Car Hire LA

Irish Gunner

Heading to LA this weekend and looking at hiring a car don’t know the days yet as not sure of plans when over there

Not looking for anything fantastic something decent. Are all the best ones out in the airport and can anyone recommend any companies?

CNTRLR

most companies have downtown offices, so if its easier try looking for a downtown office, it saves the hassle of getting to the airport.
I rented with alamo, as i get a discount from work, they are good the cars are clean and reliable, and i find the american system of car rental to be very good, you basically get the paper work sorted then you can go out and pick whatever car you like in your chosen category.

One word of warning, be very careful with the insurance etc. American car rental companies charge so little for insurance as americans can claim a bit chunk of the cost of an accident on their own car insurance, so without that you could end up being liable for a hefty sum if you do have an accident. I usually pay for the insurance just simply for peace of mind.

A lot of people will say its dangerous in la traffic etc, i guarantee if you have driven the M50 any morning/evening or around chirstmas, you have experienced the same stuff, just be patient, and don't get upset with other drivers, they can be very pushy towards small rental cars, especially if they are driving large pick-ups..

Irish Gunner

Cheers thanks for that

Staying out near LAX so easier for me to get to the airport. Have done all the touristy sites but may drive up the coast. With Insurance is it much more addition to the cost? Also do all cars come with GPS as never driven in the States before so don't want to end up somewhere I should not be.

Like to do a wine tour but if driving may not be able to sample so have to look if any tours out to Napa or drive out and stay overnight

CNTRLR

insurance will not cost a lot extra, but it depends on what you call how much, i think i mostly pay between 10-15$ per day extra, it does add up if you go for a long time, i have never had to use an insurance so i don't know much about the process, but i do know that if you don't take their insurance that you effectively have no liability cover, my understanding of this is that the car you drive is covered but shat you hit is not, but i could be wrong on this, it may be the other way around...

for the gps, they are available but at a cost, what they charge will depend on the company, but think in the region of 10$ per day at least. If you are staying for a while, it may be worth you while to go to a target and pick up a cheap GPS, it might work out cheaper in the end. But i will say this, i have been on 2 month long driving trips in the US and have never had to use a GPS, i usually get a detailed state map, and a good city map, if you have a co-pilot who is willing, it is a very good way of doing things. The Roads are a lot easier to navigate over there as the signposts are far far superior to irish standards, and the driving itself is a lot easier and i find driving there a more relaxing experience then driving in ireland.

Driving up to wine country via 101,(pacific coast highway) is a really nice drive, when i did it, it was in april/may about 3 years ago, and it was an amazing experience, once you get out of LA, the scenery just changes to this beautiful landscape, and its virtually the same road all the way up the coast, And i think the 101 goes right by LAX

InTheTrees

Take 101 as far as San Louis Obispo and then you take Highway One, for the drive up the coast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1

InTheTrees

CNTRLR wrote: »

i guarantee if you have driven the M50 any morning/evening or around chirstmas, you have experienced the same stuff, just be patient, and don't get upset with other drivers, they can be very pushy towards small rental cars, especially if they are driving large pick-ups..

Yes. It takes about twenty minutes to get a US drives licence. If you can drive in Dublin you're able for anything the americans can throw at you! They're generally terrible drivers, the rules mean very little, but they're also very slow. Dont expect anyone to use turn signals and dont trust them when they do. Dont expect them to be aware of much thats around them. American driving is about staying in your own bubble.

On the freeway you pick a lane and stay there, there is a little disipline about staying out of the left lane unless you're passing but not much. You get in a lane and stay there.

You can turn right on a red light, as long as its clear.

At an intersection with 4 stop signs you yield to the car who got there first. If thats unclear then the vehicle to the right.

Dont get a really small car. Everything there is Bigger, petrol is cheap, a small car will just be uncomfortable and you'll be swamped by the traffic.

InTheTrees

The major companies, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, thrifty, Alamo.

They all will have special deals on their websites so its really worth taking a look at all of them, if you want to save some money. Its very common for them to have weekend deals. Doesnt take too long to look either.

And they're all pretty much the same as regards service.

ProudDUB

When renting cars in the US, I have generally found that the cheaper the daily rental rate, the more they will charge you for extras such as insurance, sat nav/GPS rental, child seats etc etc. That works the other way around too - the more they charge for the daily rental rate, the better deals are on the extras. So when shopping around, make sure you factor in EVERYTHING that you possibly need in your car, not just what the upfront daily rental rate is.

I'm a big fan of Hertz. They wouldn't be the cheapest out there, but they are not hugely more expensive than the others. They generally have loads of cars for you to choose from. They have loads of staff on site and their customer service is top notch. I've had a few bad experiences with Dollar and Budget in that regard and when it comes to that sort of thing, you get what you pay for.