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Car rental in US

  • 05-11-2019 6:53am
    #1
    Route1
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭


    A mate and I are doing a road trip around US, we’re flying some legs of journey. However we’re going to drive from New Orleans to Austin. Wondering does anyone have any advice or recommendations for car rental for this journey, it’s around a 7 hour and 40 minute drive?


Comments

  • #2
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    Route1 wrote: »
    A mate and I are doing a road trip around US, we’re flying some legs of journey. However we’re going to drive from New Orleans to Austin. Wondering does anyone have any advice or recommendations for car rental for this journey, it’s around a 7 hour and 40 minute drive?

    In US at moment, have rented cars a couple of times over last few weeks.

    I use rentalcars.com or hotwire.com, some people use xpedia, or kayak etc but I found the others more reasonable.

    Just get on google and get options. You will have to book to pick up in one area and drop in another.
    Insurance cover is about $12/day (but there may be ways around this in terms of travel insurance, or other that covers it. Someone else may know). Listed price won't include taxes and charges either.
    Paying for an easy pass unit (for barrier free tolls) is similar priced at about $10-12 a day plus tolls, but it might be an option to use Google to avoid toll roads.

    Midsize car such as corolla or nissan altima are very comfortable with plenty room, and only a few dollars more than economy generally.
    Car is usually collect full of fuel and return full of fuel, I'd suggest filling car about 20-40 km before end of journey as you'll get that mileage without tank appearing empty.
    Pay attention to state laws.
    In Massachussetts for example, you can turn right on red lights at most junctions, you must move in to outer lane if cop car is stopped in hard shoulder or if you meet a cop car with flashing lights basically pull in or come to a stop even if you think they've loads of room.


  • #3
    HDMI
    Registered Users Posts: 747 ✭✭✭HDMI


    Don't get caught out with their offers of sat nav rental, just go to the local Walmart or Best Buy and buy one. Get one with free lifetime updates, chances are you will be able to sell it when you get back to Ireland and make most of your money back.

    Also if your trip to Austin is a one way rental watch out because a lot of companies charge a huge extra charge. I have used Avis for one way rentals and they never charge any extra fees.


  • #4
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    HDMI wrote: »
    Don't get caught out with their offers of sat nav rental, just go to the local Walmart or Best Buy and buy one. Get one with free lifetime updates, chances are you will be able to sell it when you get back to Ireland and make most of your money back.

    Do people still use sat navs when abroad? Google Maps or other navigation apps are just as good and all it'll cost you is the price of a SIM card for your phone.


  • #5
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    jack presley wrote: »
    Do people still use sat navs when abroad? Google Maps or other navigation apps are just as good and all it'll cost you is the price of a SIM card for your phone.

    OP should be ok with second driver but if travelling alone, make sure you can place/hold phone where you can see screen. Also, pair to car bluetooth and it will play over car speakers, even if playing spotify on phone.


  • #6
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    sugarman wrote: »
    You dont even need a sim, you can download and use offline maps. I do it all the time!

    Advantage of being online is it gives real time updates and suggests alternative routes due to congestion.

    I was driving west of Boston this morning and it told me there was a car disabled causing a minute congestion. Was bang on accurate.


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  • #7
    DaveyDave
    Registered Users Posts: 6,179 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    Offline maps is great in a jam, but you really need online for traffic and the like. Get a T-Mobile tourist Sim. They're $30 for 3 weeks of unlimited data, 2GB 4G. Download any towns/cities you're passing through to cut down on data.

    As a tourist, some companies such as Alamo include CDW as standard so you don't need to pay for any insurance.


  • #8
    HDMI
    Registered Users Posts: 747 ✭✭✭HDMI


    jack presley wrote: »
    Do people still use sat navs when abroad? Google Maps or other navigation apps are just as good and all it'll cost you is the price of a SIM card for your phone.

    Within the EU you get some free data for abroad but that doesn't carry to the US. And even allowing for using a local sim data costs are horrible in the US compared to Ireland. Network coverage can also be a real pain so if your relying on a data plan and you lose coverage it could be an issue. As a precaution we always keep a sat nav in the car as a backup on journeys.

    The offline maps option sounds like a good idea though.


  • #9
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    HDMI wrote: »
    Within the EU you get some free data for abroad but that doesn't carry to the US. And even allowing for using a local sim data costs are horrible in the US compared to Ireland. Network coverage can also be a real pain so if your relying on a data plan and you lose coverage it could be an issue. As a precaution we always keep a sat nav in the car as a backup on journeys.

    The offline maps option sounds like a good idea though.

    Data costs are reasonable enough these days. I'm just back from the States and had a T-Mobile 'no limits data, calls or texts'. I bought it off Amazon before I went and it cost me (including postage), around €30 for the week. I'm sure if I had waited till I got to America I could have got the same for cheaper too. I was doing rural driving in the south and the coverage was perfect. And of course I wasn't just using the phone data for car navigation.

    I've used the offline mapping in the past but if you're covering a large area, it takes up a load of space on the phone so wasn't an option for me this time.


  • #10
    bmc58
    Registered Users Posts: 2,798 ✭✭✭bmc58


    Tell me how wrote: »
    Advantage of being online is it gives real time updates and suggests alternative routes due to congestion.

    I was driving west of Boston this morning and it told me there was a car disabled causing a minute congestion. Was bang on accurate.

    Wow,a minute congestion! You really need this traffic news to allow you to take an alternate route.


  • #11
    HDMI
    Registered Users Posts: 747 ✭✭✭HDMI


    jack presley wrote: »
    Data costs are reasonable enough these days. I'm just back from the States and had a T-Mobile 'no limits data, calls or texts'. I bought it off Amazon before I went and it cost me (including postage), around €30 for the week. I'm sure if I had waited till I got to America I could have got the same for cheaper too. I was doing rural driving in the south and the coverage was perfect. And of course I wasn't just using the phone data for car navigation.

    I've used the offline mapping in the past but if you're covering a large area, it takes up a load of space on the phone so wasn't an option for me this time.

    I live in North Carolina and we purchased a T-Mobile sim for my wife's phone when we first arrived in Charlotte. Reception was grand until we got more rural and it was useless, also coverage was lousy in our home in New Bern. I use At&t with no issues traveling, but keep the sat nav as back up.

    €30 for a week sounds crazy when you look at unlimited prepay plans in Ireland. The US is way behind when it comes to data on their mobile networks.


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  • #12
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    bmc58 wrote: »
    Wow,a minute congestion! You really need this traffic news to allow you to take an alternate route.

    Good one.


  • #13
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    HDMI wrote: »
    I live in North Carolina and we purchased a T-Mobile sim for my wife's phone when we first arrived in Charlotte. Reception was grand until we got more rural and it was useless, also coverage was lousy in our home in New Bern. I use At&t with no issues traveling, but keep the sat nav as back up.

    €30 for a week sounds crazy when you look at unlimited prepay plans in Ireland. The US is way behind when it comes to data on their mobile networks.

    I've a $50/month prepay with T-Mobile. Unlimited data.
    Do agree with coverage being poor outside of certain areas.


  • #14
    bamayang
    Registered Users Posts: 668 ✭✭✭bamayang


    Route1 wrote: »
    A mate and I are doing a road trip around US, we’re flying some legs of journey. However we’re going to drive from New Orleans to Austin. Wondering does anyone have any advice or recommendations for car rental for this journey, it’s around a 7 hour and 40 minute drive?

    Did this exact drive two years ago, its long but very cool. Two amazing cities also.


  • #15
    The Black Oil
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 18,196 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    I'll be driving in Colorado. Going to get a SIM card from Amazon for Google Maps, after the advice in another thread.

    Do you need an international driving licence?

    Nevermind... https://www.usa.gov/visitors-driving

    https://colorado-assistance.org/dmv/driver-license-services/rules-for-visiting-drivers/

    Moderator: Television, Psychology and Dublin County North.

    CMod: Entertainment



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