership here in ireland, does that mean that we can use it in USA for motor rescue?

peanuthead, meet cormie.

Look into the deal where you drive someone else's car from A to B - it's free apart from gas money. Basically, people want their car brought from say SF to Denver (Vanishing Point in reverse!) and get a company to find a driver to do it. You get allowed a certain number of days to make the trip.

Maybe one of our US posters can give you more info on this.

Steve

esel wrote: »

peanuthead, meet cormie.

:D

digitaldr

Getting a bit tired so I'll do a longer post tomorrow. Anyway, myself, my wife and our 8 year old son drove from Florida to California 2 years ago. Were thinking of buying/selling but were put off by all the paperwork/bureaucracy (not how you want to be spending your holiday!) in the end decided to go down the rental route. All the rental companies wanted a €500 drop off fee except for www.autoeurope.co.uk who arranged rental through National and didn't charge a drop off fee. I was sure they'd made a mistake and specifically asked the girl on the phone if she was sure there was no drop off fee. Low and behold when we went to pick up the the car the lady at the desk looked at the pre-paid voucher and said - What about the drop off fee? So we rang autoeurope (Dublin call centre!) who said that yes they had actually made a mistake and they advised me to pay the €500 and they would refund it when I dropped the car back which in fairness they did!

Anyway we had booked a compact - not a good idea if you plan to do any shopping at all and way too cramped for long distances. So we paid for a mid-size and got a free upgrade to a full size - Chevy Impala - twas alright. So my advice is always book a compact and there's a good chance you'll get a free/cheap upgrade.

Always, always book your car on the net - much better rates. Rental rates vary a lot depending on location -we were recently in Manhattan and needed to rent a car in a hurry - very,very expensive - in fact the lady at the Hertz desk told us that most New Yorkers go to Hoeboken, New Jersey to rent.

Oh and don't forget your license like I did on a trip to Boston a few months ago - realized half way across the Atlantic - not a nice feeling! A neighbour who works in the Airport gave it to a hostess on the next mornings flight.

peanuthead

dave2pvd wrote: »

Carrying your passport around all the time is a bad idea. What would you do if you lost it?

But we are planning on going from hostel to hostel, campsite to campsite. So we have no other choice but to carry our passports with us from what I see.

I really wanted to buy a car for the handiness of being able to travel wherever whenever, but renting is seeming more appealing to me now. This car is a place where we will be spending alot of time, its also a place that will have to house our suitcases/backpacks, and things we buy along the way.

Looking for a pick up or something maybe. Somethin nice and big, with plenty of space at the back, preferably hidden from view, ie: not roofless trailer.

Im probably asking really silly questions here, but could anyone help me out with that?

peanuthead

dave2pvd wrote: »

Buy your GPS over here, not in Ireland. You can find great ones for a low as $250. But hold on - there are 2 of you....maps are a lot cheaper. Since you are Irish, that means you will actually be able to read a map.
quote]


Oh and I bought a GPS on ebay for $177, it serves USA and Canada, so hopefully that will be ok.