Disney World - The Online Guide

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2003
(UK customers)

Car hire in the US

If you have bought a package holiday from one of the large tour operators, you will probably have a 'free' rental car as part of the deal. However, there are extra charges you will need to pay, nothing in this life is free!

Some tour operators offer special pre-pay deals that include insurance fees, taxes and airport fees. For example, British Airways pre-pay package starts at £26 per day for an economy size car, to £62 per day for a luxury van.

Included in your 'free' rental car will usually be -
Rental car with automatic transmission & air-conditioning.
Basic third party insurance.
Unlimited mileage within continental USA.

This is what you can expect to pay per vehicle if paid in the US -

Extended Protection/SLI around $9.95 per day

Collision/Loss damage waiver $14 - 20 per day

Airport User Fee 4-10% total cost

State/Local taxes 15-16% total cost

Tank of fuel $15-25

Additional Driver Fees around $5.99 per driver per day

Underage Driver Fees (21-25) around $20 per driver per day

Child seat and deposit $5 per day. $50 deposit

Expect to pay over £400 for a compact car for 14 nights.

Extended Protection/Supplemental Liability Insurance
Provides you with up to $1,000,000 third party liability coverage for accidental death or injury to you or your passengers should you be hit by a negligent uninsured, underinsured or hit and run motorist. Recommended.

Collision/Loss Damage Waiver
In Florida, CDW is optional, and gives you extra cover for damage to the rental vehicle, regardless of who is at fault. It is strongly recommended. If you don't take this, then you will be required to provide evidence of credit worthiness including a major credit card with minimum available credit of $1,500. You will be responsible for any damage to the car up to its full value, regardless of fault.

Local/State Taxes
Local taxes such as airport user fees, where applicble, must be paid for locally (unless you get a pre-pay package). The rate of tax varies by location, but is usually around 15% of the cost of the rental. In Florida, there is an additional State rental surcharge of $2.05 per car per day.

The rental car you are allocated will depend on the size of your party. If you have two adults and two small children, you'll probably be given an economy size car, which is equal to a Vauxhall Corsa. Two adults and two medium children will get a compact car, equal to a Vauxhall Astra. You will be given the option to upgrade to a larger car for a fee.

Search and Book Car Rental

Car Rental Tips

No single car rental agency is best

Most major international car-rental agencies have offices in the USA. It is impossible to say that any one company is the best as you may have good experiences or bad experience with the same company in different cities. USATourist.com provides an easy way to compare rental prices from all the car rental agencies.

Automatic transmissions are the norm

Rental cars in the USA normally come equipped with automatic transmissions, air conditioning and a radio-cassette player. If you request a standard transmission, the rental company will probably have none available when you arrive as they are extremely uncommon. If you are travelling with children under 2-years of age make sure you have a child's car restraint seat or request one from the rental agency. It is illegal to carry small children in a car without safety restraint seats in most states.

International driver's license is not required

An international driver's license is not required in the US. You can usually rent a car and drive with a valid driver's license from your home country. An international license may be helpful in convincing the car rental agent that you really have a valid license when they cannot recognize or understand your license. Some rental agencies will not rent cars to anyone less than 25 years old. Other agencies will rent to young people but will charge a higher fee. Some agencies will not rent to anyone over 71 years old. Be sure to check on these restrictions if you are in these age categories. If you are a member of the AA, you can get a photo driving license to use in the US from them (for a small charge).

Car rental prices are very competitive

Car rental prices are very competitive in most states and no single agency has the best prices every time. Prices change frequently and every agency offers many special promotions and competitive priced deals. If you spend some time shopping for the best price, you can often save money. Here are some tips on how to find the best prices and how to save money.

You can shop for bargain rental prices

Car rental prices are most competitive in major tourist destinations like California and Florida. You can find some real bargain prices if you shop for the best deal. Some travel agencies offer special package deals that include airfare plus car rental or hotels plus car rental.

Car rental insurance is never a bargain

Car rental agencies always offer collision damage waiver insurance (CDW) and theft insurance at exorbitant prices that can significantly increase the price of a car rental. You should not risk driving without insurance, but you can usually get such insurance at a much lower price. Check your automobile insurance at home to see if it will cover driving in the US, or use a credit card that provides free insurance when you rent a car. The American Express Dollar Card and some bank charge cards provide such insurance for free when you use them to rent a car. Check with the credit card issuer to be sure it provides such coverage for USA rentals. The American Express Company and some other travel agents offer special travel insurance that provides CDW coverage at a much lower price than the rental agencies.

Comments submitted

"It is definitely cheaper to pre pay all local taxes and insurance in this country. We rent cars over there for around 10-12 weeks for us and many more for others.For instance minivan cheapest rate for 1 week if booked in the USA

would be:
$199 for hire
$112 for cdw
$56 for sli
$15 for tyre wear tax
Around $35.00 sales tax and airport tax

total £269 at 1.55 to the dollar. This same deal can be had in the UK for between £230 and £250. credit card insurance is not available from uk credit cards except for personal injury. Even in the USA cover is very limited from credit cards. I had a friend who had a SU credit card which claimed to cover him. He had an accident and though he was covered. He ended up paying out around £15,000 in compensation to the other party and to the insurance company for loss of revenue while the vehicle was off the road. American express do a family travel insurance policy which does cover all the necessary car hire insurance's. It costs £250.00. I think the break even point is around 8 days before it is worth taking it our." Martin

If you have any tips or advice to add, please email me.

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